ISO the fanciest mildly dowdy nightgowns

September 4, 2021 5:21 PM

Have you embraced the breezy classic sleepwear of yesteryear? Help me find some pretty dresses to fall asleep in.

I am looking for nightgowns that meet the following criteria:
-Knee length at shortest
-Less than $100
-Ships in the USA
-Classy AF but also PG rated. Basically Jane Austen’s dream nightgown.

Likewise acceptable are ever so slightly less fancy nightgowns that compensate with coziness and meet the other criteria.

posted by donut_princess to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (13 answers total)

Best answer: I think you might be very happy perusing the nightgown selection at Vermont Country Store. While I have not personally treated myself to one of their nightgowns, I got their Victorian bloomer pajamas and they are indeed classy AF.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:24 PM on September 4, 2021 [13 favorites]

Best answer: I have, indeed, embraced the breezy classic sleepwear of yesteryear and EmpressCallipygos is right. I buy it all from Vermont Country Store.
posted by probably not that Karen Blair at 5:28 PM on September 4, 2021

Best answer: Big fan of The 1 for U which is selling through Amazon right now. All cotton - very comfy. I’ve about a half dozen of these during COVID times.
posted by rdnnyc at 5:33 PM on September 4, 2021

Nthing Vermont Country Store. All I wear are long white cotton nightgowns, but they have an assortment of things Alcott, Austen, and the Bronte sisters woulda worn to bed.
posted by shadygrove at 7:24 PM on September 4, 2021

It's AliExpress so the usual caveats about Chinese-made clothing apply (long shipping times, limited to smaller sizes, possibly sketchy supply chain), but I find the designs of Xiao O store very swoony. Last year I got this 100% cotton chemise nightgown from them that makes me feel ready to explore a mysterious Gothic manor by candlelight whenever I wear it.
posted by clair-de-lune at 7:52 PM on September 4, 2021

Your question reminded me of this nightgown post on Cup of Jo. Lots of different options.
posted by blacktshirtandjeans at 7:57 PM on September 4, 2021

Best answer: You need Lanz of Salzburg! Ships from Jersey City.
I like their flannels gowns (they, and the smell of Oscar de la Renta perfume ARE my Grandmother). But here are some white cotton Austen-esque gowns:

Long Night gown plus size : $52 On sale!
Long night gown: $49 On sale!
White Chemise: $45
posted by Sauter Vaguely at 8:55 PM on September 4, 2021 [4 favorites]

I came to recommend Lanz of Salsburg. I have some of their nightgowns from the 1980s, and they're still in great shape despite repeated wear throughout my life.
posted by twelve cent archie at 9:50 PM on September 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

I could not be more thrilled by this question, since I pretty much only sleep in nighties that make me look like an old timey ghost! Most of mine come from Alexander Del Rossa or the absolutely divine White Nightie shop. The ones from White Nightie are particularly well made.
posted by mostlymartha at 10:27 PM on September 4, 2021

Also came to say Lanz! I grew up wearing them and they are exactly what you want. I've found some second hand NWT (new with tags). I think the quality of the fabric they used in the 80s-90s is superior to the modern nighties. A lot of what makes a nightgown comfy (IMO) is the quality of the fabric.

I also found a lot of things that look like your fantasy nightie by searching Google with the phrase "vintage balloon sleeve nightgown". Balloon sleeves are a distinctive feature of the style you're describing and they are trendy this season so searching that term might help you find a nightie you love.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:59 AM on September 5, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Eileen West, with its "Classic Heirloom Quality Sleepwear" (also sold at Vermont Country store), + Lanz of Salzburg have end-of-summer sales w/ free U.S. ground shipping.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:03 AM on September 5, 2021

Best answer: I love the well made, calf-length and one-size-fits-all woven cotton white nightgowns made by Powell Craft, and I'm happy to admit that they meet all of your criteria!

I agree with Katie JM Baker, who reviewed the brand for The Strategist UK, that "they're slightly see-through but not obscenely so." (Baker even takes walks outside in hers, under a leather jacket and accessorized with colorful socks and loafers.) I have the Veronica style; the Valerie (for which I have a lemming) has an overpanel that provides enough coverage to eliminate the need for a bathrobe, according to a reviewer on the Blarney Woolen Mills site.

The Jane factor: Stocked at the Jane Austen Museum, Powell Craft nightgowns are designed in the U.K. based on English Victorian designs and are sewn at a factory in India with which the family that runs Powell Craft has been working for 40 years.

Price: $55-$60 from Blarney Woolen Mills in Cork, Ireland (their US stockists all seem to sell only Powell Craft's children's line); UK nightgown aficionados can shop on the Powell Craft website. Shipping to the US is a flat rate of $10.95; free shipping for orders totaling at least $250. (Note: My Veronica nightie was an Etsy purchases and I haven't ordered from Blarney Woolen Mills, so I can't speak to the experience of shopping with that company. White Nightie, which mostlymartha has recommended, also sells this line, but the cost to ship to the US are higher -- $25 for purchases up to $138.)
posted by virago at 6:33 AM on September 6, 2021

P.S. Here are all of the white nighties that Powell Craft sells. The green is included because The Strategist's Baker reviewed and liked it.
posted by virago at 6:42 AM on September 6, 2021 [1 favorite]