Pyjama tops and bottoms: build your nightwear outfit piece by piece

Buying a pajama top and a women's pajama bottom separately meets two practical needs: getting the right size when the top and bottom don't match, and replacing just one piece when the other is still good. It's also the most cost-effective way to create multiple outfits from a few purchases.

Choosing women's pajama bottoms

There are three styles available. The women's cotton pajama bottoms, loose-fitting and made of jersey or flannel, remain the most popular and versatile, even outside the bedroom. Leggings or fitted trousers might seem cooler, but they don't create creases under the sheets. Shorts are perfect for summer, while warm women's pajama bottoms, made of fleece, are ideal for winter; finding a cheap women's pajama bottom sold separately is quite easy. The key thing to check on a women's pajama bottom is the waistband: a drawstring that adjusts to your actual waist size is better than a simple elastic band, which can stretch out after a few washes.

Choosing a pajama top

The button-up pajama shirt is the easiest to put on and the only one you can comfortably wear outside of bed, under a cardigan. A t-shirt or jersey top works well for warm nights. A camisole with thin straps, in satin or modal, easily matches with trousers. When it comes to a pajama top, the length of the sleeves and the comfort around the shoulders are more important than the bust measurement, as that's where discomfort tends to occur when sleeping.

Mixing and matching women's pajama tops and bottoms without it showing

The simplest rule is to stick to the same type of fabric: a cotton top with cotton bottoms, regardless of the print. A solid with a print always works; two different prints at the minimum need to have a shared colour. Lastly, a satin top with flannel bottoms creates a contrast in temperature as well as style, which is rarely comfortable.