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Pajamas

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Pajamas or pyjamas (often PJs or jammies) are a form of nightwear for those who do not prefer to sleep in their underwear or nude. Pajamas are usually two-piece garments but may be one-piece garments. They are worn by children and adults alike, although children seem to prefer them. The wearing of pajamas by adults is sometimes seasonal; e.g., only in winter time.

The word "pajama" came by the way of the Bengali word pajama, originally from the Persian words پايجامه Payjama meaning "leg garment."

A girl (and her doll) wearing pajamas.
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A girl (and her doll) wearing pajamas.

Material

Pajamas are usually loose fitting and designed for comfort, using softer materials such as cotton (flannel in particular) or the more luxurious silk or satin.

Designs and Patterns

Pajamas oftentimes contain visual references to a thing that may hold some special appeal to the wearer. Images of sports, animals, balloons, polka dots and other things may all be used to decorate them. Pajamas may also be found in plainer designs, such as plaid or plain gray, but when worn in public, they are usually designed in such a way that makes their identity unambiguous.

Custom

Pajamas are often worn as comfort wear even when not in bed, and are also sometimes worn as a fashion statement. In the United States, some people (mainly young females) have started to wear pajama pants in public as fashion. In China, it is not unusual in the late afternoon or evening, to have adults wear their pajamas in public around their local neighborhood.

In the U.S., when a wintery storm is predicted, some children will wear their pajamas inside out as good luck for a "snow day" from school the upcoming day.

References to Pajamas in Popular Culture

Pajamas played a prominent role on a popular kids television shown known as Bananas in Pajamas. The show detailed the adventures of two bananas while wearing their pajamas.

Pajamas Media, temporarily also known as Open Source Media (OSM), is a blog aggregator. The founders chose this name "after that now-famous remark about bloggers being 'just a bunch of people sitting around in their pajamas.'"

The debate about when one should change one's pyjamas has taken on a greater significance since Professor Madeline Kennedy proposed that one should change one's pyjama's as often as one's men. Clearly, this gives rise to issues of relativity and opens a whole can of worms which would better have been left closed.

See also

External links

 


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