‘This summer's story': sitcom Too Much gives nighties a starring role

The Guardian

12 hours ago

In the first episode of Lena Dunham's new Netflix sitcom Too Much, viewers might be taken with cameos from Dunham, Jessica Alba and the model Emily Ratajkowski, or the burgeoning romance between Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe. But – as far as fashion is concerned – it's nighties that have a starring role.
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Early in the episode, Stalter wears a short frilled red nightie, with her dog in a matching design. Later, she wears a white frilled floor-length design, and it's clear the item is something of a signature. If it's a cute quirk for a character, it's also in line with wider trends.
Pyjamas have come out of the bedroom and into daywear over the last decade. Nighties might be in line to perform the same trick. The actor Daisy Edgar-Jones and model Kaia Gerber have worn nightdresses in daylight, with Gerber collaborating with the California-inspired brand Dôen last year to create her own. Sabrina Carpenter is known for her babydoll nighties, while Addison Rae wore a nightie-like dress for her performance at Coachella.
Most people will still associate pyjamas and nighties with bed – a private space which has, until recently, been free from fashion trends. A survey by YouGov in 2022 found that most people in the UK slept in pyjamas (47%) while 20% slept in their underwear and 20% slept naked.
Post-pandemic, clothing worn at home is much more on the radar of fashion. Like Parker Posey's in The White Lotus, Stalter's nightie is likely to prompt others to think about switching from pyjamas when turning out the light.
The design, which costs £130, is made by a British nightie brand If Only If. Its owner, Emily Campbell – who also made the bespoke nightie for the dog – says the popularity is already increasing. 'Our annual growth is between 80% and 90% and this year is looking to be more,' she says. She anticipates that Too Much will increase the demand, although she won't alter her small-batch production model. 'They will sell out,' she says. 'I'm fine with that. I'm never going to over-produce and have a load of nightgowns left over.'
The high street is also seeing more interest in the nightie. John Lewis reports searches for 'nightdress' increased by 21% from 2024 to 2025, with sales up 14%. Cotton designs – such as a £34 white seersucker nightie – are particularly popular this summer.
The heatwave might well be a factor for a rise in popularity – cotton nighties are a cool option. If Only If was founded by Campbell's mother, Issy Falkner, who was going through menopause at the time. 'I think that definitely had a bearing on her wanting to wear natural materials,' says Campbell. The brand's cotton is organic, and 'just the most beautiful thing to sleep in'.
If Too Much is the latest example of the nightie on screen, other notable moments include Sofia Coppola's first film, The Virgin Suicides, and Grace Kelly's nightwear in Rear Window. Elena Babić documents these moments in her Instagram account Nightgowns in Cinema. 'Nightgowns have charm and grace,' she says. 'They make you feel like an old Hollywood star about to dramatically crash into silky bedsheets and cry, [or] like a 2000s teen girl about to call her best friend from a spiral-cord phone.'
In recent years, pyjamas have dominated romcom screen time – as worn by Bridget Jones in the original 2001 film – and they remain a popular bedtime choice.
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Another trend at John Lewis is mix-and-match designs – with sales up 55%. Marks & Spencer, meanwhile, reports that pyjamas with shorts are popular, with sales up 20% this year.
Naomi Pike, a commissioning editor at Elle UK, has about 20 pairs of pyjamas. 'It helps how I sleep,' she says, 'if I have clean pyjamas that fit well, feel good.' She buys two or three sizes up for extra comfort. Meanwhile, Babić – despite her love of the nightie – wears an oversized T-shirt and shorts to bed. '[Nighties] make me feel trapped,' she says.
'We admire them, but when it's time for real rest, we always reach for the comfiest and safest option.'
Of course, an alternative is nighties making the move from bed to daywear. 'It feels like it will be this summer's story,' says Pike. 'They feel quite gentle … we all need a bit more gentleness.'
If, up till now, sightings of the nightie trend has been limited to thin celebrities, Stalter will open the trend up. 'It can bring liberation to people who aren't used to seeing their figure on the screen so much,' says Pike. 'I think it could encourage [people to] think 'Oh, I'm a curvier figure and I can still wear this trend, and I will wear this trend, and this is how I can wear it.''