by How many dressing gowns are too many in the average person’s wardrobe? I’m asking some friends who, over WhatsApp, couldn’t agree on whether eight was an excessive number – or whether the person in question was missing out on some crucial subcategories of weight, manufacture, length and use.
“The rise of the dress wardrobe” feels like a very British story. Few other nations can be as obsessed with their robes as we are. Famously, we will wear them in the bathroom and to watch the new series of it The Crown on the couch, but we’ve also known to wear them in places we know we probably shouldn’t, like in the supermarket. The French would never dream of doing such a thing.
Our categories include – but are by no means limited to – the following: summer cotton; winter fleeces; silky boudoir wraps; waffle spa robes; ditsy-print featherweights you can chuck into a suitcase; comfortable sick day dresses in vivid prints; fancy hotel towels stolen or bought to show you once went to Soho House. And then there are the fresh ones, mostly found on the hens, with personalized badges – “Lucy’s Hen 2021” – appearing across the back.
We are connoisseurs. For some people, a plus size dressing gown means having the right coverage on standby for any type of weather and occasion. Others have a favorite type and instead buy deeply within their preferred style.
The former British Vogue the editor, Alexandra Shulman, once told me she had 10 dresses. “I have millions,” she joked, before giving the details. “I almost collect them; they are all in different Indian print patterns.” It is an approach worth considering, like a collector, or a fashion obsessive who buys multiple pairs of the same trousers or T-shirts.
Stylist and author Erica Davies enjoys the hunt, finding new brands to add to her vast collection, which includes styles by Rae Feather and Anna + Nina. She was recently influenced by an accidental dressing gown when she posted a picture of her latest find to the likes of her 203,000 Instagram followers.
“My love for robes started when I realized that it didn’t have to be a big thick towel number to be amazing,” she says. The new collection was a lighter hammam-style dress, printed with “evil eye” symbols, from Stevenage-based start-up Home of Hammam.
Following the post, founder Frances Fordham received 190 new orders – a 1,425 per cent increase on the previous week.
“I was a little overwhelmed by the response it got,” Davies admits. “I think it happened because it was different from anything on the high street – something I always try to represent – and from a small business. It was lovely to see how much it boosted the brand, and to see how many of us appreciate a good dress.”
Dressing gowns make great gifts and are essential for hunting down home in style, so naturally now is the peak time of year to buy a new one – 183,000 people googled them in the early weeks of Christmas 2022. On the high street , White Company and Marks & Spencer are two of the most popular destinations, with prices starting at £30, while at the other end of the scale you can wear a silk velvet dress by Olivia Von Halle for £ 3,300.
Queen dress, £3,300, Olivia von Halle, olivevonhalle.com
There are pin-ups, both modern and vintage, to take inspiration from. A great reference for a dressing gown is Marilyn Monroe, she looks fake wrapped in hers on set The Seven Year Itch in 1955. Or how about Harry Styles, bundled up in a brown teddy bear dress in the 2019 music video for I like you?
Social media is the best place to look for new designs. Nell Diamond, founder of American label Hill House Home, loves nothing more than being tagged by customers who are completely gone, wearing coordinating printed pyjamas, robes, headbands and even hot water bottles.
“Our customer loves a matching moment,” says Diamond. “Fitted gowns are always a big seller for us, especially for new customers. TikTok certainly helped us with that; I always notice at least one of our printed robes. If the customer isn’t wearing it, it’s in the background of their bathroom – we recently saw one in the background of Kate Hudson’s bathroom.”
Caroline wears: khaki dress, £69, Hammam towncotton pyjamas, £35, Marks & SpencerScuffette slippers, £95, ugg at Schuh
Dressy dresses, for a while, had a bad rap in this country. The image of the rain-soaked roadster being worn on the school run or to Tesco is hard to shake. A colleague tells stories about a friend who called her “The DG” and rarely pulls it off. That one, you could imagine, could crawl alone to the washing machine once or twice a year.
DG should not be thrown to court either, we only learned recently. When a defendant entered the dock at Workington Magistrates’ Court to face a drug possession charge in October, he was inexplicably told he did not look “appropriately dressed”.
A good, clean dressing gown can come into its own during the cozy season. One might suggest setting approved times – say between 7pm and 8:30am – if you’re struggling to leave the snuggly fit of your suit behind and dress up to go out.
Also, please tell the “full body hoods” complete with a pocket TV remote, which are currently on sale at M&S among other places. The late Karl Lagerfeld once declared that wearing sweatpants was a sign of victory. He hasn’t seen these yet.
Rod Stewart in his Rocky tribute dress is also on my list of offenders. That, and fresh dressing gowns, should be avoided at all costs. The cheap pink kimonos designed to look like a wedding party backstage at the Victoria’s Secret show are highly flammable and will take generations to degrade when you dump them the week after.
Download cozy season
Satin dress, £38, Marks & Spencer; Short dress, £128, The Hill House
Men’s dress, £85, grass at Coggles; Unisex cotton dress, £85, The White Companyunisex dress, £85, Jasper Conran
