pj q&a with katie hatch, design director of sleepy jones

text by Alyssa Clough

Gone are the days of just dreaming of leaving your home in your comfiest pair of pajamas. That’s right, your wildest, silkiest dreams have become reality. Wearing your pajamas as if they are real clothes created to be worn at work, brunch, the beach, or bars is not only acceptable, it’s a trend. We spoke with Katie Hatch, design director of our fave pajama spot Sleepy Jones, to get the low down on how to style our pjs for the street.

Pajamas are perfect for transitional dressing on those odd spring days when the weather goes from feeling like summer, then back to winter, and finally the correct season, all in the course of just one work day. Another bonus: The outfit possibilities are endless—and we’re not just talking layering your favorite spring jacket over a robe (it’s just like a wrap dress!) or oversized shirt. You can get in on the trend by throwing a blazer over a long sleeve set (Hatch says the formality of tailoring is a good counterpoint to softness of pjs), a long cardigan sweater over a pair of pj pants, or our favorite, an oxford cloth shirt tucked in to pj pants.

Nervous? Don’t be. Read on for advice on how to pull off your pjs—day AND night—from an expert pajama dresser who knows.

(Peek inside our spring issue to learn more about Sleepy Jones, their best sellers, and more!)

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A SPRING PAJAMA DRESS?

Comfort and ease — it’s really that simple. We love taking the details and sensibility from our classic pajamas into different forms.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NERVOUS ABOUT THE “PAJAMAS AS A REAL OUTFIT” TREND?

We don’t want to make anyone feel nervous, in fact, we want everyone to feel comfortable. That’s why we are calling our new pieces ‘The AtLeisure Collection,’ they are meant to bring the feeling of wearing pajamas to more classic day-wear styles.As for pajamas, one easy way to wear them all day is to mix either the top or bottom in with other pieces, say, the pj top as shirt worn with jeans. It’s like Andy Spade says “buy our pj shirt, get a dress shirt free.”

HOW DOES THE

TEAM NARROW DOWN THE PRINTS FOR EACH SEASON? AND WHAT COLORS ARE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR THIS SPRING?

We are fans of navy blue and white. It isn’t necessarily a trend, but it always feels right. And as for prints, we always start the season with more than enough ideas and as the collection comes together, there is a natural winnowing of the prints, as we look at them over time we start to see which make the most sense together.

HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOUR ROBE DOESN’T GO FROM A WRAP DRESS TO AN OPEN ROBE IN PUBLIC?

Well, I tend to buy a size up when I want to wear it this way, so I have a little more in the overlap! And I use a double knot on the belt.

SEE THE STYLES HATCH IS SUPER EXCITED TO WEAR THIS SPRING:

The Smith Color Block Dress;

$328,shop.sleepyjones.com 

The Maya Popover;

$198,shop.sleepyjones.com 

The Corita Short Sleeve PJ Shirt

(which feels just like a regular shirt!); $128, shop.sleepyjones.com

(Pst, Keep your eyes peeled for new Sleepy Jones t-shirts that will be available for purchase later this summer.)

SHOP ALL SLEEPY JONES PRODUCTS HERE!