I Love These Shorty Pajamas, But If You Sew, Is This Normal?

I always love tweaking things to make them a bit more functional or even just a little most pleasing to the eye. Since I’ve been staying home a little more than usual, I’ve found myself noticing even the smallest of things that could use some improvement.

One of those recently was the nightclothes I sleep in each night. For winter, it’s always heavy flannel PJs because I love the extra warmth and coziness, but during the summer I usually go for something lightweight and cool. This summer I pulled out two cotton gowns I’ve worn in the past and found they weren’t comfortable at all.

The main issue I had with both gowns was the sleeve design. They have a very short, cap sleeve and I kept finding the sleeves were prone to getting twisted under or around my shoulders. I hated that feeling so I started thinking about what type of summer pajamas would best suit me, what style would be my favorite.

Not sure why but my mind suddenly went back to the shorty pajamas I used to wear as a kid. They were always so comfortable! I can recall more than once in elementary school, going to the bathroom at school and being surprised to find I was still wearing my shorty pajama bottoms underneath my dress. Anyone else wear shorty PJs as a kid and forget to take off the bottoms before heading off to school? You know your pajamas are comfortable when you forget to take them off and wear them under your school clothes! lol

I dug around inside my pajama drawer and found an older pair of Ralph Lauren shorty pajamas that I had completely forgotten I even had. I wore them that night and though they were a little smaller than I would have preferred, they slept really comfortably. They were short-sleeved but there was plenty of sleeve length so they didn’t get wadded up under/around my arms when I turned over in bed.

The next day I went shopping online for shorty pajamas and I found these. The reviews looked great so I ordered this pair. They came in three colors/patterns and this was my fave of the three. They also came in a pants style. (You’ll find all three patterns here: Shorty (and long) Pajamas.)

 

Here’s a close up of the design. The background is more of a pretty aqua blue as shown in the photo above, not sure why my camera didn’t pick that up. Anyway, I really love the bird trellis/wreath design! I normally wear a small in tops but I purchased these in a medium since I wanted them to be nice and loose. The medium turned out to be perfect.

I washed them when they first arrived and hung them to dry because I didn’t want to risk any shrinkage since they are 100% cotton. They dried quickly and I wore them that night. They slept wonderfully and made me wonder why I had ever stopped wearing shorty pajamas during the summer months. I immediately ordered a second pair, again in the same design since I loved it so much.

Bird Design, Shorty Pajamas

 

These pajamas are so comfortable, sometimes I’m up running around the house doing stuff before I realize I’ve never changed into my usual “uniform” which these days is white scalloped Talbots shorts, a cotton Lilly Pulitzer shirt and my fave Ecco sandals. By the way, just noticed this morning that all Talbot’s shorts are currently on sale here: Talbot’s Shorts.

These shorty pajamas are so comfortable, I just hope I don’t find myself one day walking into the grocery store still wearing them! I wouldn’t put it past me because sometimes I can be so “goal” oriented, I forget to even brush my hair. Have you ever done that, run out the door to the store, then halfway there realize you never even brushed your hair? I’ve done that enough times in the past, I now carry a small brush in my glove box. I hope I’m not the only one who does stuff like that! lol

Bird Design, Shorty Pajamas

 

Is This Normal?

So, I love these pajamas but I noticed something this morning when I was taking these close-up pictures that I had not noticed before: the print on one pair of the pajamas is upside down on the front. Actually, both pairs are sewn this way, except it’s the back of the shirt that has the upside-down print on the other pair.

I’m not sure why they are sewn that way since there’s a seam at the top across the shoulder, so they aren’t constructed of one big piece of fabric. On one hand, it sorta bugs me, but the pajamas are so comfortable and they are so inexpensive, it’s not enough to make me want to return them. If I had noticed it before I washed them, I may have reordered just to see if they came that way again before washing the first pair. Since I didn’t notice and loved them, I did order them again. Both times they came with either the front or the back design of the top, sewn upside down.

Women's Shorty Pajamas, Bird Design

 

I have sewn a little in the past, costumes for my son, pillows for the porch, etc…, and it seems to me that the design could have been turned upright on both sides–or is there something that I’m missing? Is there a valid reason why they would need to be sewn with the front and back facing two different ways.

Ideally, I would prefer the birdies be upright on both the front and the back. One advantage to them being upside down on the front is when I look down at my top, the design is upright for me. So there’s that! lol

 

Fortunately, the other two designs (below) that this pajama set comes in don’t really appear to have a right or wrong direction to the pattern.

I do definitely recommend this pajama for the comfort and the super reasonable cost, but don’t get the birdie design if you want all your birds facing upright on the front and on the back. You’ll find these Shorty Pajamas here: Shorty Pajamas.

 

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Comments

  1. Cindy Hummel says

    I am a sewer and these were definitely sewn incorrectly. Perhaps that is why they were so inexpensive. It obviously does not affect the wear, just looks “off”. I say enjoy them!

  2. Yes, that is a production/sewing error…. it mostly likely was cut that way to either save fabric or the quality control person, missed looking carefully at the pattern when laying out the fabric for cutting. You can’t just take it apart and switch them around….the shapes wouldn’t work! Oh well, at least you are asleep most of the time you wear them! You are a stickler for detail, that is for sure! A good thing mind you! You’d make a good quality control person!

    • lol I am! Thanks, Toni! Funny thought I didn’t even notice it until I went to take a close-up photo for this post. I guess it must to be noticeable if I’ve been wearing them and just today noticed it.

  3. Ha – Susan you are NOT the only one who forgets to brush their hair, etc! I keep not only a brush, but a lint brush, extra makeup, and earrings in my purse at all times! 🙂

    I love your story about the pajama bottoms, and thanks for the heads up on the Talbot’s sale. I just love your posts! 🙂 Hope you have a lovely Saturday!

    • Ha! Glad I’m not alone! I also have mascara and a lint brush in my car. I like your idea about the earrings…that’s a great idea! I forget those all the time!
      Thanks, Barbara! Hope you have an awesome weekend!

      • Debra Haselton says

        I feel ‘naked’ when I forget my earrings! One note regarding the mascara, it shouldn’t be stored in a car (or any makeup for that matter) as that can encourage bacterial growth and you could get a nasty eye infection.

  4. It was either done to somehow save fabric (that’s why they were inexpensive) or someone just wasn’t paying attention…..(it’s tough to get good help these days!)

  5. Bobbie T says

    They were sewn that way to probably save material. No one will know this but you unless you wear them when you go shopping! lol

  6. You are definitely righ, that is a sewing error. One my home economics teacher would never have approved! Since they were comfortable and a good price i would just enjoy the little birdies looking up at me in the morning. I loved the shorty pajamas I wore as a kid and teen. I don’t remember wearing any to school, but I’ve had other goof ups like wearing two different shoes. If you find yourself heading to the store and realize you are still wearing PJ’s just head for Wal-Mart, you’ll fit right in.

    • Oh, that brings back memories. I remember making an apron and a pair of pants (elastic waist) in my Home Ec class in 8th grade.
      Yeah, that’s what I’ll do, just keep ’em and enjoy them. They are so comfortable and cute, despite the birdies being upside down.
      I did the shoe thing once, too. I had two pairs of boots that were identical except one pair was black and the other was burgundy. I looked down one day at work and had one of each color on. I walked into the break room where all my coworkers were working and pointed to my feet. They all burst out laughing, it was hilarious!
      Mary, you are too funny!

  7. The pajamas are made incorrectly !! Inattention to the way the grain and pattern run is the problem. Mass produced, cheap construction results in this error. If it really bothers you just return them, but chances are there are many more made incorrectly.

    • I’ve already washed them, but even I hadn’t I probably wouldn’t return them because they are so soft and comfortable. They also washed really well with no fading, so I think they’ll last for several years. The price was so good, I’m just going to overlook the pattern being upside down on the bird/trellis pair. Fortunately, it appears to be fine on the other two patterns.

  8. Cynthia Blaylock says

    Love the pajamas and that’s what I wear during the summer too. We have a no shoes inside rule at our house so I almost always wear slip-on house slippers inside, even when I’m dressed in street clothes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven to the grocery store and parked before realizing I still had my house slippers on!!

  9. Twice I’ve gone to an expensive mall in Guadalajara to shop, looked down after arriving to see I have 2 different shoes on.

    Not a seamstress so don’t know why your birds are wonky but I wear old beach cover-ups to sleep in. The kind made out of all cotton Jersey or t-shirt material. They don’t make this type any more that I can find and mine are looking pitiful. I don’t like see through fabric in nightgowns even though I live alone so I don’t know why it bothers me but it does. Even the style of nightshirt I like is hard to find. And all must be 100% cotton.

    • Ginger, that is too funny! You and I would be quite the pair because I’ve done that only I wore them to work that way! 🙂
      I totally agree on the cotton, so nice and breathable, plus it just feels so good on the skin.

      • My problem is I have extremely narrow feet so when I find a pair of shoes that fit I’ll get them in different colors. But one time I had on 2 completely different shoes on, one pink and the other tan. I couldn’t even buy a pair at the mall because it’s impossible to find narrow shoes here. I felt like everyone was looking at my feet.

        Susan, we just have to tell ourselves that our brains are so filled with important things that petty details have no place to stay in our noggins.

    • I had a difficult time myself looking for 100% cotton nightgowns! Impossible to find but The Vermont Country Store came through with Lanz gowns! A bit more than I wanted to spend but cotton for sleep ware seems like a luxury of the past. So I splurged and bought 3! I’m set for awhile!

  10. Do you ever look for pajama bottoms with pockets?

    • I love it when they have pockets! My flannel PJs I wear during the winter have two large pockets in the top that will carry a lot of things. These that I just purchased have a single pocket up top. It came in handy yesterday when I used it to hold my cell phone while I was carrying a bunch of stuff. I was expecting a call so needed to keep my phone with me. So I do love it when they have pockets. I wish all pajamas had large pockets built into the tops or at least in the bottoms.

  11. Kimberly - KKABSHERWRITES says

    I love the aqua! But… because the design doesn’t match up, it’s a no for me. It’s a bad job on the seamstress morning part. My mom would never let me buy clothes where the patterns didn’t match or line up (in the case of stripes or plaids). She wasn’t a seamstress but was a depression era kid who appreciated quality. No, it shouldn’t be upside down. That’s just wrong and bad craftsmanship.

  12. Biodynamic Barb says

    I’m pretty sure those aren’t cut by hand, they’re cut by a machine. https://www.textileschool.com/459/fabric-cutting-in-garment-manufacturing/

    If the PJs come in several patterns, and the other designs don’t have a directional pattern, I suspect that the machine that cuts the pieces was set to minimize fabric waste, and they use the same setting for every design they send through it. Since the only part of the bird pattern that is directional are the little birds, they probably thought most people wouldn’t notice….

  13. Carol A Norton says

    As a Home Ec. teacher in a past life, that would most definitely have been a “Fail” for a do at home project. In class, it would have been supervised and I would have caught it! As a commercial production, it has to be a money saving endeavor since there is definitely a pattern repeat. It would be like hanging every other strip of wallpaper headed in opposite directions. The other PJ’s have a random repeat, so whatever laid out the cutter die, didn’t have to take pattern into account.

  14. linda townsend says

    I have been sewing for 60 years. They erred.

  15. Lynn Taylor says

    I love shorty pj’s and have worn them forever. Check out the ones from Soma. Love their fabric.

  16. It’s definitely an error in cutting the fabric, and I think “inexpensive” is the reason. It can take more fabric and time when you have to lay out all the pieces going in the same direction. But it is a sign of higher quality when the direction is right, just as it is when stripes or plaids match. (Stripes that don’t match are a pet peeve of mine, although I know how hard it can be to make them match.). It’s these are pajamas, not to be worn out in public on purpose, I would not worry about it one bit. If they’re comfortable, that’s what matters most.

  17. Oh I love shorty pajamas! Those are cute. I too am putting up with the weird cap sleeves getting my tight in the arm pits when rolling around in bed.

    I think I may order some!

    And yes – agree with the others, it’s a bad sewing – kinda lazy and not paying attention. Who knows what those poor sewing machine operators are enduring. I guess it cannot be a good thing in any way, shape or form.

  18. BOBBI DUNCAN says

    I love shorty pajamas. I have a few pairs, but find I usually end up wearing men’s shirts with rolled up sleeves. Because they cover my butt well, yet let air circulate up from the bottom, I usually clean the house wearing them too (a real fashionista, huh? lol! ). Definitely a sewing error, but they’re comfortable and launder well, so enjoy your new shorties. Hugs!

  19. Being a sewer, that would bug me to no end and I would have to call to complain. You didn’t say where they were made. My late MIL sewed little girl dresses in a factory. The pieces are cut out in mass quantities and down the line somebody put the pieces together. The stack was cut out wrong. Maybe why they were on sale. But, they are really cute.

  20. They should all go the same direction. However I bet the cutter didn’t even notice, or the fabric buyer didn’t notice it was a one way design.I had to really study it to see. Close your eyes and sweet dreams. As a former Home Ec teacher what bugs me more is when plaid or obvious large designs don’t match across seams or button plackets.

  21. Helen Carol Ann Matthews says

    Hi! I love your blog and follow it regularly. I particularly liked the shorty pj’s you featured this week. I followed the link to amazon and realized it was the US link so switched to the Canadian one as I live in Nova Scotia. What a shock! The reasonable US price of $23.99 on amazon.com was more than tripled on amazon.ca to $89.99. I know the exchange rate is high but nothing near this amount. I was so disappointed. I am going to try and order it from the US site, and hopefully it won’t be too bad. I’m looking forward to reading lots more of your posts! 🙂

  22. Brenda s. Lawrence says

    These are what I need to sleep in year ’round! I sleep in night shirts, but I always (have since I was a kid) get tangled up in them when I sleep. It is even worse now that I toss and turn so much. They would be perfect in the winter for me too as I get so dang hot at night, even though my bedroom is in the 50’s in the winter time. I don’t use a blanket either, just my comforter and a sheet. I will have to check these out. As for the pattern, they were definitely sewed wrong. Unless a machine cut them out and the fabric was put in wrong or something. That is a little irritating that the fabric is sew wrong, but they are comfortable, so if you can over look it, just enjoy them. Hugs, Brenda

    • That’s kind of the way I feel. The price was so good and they are so comfortable oh, I don’t mind that the birds are flying a different direction on the ones are purchased. At least with the other patterns I don’t think it matters which way they face, but I do love the trellis with the birds! I think you would love wearing shorty pajamas because they don’t get twisted at all when you turn over. I love that about them!

  23. Nightgowns are lovely, but over the years I transitioned to pajamas with crop-length bottoms. I ran across the Walmart version several years ago and decided “why not” as they were so affordable that if they didn’t work, the loss would be small. I infrequently patronize Walmart making the discovery all the more unusual. I now purchase a set of pajamas from them on a seasonal basis, and as you note, I wash them in cold water and hang to dry so there’s been little shrinkage. The style is a nice knockoff of the Ralph Lauren tailored pajamas with collar, buttons, and pocket (short sleeves that do not bunch up) and the bottoms are crop length. And they are modest should I get “caught” with them on—which is always a possibility because there are days I forget to change out of them now that I am at home most of the time, a testament to their comfort. They are 100% cotton in a nice weight.

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