Wearing pyjamas out doesn’t work, sorry Rihanna

Rihanna was recently papped sporting some silky pyjama bottoms and a matching kimono, and now all the leading fashion mags have jumped on the latest so-called “trend”.

Grazia dedicated a two-page spread to finding your pj-inspired outfit, and since it’s not the first time the We Found Love singer has been caught donning nightwear for daywear, I wanted to see how well actually wearing your pjs out around London went down.

I’m not Rihanna (I know right, came as a surprise to me as well) and I don’t have her figure, so I was already at a disadvantage. It could go one of two ways: I could look edgy and ethereal like Florence Welch, or I could appear mentally unhinged. The fear I was just going to look like I’d escaped from rehab was very real.

Street style

The fashion police were onto me

I headed to Marks & Spencer in the City to see if the latest trend was a big hitter there. I figured since frumpy, middle-aged women everywhere love M&S, they might have a rather fetching range of pyjama sets. Turns out they’re such a fan of silky kimonos, I was even stopped by security who thought I’d stolen the one I was wearing. I sweetly explained it was a fashion statement and asked for a pic with the security guard, but unfortunately he declined. As I walked away to carry on browsing, he whispered into his walkie-talkie: “I bet she’s from Shoreditch”.

Channeling my inner Rihanna

It was a very cool look: I mean, I was constantly freezing. I hid in a coffee shop to try and warm up, and no one really batted an eyelid. People were too engaged with their newspapers to notice my fashion forwardness, but as I left one women did say “I like your kimono”. She was also wearing one, although I don’t think it was nightwear. Up your game please, but thanks for the support.

I provided entertainment for a mother and daughter on the Tube. They actually pointed and laughed when they thought I wasn’t looking. I think it must have been the slippers, but they should try riding the night bus for an hour if they thought I was bizarre.

Here we observe the white slipper in a highly unnatural environment

When the sun came out, I felt quite glamorous. The rays were beating off my shiny kimono and for a brief moment I really let myself go, enjoying my inner-celeb. Was I the most fashion-forward person in London? Were people going to copy my look? Is there going to be a pyjama café opened on Brick Lane in my honour? Next thing I know, a granny is giving me a very quizzical look and I’m back to reality. People just think I’m nuts and a shoplifter.

Fusion style

Fashion blogger Camilla Ackley reckons the trend just makes people question your sanity, and I think she’s right. She told The Tab: “I feel like it’s acceptable to dress like that if you’re famous, but if you aren’t then people start to genuinely question whether you just forgot to put clothes on in the morning.”

My advice would be give this look a miss. You end up shivering because you’re so chilly and this only makes you look more deranged. Hannah Almassi at Grazia said Rihanna “pushed the trend to the extreme”, “heralding a more advanced stage in fashion’s affair with nightwear” –– and while I think I did too, that’s where the similarities end. I lacked “swagger” and definitely did not look “boudoir-ready”. My final verdict about wearing nightwear as outerwear? Kimono.