So how worn out can a nightgown get? After 5+ years, it turns out very.  A few months ago, my two go-to nightgowns finally died. I kept spilling out of their stretched-out necklines, and they were so faded and scraggly that I had to admit they belonged in our rag pile instead of on me.

I vaguely remembered it being a challenge to find a nightgown the last time I went shopping for one, which must be why I stuck with the last two for so long, but I couldn’t remember what was so hard. It seems like it should be so simple. All I wanted was another simple chemise or calf-length gown.  I don’t like long gowns that twist around my legs, and two-piece sets are okay, but they never seem pretty or feminine to me. So add “pretty and feminine” to the list.

And of course I want it to make me look good. And that’s why it’s so hard to find one.

If it were simply matter of finding a pretty nightgown that fit, I would settle immediately on an Eileen West gown like this one.

eileen west plus size nightgown

You can pluck one of these off the rack and know it will fit without even trying it on. However, if you’re big-boobed, you can also know that those accommodating gathers above the bosom will exaggerate your large bust in a very unsexy way. This style should look elegant, floaty, Victorian (a la Downton Abbey), but on me, it only looks matronly.

eileen west big boob nightgown problem

This raises another item on my list that isn’t a must-have, but a very strong wish:  an element of fantasy and pretend.

wendy darling nightgown

A nightgown is the one “dress” I’m meant to wear without a bra. It’s my chance to experiment with all sorts of backs and necklines and armholes that are off limits in everyday clothes.

Finally, there’s one more item on my list. Ideally, the nightgown will cost less than $50. For something that I wear nightly for 26 weeks of the year, that’s an insane cost-per-wear expectation, but I can’t help it. Except for lounge-y weekend mornings, sleepwear only gets seen for a few minutes at night and a few minutes in the morning. I prefer to spend more money on clothing that gets more visibility. But if I fall in love with something over $50, I can easily justify its purchase.

Just as I remembered, it was HARD WORK locating a nightgown that met these five criteria, but I ultimately succeeded. In my next few posts, I’m going to show you what I found along the way.

How about you? What’s on your wish list and what are your must-haves for sleepwear?