Peach Silk Crepe Embroidered Pyjamas By Cadolle

This circa 1930 pyjama set, by French design house Cadolle, consists of a sleeveless top and wide-leg trousers in pink silk crepe. The neckline, underbust yoke, and hem of the top are adorned with delicate floral needlework. This includes a hand-stitched satin appliqué, whose lustrous surface stands out against the subtle sheen of the crepe. The appliqué is further embellished with embroidered leaves and eyelets executed in satin stitch and broderie anglaise. The yoke is attached to the bust using a decorative faggoting stitch. The interior seam allowances are hand overcasted to prevent fraying. Similar silk crepe pyjama sets can be seen in this 1934 Printemps catalog in the collections of The Underpinnings Museum.

The pyjama, primarily nightwear in the West, has its origins in the daily attire of South Asia. The word pyjama derives from the Hindustani word epi-jama meaning “leg clothing.” Loose, bifurcated garments appear in the dress of many cultures, such as the sirwal of Arab countries, the churidar of Northwestern India, and the salwar of the Punjabi people. Orientalist associations made the garment exotic, and avant-garde. Early twentieth-century designers embraced this aesthetic, incorporating Eastern-inspired motifs into many pyjama designs.

In the 1920s and ‘30s, women took to wearing pyjama sets not only as private bedroom attire but also as beach cover-ups. Originating on the shore, the casual wearing of pyjamas spread to hotels and restaurants in resort towns along the French Riviera. Although it was seen as quite scandalous to wear negligee in public, the “beach pyjama” trend reigned strong. Pyjamas started to be designed more as fashionable daywear than simply nightwear, with materials shifting away from those of the boudoir. The growing popularity of pyjamas as fashionable daywear paved the way for the acceptance of women wearing trousers.

The Cadolle design house was founded by Herminie Cadolle in 1878, originally a shop that specialised in made-to-measure undergarments. Herminie is often credited with designing the first modern bra in 1889, although this is often contested.  The brand continues to this day and is now headed by Poupie Cadolle, the fifth generation of the family to run the eponymous brand.

From the collection of Karolina Laskowska

Many thanks to Sophie Schreiber for the object description.