Hostess Pajamas: Blouse, Pants, and Jacket, 1930–32, United States, silk, Gift of Mrs. Eugene W. Kettering, 1973.171a–c

Verbal Description

Hello, my name is Eric Le Roy and I am the Associate Director for Docent Learning at the museum. I will be reading the verbal description for the Hostess Pajamas: Blouse, Pants, and Jacket in Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom by Joseph Urban.

Made of silk, the museum’s Hostess Pajamas, comprised of a Blouse, Pants and Jacket, are from the United States. They were a gift from Mrs. Eugene W. Kettering. The accession number is 1973.171a-c.

An ensemble of a Blouse, Jacket, and Pants make up the museum’s Hostess Pajamas. The blouse is a loose-fitting V-neck shell in coral pink. The matching long-sleeved jacket is also loose-fitting, V-neck, and open; it does not have closures. It is also coral pink but has a medium green trim around the neckline, down the front, and along the hem of the jacket and sleeves. The pants are wide-legged and loose-fitting. They have broad vertical stripes in coral pink, cobalt blue, medium green, and white.

Label Copy

Hello, my name is Eric Le Roy and I am the Associate Director for Docent Learning at the museum. I will be reading the label for the Hostess Pajamas: Blouse, Pants, and Jacket in Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom by Joseph Urban.

Made of silk, the museum’s Hostess Pajamas, comprised of a Blouse, Pants, and Jacket, are from the United States. They were a gift from Mrs. Eugene W. Kettering. The accession number is 1973.171a-c.

The word pajamas comes from the Urdu language: pāy-jāma, "pāy" for leg and "jāma" for garment. An approximation of the word "pajamas" entered the English language in the late 1800s after the British colonized India, where Urdu is spoken. Not long after, Americans adopted both the term and this style of loose-fitting trousers worn by men and women in Asia and the Middle East. By World War I, pajamas had gained popularity as loungewear for American women. Offering freedom and ease, they were worn on the beach, as resort wear, and when hosting at-home parties.

They paved the way for women to wear pants in public. In 1930, a fashion reporter declared, "Pajamas have come to stay because they fill the need for comfort which modern women now demand." This pair of bright, color-blocked silk pajamas are like those worn by Elaine Wormser for a photoshoot in her bedroom.

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