Fashion / Style

Sweet dreams are made of this: the fabric to wear for a better night’s sleep

Jasmine & WIll

When the mercury drops, our beds naturally become our go-to haven for long winter nights and lazy Sunday mornings. The best companion? Cosy sleepwear. The brief? Stylish, sustainable and in a fabric guaranteed to lull us into eight hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep. This is why bespoke loungewear label Jasmine and Will’s new Mediterranean-inspired collection has linen front of mind, close to skin.

"Linen is a textile that (has) a lot of advantages, the number one definitely being quality of sleep,” founder and Creative Director Jasmine Lindsay says.

“If you’re comfortable when you’re sleeping, you are going to get a better night’s sleep, aren’t you? That really is the big win.”

We touched base with sleepwear queen Jasmine Lindsay on how the natural fabric in her latest Jasmine and Will collection encourages sleep, why it’s good for the planet, and the steps to caring for your sleepwear.

 

Why did you put linen at the heart of your A/W collection?

Linen, for me, is an amazing textile to wear to bed. It has taken a while for people to really recognise it as a wonderful textile for sleeping in, as people were into bed linen before they accepted linen as a sleepwear option. We often see linen dresses in summer, but we’ve only really seen this shift to understanding and wearing linen to bed in the last couple of years.

 

Can you please explain the natural benefits of linen? How can it help us have a better night’s sleep?

Linen is a great fabric for both winter and summer, which a lot of people don’t know. Linen regulates your body temperature, so a long-sleeved linen pyjama set in winter will actually keep you surprisingly comfortable. It also lets your skin breathe in summer, and unlike, for instance, silks or synthetics, it doesn’t capture body sweat when you’re sleeping, so it’s much more comfortable for those people who are hot sleepers. Linen is a textile that can be washed and worn 1000s of times, so there’s a lot of advantages, the number one definitely being quality of sleep. If you’re comfortable when you’re sleeping, you are going to get a better night’s sleep, aren’t you? That really is the big win. At the same time, you’re being kinder to the environment and quite possibly buying fewer garments because they have a longer life.

 

Do you believe comfort and sustainability can go hand in hand?

Absolutely. Linen is a much more sustainable product. The harvesting of linen is way less harsh on the environment than the harvesting of cotton or silk. When you’re harvesting silk, you’re killing quite a lot of silkworms, and it uses a lot of water to grow and fertilise. We put all of our linen through a soft wash, and when someone asks me, ‘what’s your pick of the season?’, I say the blue linen Amalfi set – it’s so comfortable! One thing we always try to work to is fewer, better, longer. We want people to buy fewer pyjamas that are made better and last longer, and that often starts with picking the right textile.

 

What are your top tips when caring for linen pyjamas?

I’m of the belief that sleepwear is something that should be able to be washed frequently in a washing machine, and line dried. All you need to do is make sure that you aren’t using too hot a wash - I recommend using 30 degrees. 30 degrees is warm enough for hygienic reasons, but cool enough not to damage or shrink fabrics. Use medium heat with an iron if you’re going to press (your linen).

 

What do you personally wear to bed when you need some extra beauty sleep?

The all-white linen boyfriend shirt is my go-to. Particularly in summer it’s just such a great throw-on, and you can roll the sleeves up or down.

 

Aside from slipping into your boyfriend shirt, do you have any other secrets for a better sleep?

I’m a real night owl; I do my best to work at night! But I do very much believe in putting devices down and having time out, and I find when I’m routine with that, I definitely get a better night’s sleep.


Image: Jasmine & Will

Written by Kayla Wratten