Halloween Pajamas for Women: Pumpkins, Skeletons, Black Satin and Feather-Trim Sets

Hanna Andersson began in 1983, when Swedish-born Gun Denhart founded the company in the garage of her home in Portland, and two of the sets here come from it. I love that a brand that started with family sleepwear now makes adult Halloween pajamas this silly.

 

That is the spirit I wanted for these Halloween pajamas: playful, a little silly, comfortable, and cut for women. The Halloween Wide Leg set in colorful pumpkins on ecru has on-seam pockets, which I would use for a phone on the walk to the kitchen. Its adult HannaJams come in a black glow-in-the-dark skeleton print for a scary movie with the lights off.

 

The Hyde & EEK jersey sets are the easy ones: the black long-sleeve notch-collar set with white spooky icons, the cream shorts set with dogs in costumes, and the light blue gauze set with little ghosts. Gauze is the one I would reach for if your bedroom runs warm. The Cuddl Duds henley set in gray monsters with orange cuffs is the cozy pick, and Beauty Sleep Social does two cozy long-sleeve sets in Halloween prints. Before you commit, check the rise and the sleeve length, since sleepwear is worn lying down. The Hello Kitty and Strawberry Shortcake pairs are the playful ones further down.

Show Me Your Mumu started in a tiny Nolita apartment, where college friends Cammy Hebert and Cologne Schmidt stored their first pieces anywhere they could, including the oven. The Classic set in Trick or Treat jersey is the most Halloween thing here, with black cats, jack-o'-lanterns and spiderwebs on cream, and it is the one I would wear to answer the door. The Overslept set in olive is printed with martini glasses, the black Classic set is covered in cocktails, and the Favorite set in Slopes and Sips puts ski lifts and pine trees on pale blue.

 

The Polo Bear has been part of Ralph Lauren since 1991, when it started as a run of 200 Steiff teddy bears that sold out of the Madison Avenue flagship in one weekend. On pajamas it is still charming: the Madison set in aqua stripes is covered in tiny dressed-up bears, and the cream ski print set is scattered with skis and pine trees. The banana leaf set is the loud one for anyone who already misses summer. For something sweeter, the cherry print set in dusty rose jersey, the red set with pink hearts and tied cuffs, and the little cami and short set dotted with black hearts all work well past October.

 

Plaid is the other way in. The eberjey flannel set in ivory and holly red tartan, the Polo Madison set in estate plaid, the Wallace plaid boxer set and the short-sleeve madras set all feel like a cabin weekend. The Free People Dreamy Days sets come in a cherry combo, a black floral and an antique ivory floral, the Up At Dawn set is a pomegranate print cami and shorts, and the Beach Riot Bay set has soft florals on white. Show Me Your Mumu's Winter Wonderland jersey set is the cheerful one to keep on through December.

 

The Gisele long set in a mauve animal print reads almost solid from across the room, so pick it if you want a print only you notice, and the pink paisley Dreamy Days set is the shiniest. Jersey and satin wear very differently, so check the label: jersey stretches and softens, satin slides and creases. What I would skip: a busy print on a sheer fabric, which looks more like a costume than something you sleep in.

Sleeper was started in Kyiv in 2014 by two former fashion editors, Kate Zubarieva and Asya Varetsa, with a single seamstress. Its Party Pajamas arrived with the 2017 holiday collection and became the label's signature: matching sets with detachable feather cuffs that look as good at a party as they do in bed. The founders opened the brand's first store in Kyiv this year, and the sets are still made there.

 

The pink Party set with feathers at the cuffs and hems is the classic, and the white one is the version I would wear with a robe for a quick Halloween costume with a little old Hollywood in it. The green Miss Cat set adds a belt, so it reads more like a lounge suit, and the pale blue Dragon set swaps the buttons for a knotted closure at the collar. The Bow Set pairs pink polka-dot shorts with a bow-front top and feather cuffs. For the most Halloween option, the Phoenix set is black and white stripes with red bows, which has a little Beetlejuice in it. The pale pink feather trim set and the white Seraphina set do the same trick in softer fabrics.

 

Stripes are the lower-key way into the same fun: the pink and red stripe set, the Beauty Sleep set in candy stripes, and the Classic set in red, green and pink. The pink gingham Romantica set has ruffles and a tie front. Feathers shed a little on first wear, so shake them out outdoors and take off the detachable cuffs before washing. What I would skip: feather cuffs if you sleep with your arms under the pillow, because they tickle.

AllSaints was founded in East London in 1994 by Stuart Trevor and Kait Bolongaro, and the name comes from All Saints Road in Notting Hill. Its first stand-alone store opened on All Saints' Day in 1997, which feels like a good enough reason to put the Maude set in a Halloween edit. It is a black long-sleeve set printed with a pale floral that looks a little gothic from across the room and almost pretty up close, and it is the one I would wear for a scary movie night.

 

Natori has a good origin story for a night in. Josie Natori started the company in New York in 1977, after a store buyer suggested she lengthen the embroidered blouses she was importing from the Philippines into nightshirts. The Luxe Shangri-La set is black with ivory lace at the cuffs and hem, and the Feathers Essentials set is a plain black top with flared pants that works as the base for almost any costume.

 

For something shinier, the In Bloom stretch satin set and the Petite Plume silk shirt with wide leg pants are both black with a slippery drape and light piping. The Midnight Bakery satin set is a dark floral, the Lauren Ralph Lauren knit set is the cozy one, and the 525 America cardigan set is easy to throw over a costume tank. Black shows lint, so give it a quick roll before guests arrive. What I would skip: satin if you run hot overnight, because it holds warmth in a way cotton does not.

Pick the print first, then the fabric. If the set is mainly for Halloween night, go for the most obvious print you can find, the black cats or the glow-in-the-dark skeleton, and wear it for the scary movie. If you want it to last into winter, the bears, cherries and stripes stay in rotation longer.

 

Then check the fit. Snug-fit sets are meant to hug the body, so size by the chart, and wide-leg sets need a rise that sits where you like it when you curl up on the couch.

 

I like Halloween in small doses, and I like a pajama set that is already worn in by the time the trick-or-treaters arrive. If you would rather keep it quiet, the black satin and lace sets read as Halloween without a single pumpkin. My pick is the pumpkin Wide Leg set for the night itself and the white feather Party set for the party after. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Cute Halloween Costume Ideas for Women.