The rise of the dressing gown wardrobe

How many dressing gowns is too many, in an average person’s wardrobe? I’m asking for some friends who, over WhatsApp, couldn’t agree whether eight was an excessive amount – or whether the person in question was missing out on some vital sub-categories of weight, fabrication, length and usage.

The “rise of the dressing-gown wardrobe” feels like a very British story. Few other nations can be as obsessed with their robes as we are. Famously, we’ll wear them in the bathroom and to watch the new series of The Crown on the sofa, but we have also been known to wear them to places we know we probably shouldn’t, like at the supermarket. The French would never dream of doing such a thing.

Our categories include – but are by no means limited to – the following: summer cottons; winter fleeces; silky boudoir wraps; waffle spa robes; ditsy-print featherweights you can chuck into a suitcase; sick-day comfort gowns in vivid prints; fancy hotel towellings that were either stolen or bought to show that you once went to Soho House. And then there are the novelty ones, mostly acquired on hen-dos, with personalised crests – “Lucy’s Hen 2021” – emblazoned across the back.

We are connoisseurs. For some, having a vast quantity of dressing gowns is about having exactly the right cover-up on standby for any type of weather and occasion. Others have a favourite type and instead buy deeply within their chosen style.

The former British Vogue editor, Alexandra Shulman, once told me that she had 10 dressing gowns. “I’ve got millions,” she joked, before giving the details. “I almost collect them; they’re all in different Indian print patterns.” It’s an approach worth admiring, akin to a collector, or a fashion obsessive who buys multiple pairs of the same trousers or T-shirts.

The stylist and author Erica Davies enjoys the thrill of the hunt, discovering new brands to add to her vast collection, which spans styles by Rae Feather and Anna + Nina. She became an accidental dressing-gown influencer recently when she posted a picture of her latest find for her 203,000 Instagram followers to like.

“My love of a robe started with understanding that it didn’t have to be a big thick towelling number to be great,” she says. The new wrap was a lighter hammam-style robe, printed with “evil eye” symbols, from the Stevenage-based start-up Home of Hammam.

After the post, founder Frances Fordham received 190 new orders – up 1,425 per cent on the previous week.

“I was slightly overwhelmed by the response it received,” admits Davies. “I think it’s because it was different from anything on the high street – always something I am looking to feature – and from a small business. It was lovely to see how much of a boost it gave the brand, and to see how many of us appreciate a good robe.”

Dressing gowns make great gifts and are essential for hunkering down at home in style, so naturally now is the peak time of year to buy a new one – 183,000 people googled them in the first weeks of December 2022. On the high street, White Company and Marks & Spencer are two of the most popular destinations, with prices starting at £30, while at the other end of the scale you can treat yourself to a luxurious silk-velvet robe by Olivia Von Halle for £3,300.

Queenie robe, £3,300, Olivia von Halle, oliviavonhalle.com 

There are pin-ups, both modern and vintage, to take inspiration from. A great dressing-gown reference is Marilyn Monroe, looking coy while wrapped in hers on the set of The Seven Year Itch in 1955. Or how about Harry Styles, bundled in a brown teddy robe in the 2019 music video for Adore You?

Social media is the best place to search for new designs. Nell Diamond, founder of the American label Hill House Home, loves nothing more than to be tagged by customers who have gone all-in, wearing coordinated printed pyjamas, robes, headbands and even hot water bottles.

“Our customer loves a matching moment,” says Diamond. “Dressing gowns continue to be a top seller for us, particularly for new customers. TikTok has definitely helped us with that; I always spot at least one of our printed robes. If the customer isn’t wearing it, it’s in the background of their bathroom – we actually spotted one in the background of Kate Hudson’s bathroom recently.”

Caroline wears: Khaki robe, £69, Home of Hammam, Cotton pyjamas, £35, Marks & Spencer, Scuffette slippers, £95, Ugg at Schuh

Dressing gowns, for a time, had a bad rap in this country. The image of the scuzzy, rain-dampened robe being worn on the school run or to Tesco is hard to shake. A colleague tells tales of a friend who has named hers “The DG” and rarely takes it off. That one, you might imagine, could crawl by itself to the washing machine once or twice a year.

Nor should a DG be worn to court, we learnt only recently. When a defendant entered the dock at Workington Magistrates’ Court to face a drugs possession charge in October, he was told inexplicably that his look was “not appropriate attire”.

A good, clean dressing gown, though, can come into its own during the cosy season. One could suggest setting allowed hours – let’s say 7pm to 8:30am – if you struggle to leave the snuggly embrace of your robe behind and actually get dressed to go out.

Also, please say no to the “full body hoodies” complete with TV remote pocket, currently on sale at M&S among other places. The late Karl Lagerfeld once declared that wearing sweatpants was a sign of defeat. He hadn’t seen these yet.

Rod Stewart in his Rocky tribute robe is also on my list of offenders. That, and novelty dressing gowns, which should be avoided at all costs. The cheap, pink kimonos designed to make a bridal party look as though they are backstage at a Victoria’s Secret show are highly flammable and will take generations to degrade when you’ve dumped them the week after.

Embrace cosy season

Satin robe, £38, Marks & Spencer; Short robe, £128, Hill House Home

Men’s robe, £85, Hay at Coggles; Unisex cotton robe, £85, The White Company, Unisex robe, £85, Jasper Conran