‘Ick’: The celebrities captured by a sickly-sweet matching pyjama craze

For a host of celebrities, nothing wishes everyone a Merry Christmas quite like posting a photo on social media of the whole family in matching pyjamas.

Gordon Ramsay shared a photo of him and seven members of his brood – including future son-in-law Adam Peaty – wearing Christmas tree emblazoned black tops and bottoms.

The Beckham family, who take their fashion very seriously, opted for a stripy number.

Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s team went full red and white intarsia. Former team mate Rio Ferdinand and wife Kate posted a photo of themselves snuggling up in matching pyjamas in front of their tree. Cristiano Ronaldo and his family even posed sitting down to their turkey in coordinating tartan togs.

It’s not just ageing footballers. Across the Atlantic, model Chrissy Teigen – not one to do things by halves – had all her kids in tartan, although she and husband John Legend mixed things up in clashing Christmas jumpers.

Cringe-worthy or Christmassy? For Peter Andre and his family, it was all comfort and joy as they posed on their staircase in matching red reindeer pyjamas and Santa hats. Yet back in the Ramsay residence, is it reading too much into the chef’s expression to suggest that Gordon, for one, only dressed up under duress?

“Matching pyjamas have become more than a trend in recent years – they’re now a festive tradition for many families.” says Tom Pyne, the co-founder of Chelsea Peers. The British sleepwear brand has seen a 624 per cent increase in searches for family sets since September and is backing its red striped wreath-print design as the seasonal best-seller.

Red-striped wreath print pyjamas, from £22, Chelsea Peers

Earlier in the festive period, Goldie Hawn and daughter Kate Hudson starred in a new campaign for underwear brand Skims, wearing matching tartan pyjamas along with their wider family, including Hawn’s actor son, Oliver, and her six of her eight grandchildren, aged between six and 20.

The campaign also features the celebrity clan in coordinating Fair Isle onesies, as well as Hawn twinning with two of her granddaughters in gingerbread-print pyjama tops and bottoms.

The multi-generational portraits have been posted to the Skim’s Instagram account along with the tagline “the holidays were made for matching”. If you happen to agree, you too can snap up the family set – which ranges from £28 for baby all-in-ones, to £98 for adults (Skims).

Proving that pyjamas are a lucrative line, Rihanna recently launched a line of festive onesies for all the family under her own Savage x Fenty clothing label. To promote them, she posed with her two infant sons wearing the Alpine-esque “Cognac Cabin Cutie” matching look.

Traditionally affiliated with the exuberance of American holiday culture, matchy-matchy dressing maxes out on OTT spirit and it certainly looks like this is a Christmas ritual that’s come over to stay.

So fierce is demand for family coordination at Smock London, the brand extended its matchy-matchy offering: “Our customers have been begging us for boys’ pyjama sets to match our Christmas Nightingale gowns,” say Kajsa McLaren and Laura Burch, Smock’s founders, adding that the trend is “increasingly popular among our UK customers”.

The brand’s candy cane-trimmed white cotton shirt and trouser set can be matched with the Moonstone nightdress which comes in maxi and mini.

Shirt and trousers set, £65; Nightingale Moonstone dress, £135; Mini Nightingale Moonstone dress, £65 (all Smock)

Meanwhile, Mori’s winter wonderland family PJs are sure to provide suitably festive entries into the family album.

Festive Pyjama Sets, from £33.50, Mori

The matching pyjama phenomenon has hit the high street, too. Fashion extroverts will love Boden’s mummy-and-mini gingerbread motif long johns (from £23, Boden). Romantic Christmas à deux? John Lewis’s red Christmas tree pyjamas come in matching men’s and women’s styles (from £39, John Lewis).

For teens who aren’t mortified by the thought, Marks and Spencer’s red plaid pyjamas run up to 16 years. There’s adult sizes for parents and grandparents and a baby romper, too (from £14, M&S).

Booming though it might be, this trend is certainly divisive. I canvassed opinions within a group of well-dressed north London mum friends and responses range from “a bit of fun” to “ick”.

“There is something incredibly cute about children in matching pyjamas. But I’ve never bought into it for myself – that’s a step too far”, says Emily Cronin, a fashion journalist who has kitted just her kids out in coordinating Hanukkah pyjamas from Hanna Andersson (£35.52, Hanna Andersson)

For style influencer and mum-of-three Kavita Mehta, the trick to mastering family matching without looking naff is to eschew festive chintz altogether: “If we’re talking matching sets with reindeers and teddy bears on the front, it’s an absolute no. But sign me up to a family set from Derek Rose.”

Indeed, even the most ardent novelty refusenik can’t fail to be won over by Rose’s brushed cotton pyjamas in classic red checks. Or look to the luxe piped Basel which come in mulled wine burgundy and icy blue, as well as navy (from £195, Derek Rose).

Classic red brushed cotton pyjamas, from £150, Derek Rose

The brand has just launched a personalisation service whereby messages can be embroidered into a ribbon which is sewn into the pyjama lining. The perfect way to celebrate family mottos – or inside jokes.

In fact, while dressing as a festive troop come Christmas morning isn’t everyone’s cup of eggnog, the look can be approached with subtlety to chic effect.

The TBCo’s stylish holly-green checkerboard family sets (from £59, TBCo) have just a hint of festive spirit, meaning they won’t induce cringe-factor and can be worn well into the New Year.

“Not everyone is content to match head-to-toe in Christmas puddings. However, we are happy to nod to a match with a matching timeless material or a similar collar,” says Emily Campbell, the founder of nightwear brand If Only If.

The British brand’s less-is-more take on festive family nightwear has proved hugely popular; the red and white gingham mini Sabrina nightie sold out within the week it was launched. Get the full house with the matching adult style (£155) and little gingham shirt and trouser set (£58)…If only I could tempt my four-year-old son out of his Spiderman PJs.

Children’s Sabrina nightie, £58; Adult’s Sabrina nightie, £155 (both: If Only If)

Children’s Nico gingham shirt and trouser set, £58, If Only If

While you won’t find a matching option for the grown-up men in your life (unless they’re partial to the Wee Willie Winky nightgown look) you can get beloved teddy bears involved. The brand has launched doll-sized versions of its star-embroidered celestial nightdress (£25, If Only If). “Why should humans have all the twinning fun?” asks Campbell.

Speaking of furry friends, why not rope in the dog? Chelsea Peers offers pet pyjamas as part of its festive collection (£20, Chelsea Peers). Or treat you and your pooch to GAP’s red striped PJs (from £20, GAP) and finish the look with a 16-karat gold and pave collar tag (£40, Astrid and Miyu).