The story of pj’s is not a snooze!
Learn about the fascinating story of PJs!
Florilegius/Alamy Stock Photo
Yaaawn. It’s almost time for bed. It’s time to brush your teeth, read a story, and put on your pajamas. Where did pajamas come from?
About 800 years ago, people in the Middle East and South Asia wore pajama pants. They looked like the pajama pants we wear today. They were loose and comfy.
The word “pajama” is very old. It comes from a language called Persian. In Persian, “pa” means “leg.” “Jama” means “clothes.”
So “pajama” means “clothes for legs.”
Nightgowns
About 500 years ago, people in Europe wore nightgowns. They were like long dresses. Both men and women wore them.
Sometimes people wore nightcaps too. Nightcaps were hats for sleeping. They kept people warm. They also protected people from lice!
About 200 years ago, people in Europe found out about pajama pants. They liked them. It was easier to walk around in pajama pants than in nightgowns. Men in many parts of the world started wearing pajama pants. But most women still wore nightgowns.
PJ Pants for Women
New York Times Co./Getty Images
Coco Chanel
In the 1920s, there was a fashion designer named Coco Chanel. She lived in France. She made pajama pants for women. At first, people thought pajama pants weren’t proper for women. But then more women wore pj pants, and it became normal.
Pajamas for Everyone
Today there are so many fun varieties of pajamas. There are glow-in-the-dark pajamas and footie pajamas. There are superhero pajamas with capes. There are unicorn pajamas with horns. Do you have favorite pj’s to wear?
Pajama Timeline
Archive Photos/Getty Images (Nightgown); Sara Monika/Image Source/Getty Images (Left Child); Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images (Middle Child); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images)
800 years ago: First pajama pants
500 years ago: Nightgowns
Today: So many pajamas
More About the Article
Social Studies Focus
Time, continuity and change
Implementation
Pairings and Text Connections
In this issue, these texts all go with the lights-out theme:
Before-Reading Resources
(10 minutes) Kids can cut out the nonfiction bookmark and use it to preview the text.
(5 minutes) Help students become familiar with vocabulary words they will see in the article.
Suggested Reading Focus
Nonfiction text features (20 minutes)
After-Reading Skills Practice
(15 minutes for each activity)
