The New Loungewear Trend That's Replacing Sweats This Summer

Sweatsuits are great and all, and I look forward to embracing them again when the weather cools down, but I'm ready for a change now that temperatures have been in the 90-degree range recently where I live. And, as is often the case, Instagram has presented me with a new alternative: summer pajamas. They're not just for sleeping, folks. So many pajamas these days are pretty and polished enough to be perfectly suitable for daytime lounging too, hence the rise of the trend this season.

Stylish pajama sets have become increasingly popular over the years, but this summer, we're also seeing the return of nightgowns or nap dresses, sort of like the ones your mom (or you) used to wear in the '80s and '90s. Think flowy, embroidered, eyelet, and/or floral, with brands like Sleeper and Dôen being the perfect example. This romantic, Victorian-era lounge aesthetic has been coined "cottagecore." According to Urban Dictionary, it's defined as "a niche aesthetic based around the visual culture of an idealized life on a Western farm. Common themes include sustainability, gardens, farm animals, rural living, and nature." (The New York Times lays out all the cottagecore facts for you here.)

Scroll on to see how stylish women are wearing their summer pajamas and shop the sets and nightgowns that deserve a place in your loungewear wardrobe this season.

Next up, 25 cozy bathrobes we highly recommend.