The debate begins early. By November, the argument for stripes (think candy cane colors) or a cutesy print ala Yuletide style is front and center and the decision about to be made. Sometimes even holiday visitors are expected to tog up for the family photo.
PajamaGram and Hanna Anderson have jumped aboard the bandwagon and Burt Bees Baby is taking care of the juvenile end of the craze. Oprah has touted the latter as one of her favorites this holiday.
Target reports escalating pajama sales every year since 2013 and has stocked accordingly. The retail giant says it is offering 22 patterns this season and, just to cover the waterfront, offers some of them in styles for dogs and dolls. Walmart expects to repeat previous successes with its offering of one-piece, zip-up jammies for adults. New this year are designs with polar bears on skis and Santa aboard a unicorn.
Even families that can’t get together geographically for the big day will be togged in their matching sleepwear, sharing the fun via video calls, photos and other media means. In fact, some families who were into the fad before it became a fad are wondering why it took the rest of the world so long to catch on to the craze.
One mom who has decked her children with matching nightwear for years thinks it is the media that has spread the mania. “It’s just that now it’s a lot more visible because everyone can see our pictures on Instagram,” she said.
Jonah Berger, marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, agrees. “It used to be that your uncle did this on a Christmas card, but you only got to see it if you were on his mailing list. Now, it’s a classic case of Internet one-ups-manship. Who can come up with the best matching pajamas and show the world that they’re a good parent?” Berger is author of the book, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.”