More sex please: Brits staying in and loving pyjamas

Men's pyjamas, whose popularity peaked in the 1970s when they were most famously worn by the television comedians Morecambe and Wise, are back in fashion. Sales of full-length male nightwear in the UK have risen by 30 per cent in the past year, research shows.

Retailers believe that, instead of spending money on nights out, cash-strapped single men are lounging around at home in their "jim-jams", while couples are spending less time in pubs and restaurants and more time having sex.

Annual sales of men's pyjamas rose from £22m to £33m (NZ$50.8m - $76.3m) between 1999 and 2009, according to the retail analyst TNS.

Its fashion expert, Elaine Giles, said pyjamas - derived from the loose-fitting Asian paijama trousers - have become increasingly popular with younger men.

In 1999, only 4 per cent of male pyjama buyers were under 25; this year the figure was 22 per cent.

The proportion of middle-aged men and those over 55 buying pyjamas has dropped from 70 to 40 per cent over the same period.

Women's pyjamas have also become more popular, with sales trebling in the past decade from £32m to £93m.

At Debenhams, sales of male nightwear are up 45 per cent this year.

The department store suggested that men were changing out of suits and into pyjamas at the end of the day.

"Men's nightwear has shaken off its 'Wee Willie Winkie' image. New designs and fabrics have made them appealing to men and women again," a spokeswoman said.

"Instead of being worn just at night, we've seen a rise in pyjamas as 'loungewear'. Jersey fabric is now commonly used in pyjamas and is a lot cosier than traditional stiff cotton."

John Lewis said men's pyjama sales were 10 per cent higher than last year, with its own range doing "extremely well".

Alongside soaring demand for pyjamas, it also reported a 21 per cent rise in sales of contemporary fashion lingerie for women.

A spokeswoman said: "Premium-priced pure silk styles have been doing especially well over the last two months showing a 90 per cent increase in sales on last year. We have definitely seen a trend for boudoir-inspired lingerie as opposed to basic products."

At Debenhams, sales of basques are up by 45 per cent, suspenders by 50 per cent and fishnet stockings by 83 per cent. The most popular fabrics are silk, satin and black lace, but animal print designs are also popular.

The store said: "Many couples are now spending more time together than ever before and rediscovering the benefits of nights in."

Ms Giles, of TNS, said that while increasing sales of ordinary pyjamas and glamorous lingerie seemed contradictory, there could be a simple explanation: that men and women both wanted loose-fitting clothing to "slob around in", but women wanted to "make a special effort" to counter that by wearing racy undergarments.

- INDEPENDENT