Pajamas, Power, and Personal Empowerment: My Anti-Fashion Revolution

I loved Michelle’s piece about retiring the ‘uniform’ black trousers. It got me thinking about my own fashion rebellion, and it’s a story that involves pajamas. Yes, pajamas.

When I turned 50, I made a decision that shook the very foundations of my wardrobe: never again would I wear anything that wasn’t as comfortable as pajamas. Why? 

Because I had too many years tottering around in high heels (a medieval torture device cleverly marketed as “feminine”), shuffling in fitted skirts that made me walk like a constipated penguin, and forcing myself into whatever trend the fashion gods declared was the seasonal “must-have.”

Of course, nothing fit me like it fit the model or mannequin but it was more than that.  Nothing ever “fitted” me metaphorically. Instead of feeling graceful, I felt rigid. Instead of authenticity, I was imitating. 

I realised that fashion wasn’t empowering me or making me more stylish, it was making me miserable (all those negative comparisons we make!) and costing me a fortune. Fashion wasn’t expressing who I was, it was disguising me.

So at 50, I gave it up. I let go of the belief that clothes determined my worth. And in doing so, I discovered something far more powerful: authenticity is always more attractive than imitation.

Enter the Pajama Principle
My new rule was simple: if it doesn’t feel like pajamas, it doesn’t come home with me and it definitely doesn’t go on my body! Flowing linen pants? Yes. Soft cotton tops? Absolutely. 

Natural fibres became my best friends. Anything that makes me feel like I’m one long sigh of comfort is a winner.

These days, there’s often little difference between my “work uniform” and what I’d wear to lunch with friends. The corporate world occasionally raises an eyebrow when I float in wearing what looks suspiciously like holiday clothes, but I’ve noticed something: comfort breeds confidence.
And confidence is never out of style. Neither is authenticity.

I’ve learned that empowerment often comes when we stop imitating and start owning what makes us feel good. For Michelle, that was a wardrobe refresh. For me, it was embracing pajama-level comfort as a non-negotiable.

And the funny thing is, the more I dress for comfort, the more I move with ease. I smile more. I’m not distracted by the pinch of shoes or the tug of fabric. My clothes finally fit me, not the other way around.

The Takeaway: Your Wardrobe, Your Rules
Michelle is right: empowerment is about letting go of what no longer serves us. Sometimes that’s old trousers. Sometimes it’s old beliefs. In my case, it was the belief that I had to sacrifice comfort to be seen the “right” way.  

So, tell me, have you had your own pajama moment? The one where you realised empowerment might just look (and feel) a lot like slipping into clothes that let you breathe, laugh, and move like yourself?

Because whether it’s black trousers, a colourful kaftan or pajamas, the point is the same: style is a tool for empowerment, but only if it fits your authentic self.