Fabrics
Perhaps the most important thing to us at PJ Pan is the fabric, which is why we only source the finest quality cotton and silk for our pyjamas. You can learn more about our fabrics below.
Where is the cotton sourced?
It is very difficult to source good quality cotton in interesting designs from UK so we buy this in from mills in Europe, mainly from Turkey and Portugal, but the actual cotton plant themselves originate all over the world from USA to Egypt. Naturally the mill plays a vital part in the finished product, so we only use mills which come with a very high reputation. A good mill can make a medium quality cotton appear luxurious whilst a bad mill can make the best quality cotton feel very average. For that reason we only work with highest quality mills who conduct their business to the highest social, environmental and economic standards.
Are your fabrics Oeko-Tex certified?
You can sleep easy at night knowing our fabrics are Oeko-Tex certified, meaning they are manufactured in a way that is better for you and the environment. The mills' fabrics all meet the Oeko-Tex ‘Confidence in Textiles’ standards which is a worldwide independent testing and certification system for textiles. The international organisation is dedicated to testing and approving textiles for harmful chemicals, dyes and bleaches, covering the whole process from the growing of the crop up right through to the finished garment. The Oeko-Tex certification guarantees the fabric and garment have been manufactured without using a list of over 100 harmful chemicals.
What sort of quality is your cotton?
We pride ourselves on the quality of the cotton. In fact that was one of the main reasons for starting PJ Pan in the first place - the aim was to produce high quality cotton pyjamas at an affordable price. To determine the quality of a cotton one needs to know the length of the individual fibres, known as staples. Staples are twisted together to form the yarn, so the longer the staples the smoother and stronger the yarn and the better the quality of the resulting cotton. All of PJ Pan's cottons are made from long staple combed cotton. This not only indicates the inherent fine quality of the cotton but the procedure of combing effectively removes any shorter or smaller fibres in the cotton. The result of the combing allows the cotton to be spun into a finer thread with more tensile strength - and then it can be woven into a beautifully soft finished product.
Is the cotton single fold or two fold and what does this mean?
Most cottons used in the pyjama market are created from single yarns, meaning that strands of the cotton staple are spun to make a single thread - these are known as single ply fabrics. The quality of single fold cottons can still be lovely, but undoubtedly it is not as as luxurious as the cotton made from two-fold cotton (2 ply). To make a two-fold yarn, two very finely spun yarns are twisted together to form a two-fold yarn which makes the cotton stronger and smoother. The extra care and processing that goes into manufacturing two-fold cotton is reflected in the higher price point of the final fabric which is why we took the decision to use quality single-fold cotton for the majority of our pyjamas. For those requiring the highest quality, we do have quite a few two-fold cottons within the collection (click here to view them), such as our men's "Fleet Street" and "Frinton Blue" pyjamas & women's "Coniston Stripe" or "Spellbound" pyjamas).
Do you sell organic cotton pyjamas?
Yes, autumn 2017 saw the launch of our first ever organic cotton nightwear. After the success of this 'Lomond Organic' check we have added new designs to the range every year. We hope to add more and more organic cottons as the mills start to produce more of their designs using organic yarns. These super soft organic cottons are available in the women's, men's and children's collections as pyjamas, pyjama bottoms, nightshirts, dressing gowns and shorts.
What is the yarn count of your cotton and what does this mean?
There is a lot of confusion over yarn count, as it is often muddled with thread count. Generally the quality of sheets and bedding is measured in thread counts, which is the number of horizontal and vertical threads per inch of fabric. Quality sheets will have a thread count of at least 200 but can go up much higher than that. Shirting fabrics however tend to be measured in yarn count. Yarn count refers to the thickness of the yarn and is determined by the number of yarns in a particular weight. To be precise, it is the number of yarn hanks (each 840 yards long) per pound of yarn. The higher the number of yarns therefore, the finer the yarn will be, resulting in a smoother, finer cotton. Generally our finer cottons tend to have a yarn count between 70-120 (hanks) whereas our brushed cottons will be more like 30-40 (ie. the yarns are thicker and therefore heavier, so the yarn count comes down). It is important to remember though that the finished quality of a fabric is not all about the yarn count - the mill, the ply and the quality of the actual fibre will all play a big role in the resulting fabric.
What weights of cotton do you use?
Our collection ranges from lightweight cotton lawn pyjamas (featuring Liberty's Tana Lawn®) to cosy brushed cotton dressing gowns so there are lots of different weights and handles to choose from. We also have some beautiful cotton/wool blend fabrics and some cotton/cashmere blend fabrics within the women's collection, plus some cosy cotton/wool fabrics in the men's collection.
Will the fabrics shrink?
The fabrics are not pre-washed so the garments will be at their very longest straight out the packet. Being made from natural fibres there will always be a small amount of shrinkage but because we use such high quality cottons this will be minimal. Our fabric mills work to approximately 2-3% shrinkage. Our reviews are full of comments relating to how our pyjamas don't shrink compared to so many other brands. Like any garment they will naturally bunch up in the wash so if you do need every last centimetre we would recommend a quick iron as it's surprising how much you gain from that.
What sort of silk do you use?
All of our silk pyjamas are made using luxury silk satin. It is 100% silk – the term satin applies to the weave which is what gives the fabric its beautiful shine. The weight of our silks (excluding Liberty silks which are slightly lighter) is 19mm which is rarely used nowadays due to its high cost. It has a lovely weight which drapes beautifully making the pyjamas extra flattering.
What sort of jersey cotton do you use?
We have two different jersey cottons within our men's t-shirt collection. All of our men's organic cotton t-shirts are made using organically grown cotton in the USA. All knitting, dyeing (and of course manufacturing) is done in Britain. Our white supima cotton t-shirts are made from long staple cotton grown by privately owned farms in California, USA. Supima is one of the longest cotton fibres in the world. It's 35% longer and 45% stronger than regular cottons, which means the fibre is even softer and more lustrous wash after wash. This super soft raw cotton is then spun into yarn right here in the UK, making it ready for knitting, dyeing and manufacturing.
How should I wash my nightwear?
We recommend washing your cotton nightwear at 40 degrees and allowing it to air dry naturally, but please note some of our blended fabrics should be washed at 30 degrees so please read the washing labels carefully. We don't recommend tumble dryers for any of our nightwear as the high heat is not good for the fabric or components such as the elastic in the waistbands. Having said that, we know that customers do successfully tumble dry their cotton pyjamas, but do so with caution as we cannot be held responsible if you use too high a heat and find the pyjamas have shrunk.
Silk pyjamas should be dry cleaned or hand washed at no warmer than 30 degrees. Silk is a very delicate fabric so please treat it with care and only use silk detergents. Never use a washing machine or tumble dryer. Please refer to the care guide that would have come with your silk pyjamas as we cannot be held responsible for any problems that may arise if they are not washed according to this advice.
Bed socks should be hand washed in cool water using a suitable wool detergent and allowed to air dry naturally. Please do not use a washing machine or tumble dryer.