Masters Of… Stylish Underpinnings
When searching for underwear, loungewear and sleepwear, comfort and style should go hand-in-hand. Thus, we’re turning our attention to the designers who are making shopping for everyday items look better than ever. Below you’ll find smalls, sleepwear and off-duty pieces for every personality - whether that’s cheerful Desmond & Dempsey, conscious cool from CDLP, LA luxe from Les Tien , or bold designer briefs c/o Versace.
Desmond & Dempsey
Husband-and-wife duo Molly and Joel Jeffery conceived of their brand Desmond & Dempsey out of a shared affinity for Sundays. Sick of her borrowing his shirts to wile away the lazy days, the two teamed up in 2014 to create playful sleepwear to make lounging around that bit more luxurious.
Designed in London, collections are infused with the capital’s vibrancy and reflect a smattering of British eccentricity. Comfortable shirts, shorts and trousers are cut in relaxed-yet-tailored silhouettes, paying homage to the world-famous work of London’s Savile Row. Premium-quality cotton is hand-painted with spirited prints inspired by the founders’ adventures in far-flung destinations.
This season’s motifs will transport you to the palmy paradise of Madagascar, inspired by the vibrancy of the country’s luscious ecoregion. So even if you can’t travel right now, you can at least live out your wanderlust dreams whilst you sleep.
CDLP
“Women have this much more exciting world, this ritual of choosing undergarments based on occasion or mood or feeling. Whereas men have usually always looked at underwear as a necessity; they wear the same thing whether they’re going on a date or working out or anything in-between,” CDLP co-founder Christian Larson mentioned in an interview last year. “I got jealous, really.” In 2016, Christian and his friend Andrea Palm decided to take action.
Founded on a mission to make men’s undergarments stylish and environmentally sustainable, the Swedish design house’s briefs, boxers, loungewear and sleepwear are part of our Conscious curation. Going against mass production, each piece is handcrafted by artisans at a family-run factory in Portugal using Lyocell, a silky-soft fabric derived from wood pulp which holds its shape and colour and boasts naturally superior moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial properties. With all this in mind, you can be sure that your new essentials rotation will make you feel as good on the inside as you do on the outside. “There are a lot of brands working with loungewear, but it often feels like dressing down,” Larson states. “We always want CDLP to feel like you’re dressing up.”
Les Tien
Think the perfect basics brand doesn’t exist? Think again. Courtney Michelle Ogilvie’s brand, Les Tien has been delivering elevated basics since 2018. “I don’t feel Les Tien is sportswear or loungewear – the brand creates elevated timeless basics in a category on its own,” Ogilvie told British Vogue last year. “We create top-tier quality products developed in a way that is acceptable to wear on all occasions.”
With a name that literally translates as ‘yours’ in French, the brand encourages you to make their super-soft shorts, sweatshirts and hoodies your own. “Les Tien came out of self-love and self-confidence... it's about giving back to myself; giving something to people without the misconceptions of social BS. I’m not going to tell someone they can’t sit at my table,” Ogilvie explained to WWD in 2009.
Pieces are developed and dyed in the brand’s Downtown LA factory, showcasing luxuriously muted colourways which give them an edge that’s equal parts retro and modern. Collections are designed with fit and longevity in mind, and a winning method of tweaking and modernising timeless silhouettes is used to ensure timeless appeal. “The way a piece of clothing sits on your body can change how you walk to the way you act,” Ogilvie told Vogue. “The styles I create are designed for everyone to have a positive feeling when wearing the brand.” Expect understated, luxurious loungewear, finished with a dollop of California cool.
Versace
Donatella Versace herself went on record saying: “If you want to be comfortable, stay home in your pajamas.” Nonetheless, where Versace is concerned, a dearth of glamour is never an option. Embracing the spirit of the PJ day in characteristically high octane italian style, the Versace sleepwear offering boasts the superbrand’s iconic motifs printed on lustrous silk and super-soft cotton.
Elevate your bedtime routine with the Medusa amplified pyjama shirts and trousers and Baroque-embellished robes, or begin your Versace ensemble with the basics thanks to the brand’s offering of briefs, boxers and long johns. Only the highest quality materials are used, ensuring they’ll feel good against the skin, and stretch fabrics guarantee comfortable fits. In-keeping with the house’s innately bold style, classic monochrome hues are given an opulent edge with Greca-printed borders in gold. Boasting the most decadent and luxurious of basics, don’t sleep (or rather do) on this collection.
Words by Sophy Davis Russell
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