Modern pajamas come from loose trousers called 'pai jama' that people in South and West Asia wore as everyday clothing.

The word 'pyjama' entered the English language around 1800. In countries like India, Iran, and Pakistan, people wore these lightweight cotton pants to stay cool in the heat. Before this, most people in Europe slept in long nightshirts that looked like dresses.The British East India Company helped spread the style to the West. By the early 1900s, the two-piece set with a jacket and pants became the standard for men. In 1924, fashion designer Coco Chanel created silk pajamas for women. This changed them from simple sleepwear into fashionable clothes for relaxing at home.The original pants used a drawstring to stay up. This made them easy to adjust for different waist sizes. Early records from the 1600s called them 'mogul's breeches.' People switched from nightshirts to pajamas because they were more practical for moving around. Today, the global sleepwear market is worth over $12 billion.