5 Reasons Loungewear Is Christmas Gift That Keeps On Giving, According To Luxury Designer
Since 37% of people admit to throwing away unwanted Christmas gifts each year, it might be a challenge to find something special.
However, gifts like sleep and loungewear fit a variety of criteria to make them the gift worth keeping — they are practical, come in unique designs and luxurious materials, and elevate even daytime looks. The Christmas season is starting earlier each year — 42% of shoppers globally are considering start looking around for gifts earlier this year to get better deals, while 29% of consumers in the UK planned to do that as early as the end of August. Nevertheless, finding the right present could be challenging, as confirmed by 37% of people discarding Christmas gifts every year.
However, gifts that can be easily incorporated into everyday life and become a part of a person’s routine, like sleep and loungewear, are less likely to turn up in landfills.
“The supply of potential Christmas gifts is bewildering and many people get easily overwhelmed by all of the choices. This, however, largely contributes to the waste problem we are dealing with right now as many gifts, if not selected with care, are ultimately thrown away unused,” Ms. Grėtė Švėgždaitė, a sustainable luxury designer and founder of an eco-conscious fashion brand GRETES, said. “Ideally, the gift should be picked thinking not only about the recipient but our planet as well. Unused presents should be given another chance through recycling or the second-hand market.”
She names five reasons why sleep and loungewear as Christmas gifts can bring daily cheer well beyond the festive season:
1. Practical Gift for Many Tastes
Sleep and loungewear are things that most people wear on a daily basis, therefore, they might be an ideal gift to suit almost any recipient. The designer considers this also a present that converts the sleep and lounge clothing non-wearers into fans of the garment.
“The wide range of fabrics, cuts, prints, and designs we have for sleep and loungewear in the industry is bound to suit any taste. Also, loungewear is not limited to home only, we see celebrities and fashionistas mixing and matching the items with day clothes to spruce up their styles and get multiple uses out of them,” Ms. Švėgždaitė said.
2. Size-Inclusive — Hard To Shop the Wrong Size
Given that this type of clothing is not usually very restrictive or form-fitting, it is fairly easy to buy the right size despite not knowing the recipient’s measurements.
“Most sleep and loungewear collections are created with the ultimate comfort in mind and tend to be more size-inclusive than regular day clothing,” Ms. Švėgždaitė pointed out. “So if the garment makes the person wearing it feel relaxed and good in their own skin, the present will not be a waste of money.”
3. Reflects Eco-Conscious Values
Since the garments are made to be worn every day, they will not be discarded immediately after the holidays are over, therefore reducing post-Christmas waste. This especially applies to eco-friendly collections that draw inspiration from nature and use sustainably sourced materials like a fabric made of eucalyptus and pine wood pulp.
“A gift that is not detrimental to the environment we live in is well-thought-out. What’s even better is that natural, plant-based fabrics are easier to recycle than pure polyester. This means that the clothing item can be returned to the manufacturing chain and become a new gift to somebody else. Sleep and loungewear is an especially thoughtful gift to people who follow the sustainability journey of brands and value quality products,” the designer added.
4. Creates Elevated Home Style
The new technologies that go into making fabrics mean that sleep and loungewear can feel and look luxurious at a friendly price. Since over 6K of silkworms are required for 1 kg of silk, clothing from this luxurious fabric come at a cost to nature. However, sustainable designers are continuously looking for new ways to offer a cruelty-free luxury with fabrics made of cellulose fiber that have all the properties of silk — smoothness, breathability, comfort, and thermoregulation.
5. Luxury Purchase
Ms. Švėgždaitė believes that sleep and loungewear can often be perceived as luxury items and ones not many people can treat themselves to. Also, millennials are the main target recipients for such a gift because they are at that age when they prefer quality purchases and know that natural materials beat fabrics by fast fashion brands.
“High-quality items tend to lean towards a more expensive side, and not everybody can justify such a purchase. Also, many of the garments come in posh quality packaging, so the euphoria that the recipient feels unboxing such a present is unmatched,” she added.
About GRETES
GRETES, founded by Grėtė Švėgždaitė in Lithuania, is a boutique-style international brand. It focuses on creating handmade, fashionable, and high-quality sleepwear and loungewear, using sustainable NAIA™ materials for a reasonable price. Dedicated to everyone’s quiet elegance, the brand represents a continuous journey of looking for a balance between fashion, nature, and oneself.
