Nautical British-Made Men's Dressing Gowns, Robes and Bathrobes — Voted by the Community

The dressing gown in Britain grew out of the loose, full-length robes that wealthy men wore at home from the mid-seventeenth century. Members of the East India Companies brought these gowns to Europe, and their style came from the Japanese kimono. In England they were often called “Indian gowns”, and later banyans. By the 1670s European tailors were making them, usually in costly silks, damasks, velvets or printed cotton chintz, and men wore them indoors before dressing or while relaxing. In the eighteenth century the garment was sometimes called a nightgown, even though it was not worn to bed. During the nineteenth century some gowns developed into smoking gowns and jackets, while others took on the familiar warm form with a shawl collar and a cord or cloth belt. By the twentieth century “dressing gown” had become the usual name for the belted robe worn over nightwear, and soft wool and cotton blends were popular for men’s versions. British-made dressing gowns today continue this tradition, with makers using good cloth and careful construction to make comfortable, hard-wearing gowns.