Now, okay, I confess, this isn’t actually a business-casual find. In fact, you can’t even wear this on Casual Friday. You can basically only wear this in your bedroom, or around the house, or to your high school on “Pajama Day” during Homecoming week. (God, I loved Homecoming week.)
That’s because Punjammies are pajamas. Jammies. Jams. Pajama itself is actually an example of “Hobson Jobson,” a Hindi/Urdu/Arabic word that was Anglicized and adopted into English. Pajama is the Urdu/Hindi word meaning “pants.” But, like, loose pants, I guess. Because the word for trousers, actual pants, is “patloon” (puh-th-loon).
In fact, “Hobson Jobson” is itself an example of Hobson Jobson. It was coined when the British man who presumably coined it observed a bunch of Indian Shiite Muslims hitting themselves on the chests with their hands or metal chains or knives while yelling, “Ya Hasan! Ya Husain!”, the names of the two grandsons of Muhammad (S). It’s a Shiite thing, during the Islamic month of Muharram. So that’s kind of funny. The Hobson-Jobson-as-Hobson-Jobson thing, not the self-flagellation. Not that I’m denigrating what anyone believes to be a religious rite/custom or anything.
You know what? I’m not saying anything.
Except that Punjammies are awesome.
Click for the website and TONS of gorgeous pajama tops and bottoms!
They are 100% cotton (with polyester borders, usually) pajama tops and bottoms made by Indian women (Punjab, from which the brand borrows a syllable and association, is a province in India and Pakistan) rescued from forced prostitution.
Aren’t they lovely? I think these are my favorite (even though I haven’t looked through all of the offerings, just most) because they’re so incredibly colorful and happy. Of course, this might just be the Power Ranger bedsheets all over again. Andy took me to Linens ‘n’ Things last week to get new bedsheets and I picked the Power Ranger ones, and I went home and tried them on but they made me really happy, and all that excess happiness made it difficult to sleep, so he has to take me back to Linens ‘n’ Things this weekend so I can return them.
I found out about Punjammies from my lovely friend Jenny Evrard. We were super good friends in high school and have remained friends since, and she is exceedingly awesome. So, here’s the deal. I need y’all to head right over to Jenny’s Etsy Shop, Tallulah’s Treasures and poke around. I need you to look at all of her gorgeous jewelry and, I don’t know, maybe buy something. Dooooo itttttt.
(And no, I am not being compensated in any way for this. I just wanted to share Jenny’s lovely creations. She’s one of the most talented people I know in many ways, but especially in joo-ree-making.)
Punjammies, like I said, help Indian women who were rescued from forced prostitution. Proceeds from sales provide fair-trade wages, savings accounts, and recovery care for these women.
And these pajamas are absolutely beautiful – way more beautiful than the pajamas I usually buy from VS or Target. (I do seriously love the flannel pajama shorts at Target. I love flannel, period. I’d say I only loved it in the winter, but let’s not lie: I’m cold ALL THE TIME.)
So if you’re the kind of person that loves having relatively unique, eye-catching, pretty things, these pajamas are going to be right up your alley.
In addition, if you’d like to donate to this project, you can learn more about that here.
