Linen, that perennial summer staple, has long promised effortless cool. Yet for all its airy virtues, it tends to wrinkle by noon, shift in all the wrong places, and demand constant adjustment. It’s a fabric with a storied past—prized by ancient Egyptians and later adopted by Victorian lingerie makers for its breathability in corset linings—but its practical shortcomings have spurred a quiet revolution. Enter the drawstring pajama pant, a silhouette that traces its lineage to the loose-fitting lounging ensembles of 1920s boudoir fashion, when Coco Chanel first liberated women from rigid tailoring. Today, even Vogue has anointed this style a summer trend to watch, and we’ve curated 13 pairs that bridge the gap between sleepwear and streetwear, starting at just $15.
Consider the khaki palazzo with its elastic waist—a nod to the adjustable closures found in early 20th-century silk slips, designed to accommodate the body’s natural fluctuations. The denim-look drawstring pants, meanwhile, channel the spirit of Levi’s 501s but with the ease of a 1930s French chemise. Striped wide-legs echo the nautical motifs popularized by Chanel’s 1917 resort collections, while the barrel-leg silhouette recalls the tapered shapes of 1950s lingerie—meant to flatter without constricting. Silky dupes, priced at a fraction of real silk (which, historically, was reserved for elite corsetry and required hand-washing), offer the same fluid drape without the upkeep.
From gingham to leopard, these pants are more than a trend—they’re a return to the foundational principles of lingerie design: comfort, adaptability, and a quiet rebellion against the rigid. Whether you’re brunching or boarding a flight, they prove that the most stylish upgrade is often the one you can breathe in.
Originally reported by US Magazine