In my continuing quest to find something to wear while getting ready on the morning of my wedding, I was intrigued by the new Kate Spade sleepwear line. The brand’s well known aesthetic (polka dots, stripes, cheeky sayings) has been translated into pajamas and robes, including some bridal-specific items.
I ordered a ton of options to try on (as I do), so today’s post features my thoughts on all of those pieces! This is the second installation of “getting ready” (or honeymoon) attire reviews; if you missed the Plum Pretty Sugar reviews, check them out here.
Unless noted, all of these items come in sizes XS-XL, and I’ve specified the sizes I tried below. Although Kate Spade has a few 20-25% off sales throughout the year, sometimes as much as 30% off, the promos I’ve seen since the launch of the sleepwear line have excluded sleepwear. If you see something you like, it might not be worth waiting for a promo, as a number of pieces have sold out on the Kate Spade site.
Ordering directly from Kate Spade isn’t your only option – I’ve found many of the items at Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, as well, both of which I tend to prefer for their generous return policies. Kate Spade’s return policy is much stricter – 30 days from purchase date for full-priced items, and just 14 days on sale items. I was burned by this once, having ordered a sale item that took nearly 8 days from the date I ordered it to arrive at my door. Even though I shipped it out the next day, it took a week to arrive using the pre-paid label, and was rejected and sent back to me – just a cautionary tale!
Now, on to the reviews! These reviews include some affiliate links – if you click through and/or make a purchase using these links, it generates a small amount for us, at absolutely no cost to you. We’ll always include the full name of products so you can find them easily, should you prefer not to use our links. If you do use our links, a huge thank you for helping us continue to grow Smartly Wed!
Clockwise, from top left:
1. Mrs. Robe
2. Stripe Cotton Lawn Sleep Chemise
3. Graphic Sleep Shirt
4. Short Pajamas
5. Lace Trim Dot Print Satin Romper
6. Terry Cotton Robe
Mrs. Robe
I knew I had to try this robe ($88) as soon as I saw it – I loved the black piping on the white robe, as opposed to a solid white. The robes come in just three sizes – XS/S, M, and L/XL – and I couldn’t find the L/XL anywhere, so ordered the medium in white. Both the white and blue have “mrs.” sewn on the left chest. The white appears to be sold out everywhere I looked, but you can still find it in blue here.
The robe was wrinkled out of the box, but this type of fabric should be easy to steam.
The medium, to my surprise, fit pretty well, even when tied. The back could’ve been a tiny bit bigger (it felt snug when I moved my arms), but I think the L/XL would’ve been too large everywhere else. The sleeves are longer than three-quarters, hitting me about where they do on the model.
The white is completely sheer (you can see the polka dot romper showing through in the photo below). You could definitely wear it over something else while getting ready, but be prepared for that thing to show through in photos. The robe also, unfortunately, had a number of loose threads along the edges, which made me wonder how well it would hold up.
Leaving aside the “is it weird if I buy things that say Mrs. when I’m not changing my name, even if they’re really cute?” debate I’ve been having with myself, I decided I’d take a chance on the robe if it went on a significant markdown. I could justify keeping this robe around $40, but not for $88, not when I’m uncertain about the durability.
Stripe Cotton Lawn Sleep Chemise
I’ve wanted to try some of the bow-chest Kate Spade items for a while (going back to the bow-top swimwear), but resisted, knowing that this was not going to be a look I pulled off very well. If ever I could make it work, I thought this chemise was going to be the way, so I gave it a shot in the black and white stripe. Nordstrom currently has this pattern on sale (33% off the original price of $68), as well as two others (a floral print called “rose lilac” and a light blue stripe).
The chemise has a gathered top that looks like a bow, rather than an actual bow attached to the chest (also featured in the image of the short pajamas, below).
The fabric is 55% cotton, 45% rayon, and it had very little stretch to it. The XL was definitely the right call, and even so, I looked like I was about to fall out of the top. The straps are adjustable, which is a plus.
The body of the chemise is a-line, so, on me, ended up looking too small in the chest and roomy everywhere else.
Graphic Sleep Shirt
This nightshirt isn’t bridal, specifically, but there are few things I enjoy more than funfetti cupcakes in the morning, so I had to give the “eat cake for breakfast” version a go. I tried the black with the white trim and lettering (found here), but it also comes in white with pink trim. Currently, Nordstrom has the black on sale (33% off), but only smalls are left; the white is still full price ($58). Kate Spade’s website has black left in extra small only, at present, though it’s still full price (found here).
The Nordstrom link also has a full-price version in navy with white trim that says “light sleeper, heavy dreamer,” if you do not prefer to eat cake for breakfast.
This is the one item I tried in two sizes, both large and extra large. It’s 60% cotton, 40% polyester, so it has more stretch than the short set, and I found the large to fit fine in the chest, though entirely too large in the arms. The arms in the photo aren’t very fitted on the model, but they looked oversized on me. I usually find sleeves to be too baggy on me, so if you have the opposite problem, this might work well for you.
The body of the sleep shirt is a-line (like the striped chemise), adding to the bagginess. If you’re able to get the torso to be more fitted on you, the cut may look less sloppy than it did on me.
Short Pajamas
This pajama set is a modal/cotton blend, and felt decently soft. I thought the sleeveless top was a cute alternative to the standard button-down, short-sleeved top that goes with pajama short sets, and I liked the contrast trim. I ordered these in black with white trim, which I haven’t been able to find recently. The pink/black trim set in the above graphic are still available, and on sale, at Nordstrom, with limited sizes (originally $68, currently 33% off).
I wear different sizes top and bottom, however, which often makes sets a lost cause unless I can buy the top and bottom separately. These aren’t sold separately, and sure enough, I found the XL top to fit comfortably (I suspect the large would’ve been too snug in the chest; I usually wear a large or extra large in shirts, depending on how stretchy they are), if a little roomy, and the XL shorts to be too big. The shorts seemed comfortable for sleeping, though, and weren’t very short or low-rise.
There is a bow detail with a small keyhole at the back of the neck.
The top has a ruffle that isn’t fitted enough to be peplum; I didn’t like how it looked on me. The ruffle hit about where it does on the model, around the top of the shorts, which just wasn’t flattering. It didn’t call attention where I didn’t want it, exactly, but the overall look was too shapeless for my liking. That’s often an issue I find with modal pajamas.
Lace Trim Dot Print Satin Romper
I am a big fan of this romper – yes, it’s 100% polyester, so it’s probably overpriced (at $78), but it’s adorable! I only tried the white dot, which is fairly see-through, and though I’d guess the light blue version (“air”) is reasonably see-through, as well, I can’t say for sure (both available here).
The fabric is smooth, and I didn’t see anything to make me question the construction (not so for some of the other items!)
The straps are adjustable. There are lace panels inset at the top, going from the center all the way to the center of the back, with a button and a small keyhole in back. There are also lace panels on the sides of the leg.
There’s no stretch to the fabric, so you’ll need to go with your largest measurement. Elastic at the waist, does, however, allow you to more easily move the top of the shorts up or down (not unlike a maxi dress with a cinch tie at the waist), which saved the fit for me. I tried the romper in an XL, and don’t think I could’ve gone down to a large. As with the pajama set, normally the XL shorts would be too large, but being able to pull the waist up a bit made them fit as they should. The leg opening is styled like a tap pant (that is to say, short, but not indecently so).
Terry Cotton Robe
Last – and honestly, least – is the terry cloth robe. It looked so adorable on the model, and given that I’d just passed on the poly robe, I jumped at the chance to try the same style (white with black piping and the “mrs.” embroidered on the chest) in a different fabric. I also ordered the blue version, which has different detailing – the front is plain, and instead, the back is embroidered with “happily ever after” in white. Both robes have a bow detailing at the back of the neck, as you can see in the second photo below.
Both white and blue are fully in stock at Bloomingdales (white / blue), and there’s also a non-bridal version in pink that says “sweet dreams” available on the Kate Spade site. This robe is $78 ($10 cheaper than the polyester robe).
I knew as soon as I opened the bag that I’d be returning the robes. The fabric wasn’t the soft terry cloth I’d imagined, but more like a hotel towel that’s been bleached to the point where it won’t ever be soft again. Like with the poly robe, both had a bunch of loose threads, plus these were shedding like crazy. As you can see, they were incredibly wrinkled, though steaming them might’ve fixed this (vs. needing to iron).
The blue robe is more of the brighter robin’s egg blue in the first photo than the paler color seen in this one; it was hard to see the “happily ever after” without bringing it into fairly bright light.
The Kate Spade website had these in a L/XL at the time, but not medium, so I went with the L/XL. When tied, the robes were reasonably fitted, but not too small, which is comparable to how the poly robe in a medium fit. I’d say the poly robe runs large, compared to everything else I tried in the sleepwear line.
The verdict!
I kept the romper and sent everything else back. I wish it were cheaper, but it isn’t, and I like it, so that’s that.
Since my original round of try-ons, some new sleepwear items have been released, though nothing I liked enough to order. I’d love to see more cotton items, and for the pajama sets to be sold as separates.
Have you tried any of these (or other) Kate Spade pajamas and robes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and feel free to suggest other products you’d like to see us review!
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