Made in Britain

How we make our nightwear

Made in Britain

How we make our nightwear

May 01, 2018

We’ve been making nightwear here in Derbyshire for over 55 years. In fact, nighties were the very first styles made by David Nieper when we were a fledgling company back in the 1960s. So we know what it takes to make nightdresses and pyjamas that look and feel lovely.

All our nightwear starts life on our pattern-cutting table. Each panel is cut generously for comfort before being passed to the sewing room.


Of course, every style is different, but usually the first step is to make the front and back yokes which are gently gathered for a roomy fit. We often design our nighties with gathered sleeves too, because they give you space to move freely throughout the night.


We stitch the panels of fabric together using thread that’s thicker than ordinary cotton, so the nightdress or pyjamas will last through wash after wash, and there will be a comfortable amount of ‘give’ to the seams.

Summer Daisy Nightdress

It’s really important to get the hems right. If the hem isn’t exactly the right depth, or if it’s uneven, the nightie won’t hang properly. So we rely on the skill of our team to get it spot on, every time.


Little details are often at the heart of our nightwear designs. The daisies on our ever-popular Soft Jersey Cotton Nightdress are attached by a very skilled seamstress who has to feed the daisy ribbon through at exactly the right tension to ensure they’re applied at exactly the right distance apart. We designed this particular style back in 1989 and it’s still a customer favourite.

Woven Cotton Sleeveless Nightie

Stitching the authentic Leavers lace onto our Woven Cotton Sleeveless Nightie is another tricky job that is undertaken by our most experienced dressmakers. We take special care to choose the softest, most intricate lace made by a family of lacemakers on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire border. It must lie smoothly and evenly against the woven cotton fabric to ensure you get a beautiful finish and unrivalled comfort.


Our attention to detail doesn’t stop at the sewing room door. Every garment is double checked to ensure it’s absolutely perfect, before being pressed by hand and lovingly packed for you.

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