During their recent show in Milan back in June, Dolce & Gabbana did something deceptively simple—something that might have made your nonna nod with nostalgic approval while your Gen Z cousin filmed it for TikTok. They sent men down the runway in pajamas.
But these weren’t mere bedtime ensembles. This was a radical return to decorum, an audacious comment on identity, and—most surprisingly—a masterclass in Italian restraint. The Spring Summer 2026 menswear collection, unveiled at Milano Men’s Fashion Week, reimagined the pajama not as passive loungewear but as an active sartorial expression of heritage and virility.
The Pajama, Recut
Fashion loves to revisit, recycle, and reinterpret. What Dolce & Gabbana managed with this collection, however, was not just revival—it was a cultural reframing. Rummaging through their exuberant ’90s archive, Domenico and Stefano pulled out the pajama as a quietly potent symbol of Italian elegance.
Gone were the glossy silks of yesteryear, replaced with featherlight cotton in pastel hues. Crinkled drawstring trousers, piped button-down shirts, and breezy open collars gave the illusion of leisure while pairing these with sharply tailored blazers, slouchy cardigans, and utilitarian bombers injected purpose. It was a curated disorder. A lazy day aesthetic, perfected through obsessive detail.
Bedwear Meets Streetwear
What made the collection transformative was its juxtaposition. Sleepwear was elevated, not just with tailoring, but through deliberate styling choices that blurred the line between rest and movement.
Leather parkas hung casually over pajamas; terry-cloth slippers met the pavement with assured authority. Even flip-flops (yes, flip-flops) were made to feel deliberate rather than ironic. This wasn't normcore for clicks—it was an invitation to slow down without giving up precision. To lounge with intent.
Masculinity, Made Gentle
There’s an unspoken tension in menswear: the expectation that to be masculine is to be rigid, armored, and unfeeling. Dolce & Gabbana offered an alternative—a masculinity that is soft-spoken, self-assured, and culturally rooted.
The pajama, in their hands, became a metaphor. Italian decorum, often expressed through dressing for the occasion, found its voice in pieces that suggested intimacy and relaxation without sacrificing dignity. It was a wink to gentlemen of the Riviera era, but retranslated for modern streets.
This redefinition aligns with the broader cultural swing toward emotional authenticity in men’s fashion. Where some brands chase the futuristic, Dolce & Gabbana re-centered the conversation around self-knowledge. Not reinvention, but affirmation.
Beethoven & Bejeweled Cotton
If there was any doubt that the collection would stray too far into irony, the show's soundtrack silenced it—literally. Beethoven’s symphonic drama framed the runway, underscoring the gravity of what might seem like lightweight clothing. Each crinkle and cuff became deliberate, a stylistic crescendo echoing restraint.
The finale pulled the fantasy into the realm of reality. Models, clad in glittering cotton pajamas, left the runway and walked Viale Piave. It was part protest, part performance—a brilliant blur between fashion and life. In this city where tradition and disruption dance together nightly, Dolce & Gabbana reminded the public: fashion isn’t just worn. It’s lived.
The move from catwalk to sidewalk wasn’t just a gimmick—it was a statement of relevance. In doing so, Dolce & Gabbana positioned themselves not merely as couturiers but as cultural barometers. They’re listening, not to algorithmic trends, but to human rhythms.
In an industry addicted to shock and churn, this show offered clarity. Clothes were still clothes made to fit, made to flatter, made to feel. And yet, the pajama, with its languid ease and intimate familiarity, became something greater: a manifesto of self-acceptance, a nod to enduring style beyond trend cycles.
Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring Summer 2026 menswear collection did not scream. It didn’t need to. It whispered through cotton folds and pastel tones that masculinity can be refined without being rigid, playful without being juvenile, Italian without being nostalgic.
In reintroducing the pajama, they reminded us that rest, elegance, and identity need not be at odds. Sometimes, being wide awake means dressing like you're ready to dream.
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