This brand turned me into a guy who wears loungewear

I usually don’t wear pajamas or loungewear while I’m hanging out at home. My afterwork routine consists of stumbling around in boxers and a baggy T-shirt—not unlike Winnie-The-Pooh—to grant myself a sense of freedom after a long day of wearing “normal” clothes. (Typically that's a collared shirt to look presentable on Zoom calls and chino shorts fit for venturing outside in the Florida heat to get my mail midday.) At bedtime, I’m into the idea of wearing less clothing, if any at all. I prefer airy and free to cozy and confining. Needless to say, I’m skeptical that wearing pajamas or loungewear can set a restful mood at home.

This is where Tommy John aims to prove me wrong. The company, best known for its “no adjustment needed” line of men’s underwear, sent me some of its at-home wear test out: a pajama set, a short-sleeve lounge henley shirt, a pair of pajama shorts, and a pair of joggers. These items range from $58 to $128 and promise silky smooth comfort. But are they better than wearing nothing at all?

What I like about Tommy John loungewear

Everything I tried from Tommy John’s loungewear collection feels soft, as you'd hope from clothes you're supposed to laze around and sleep in. Most of the pieces I tried contain modal, a type of rayon fabric that’s both soft and cooling, as well as polyester and spandex in differing percentages. Others contain cotton instead of polyester.

The pieces that I enjoyed the most are the pajama shorts and pajama set (consisting of a pocket tee and long pants), all from the Second Skin line and all made of modal-spandex blends, but in different percentages. The shorts contain 90% modal and 10% spandex and are shockingly smooth—they have the same creamy look and feel of a shiny T-shirt slinking off of a piece of furniture before folding onto itself. They’re also equipped with delicate pockets and they hit at the knees, similar to a pair of long boxers. I didn’t have to wear any underwear under these shorts—they’re that comfortable. The higher percentage of modal makes them feel softer and more velvety that their pajama set counterparts, which are 47% modal, 43% polyester, and 10% spandex. Still, I love how all of the Second Skin items feel on my body—light, cool to the touch, stretchy, and breathable.

The set let me choose my size for each piece (an awesome feature) and the pocket tee fit me great in size XL—relaxed without being too baggy, and far from constricting. It flows as I walk and pops back into place if I tug at it. I was happy I could get the pants in a smaller size, as the size L fit me well around the waist and XL would've been far too large. The pajama shorts, which I got in men’s size L, are breezy and light, not too large or too small.

I was also delighted by the Lounge Jogger, which I wore in size L. Made of a 66% polyester, 29% micro-modal, and 5% spandex material, they feel nearly as soft as the Second Skin items I tried on, just thicker and heftier. They’re tapered at the ankle, as joggers should be, but don’t have any annoying stacking—extra folded fabric—in the legs from being too long. They cost $84, and I think I'd get my value out of them for watching TV, especially in the winter months when I'm more apt to don pants.

What I don’t like about Tommy John loungewear

The 30-inch inseam Second Skin pajama pants were way too long and baggy for my 5-foot-11 frame. In fact, I wish I went down another size to M, or that Tommy John offered a shorter inseam length. The pants had so much extra fabric that I kept stepping on them as I walked around my house. I prefer inseams on the shorter side, measuring 28 inches or less.

I was also annoyed at the inconsistent fabric used from piece to piece, even in the same line—and Tommy John’s official website does not reflect the tri-blend of fabric used in the pajama set I ordered—it states these items are made with the same 90% micro-modal and 10% spandex as the shorts. While I still recommend the Second Skin line overall, this blend of fabrics is not on par with the shorts, and it feels misleading.

As for Tommy John’s lounge henley: It’s okay. Its fabric is a blend of pima cotton (a longer fiber of cotton), modal, and spandex, and while it’s soft, it feels less breathable than the other pieces. I wore it unbuttoned around my house and still felt the need to take it off after a few hours of wear because I felt overheated. And once again Tommy John mislabeled its fabric makeup. My tag read 57% pima cotton, 38% modal, and 5% spandex, while the website states 66% acrylic (polyester), 29% rayon (which could be modal?), and 5% spandex. To my mind, $70 is too high of a price for this henley shirt.

Is Tommy John loungewear worth it?

If you want to try Tommy John, the Second Skin line is your best bet. The Second Skin pajama shorts are supremely cozy and well worth the $57 price. I also enjoyed the Second Skin pajama set, which rings in at $126 total. Both the tee and pants are soft and silky, just not as soft as the shorts.

While I believe you can’t go wrong with any of Tommy John’s Second Skin loungewear pieces, I’m confused about the mix-up of fabric blends I received, and feel that the advertised 90% micro modal and 10% spandex is of higher quality. Regardless, the Second Skin line proved to me that loungewear can be as comfortable as wearing nothing at all.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.