The Party Pajamas

You probably appreciate a constricting, sharp-shouldered blazer just as much as the next fellow, but on occasions when you'd wish to shake your groove thing with a little more range of motion, while still being dressed interestingly, you might want to consider donning a variation of my party pajamas.

1. A low-cut, well-draped t-shirt skims away from a belly burgeoning with beverages and nibbles, and draws the attention up to your clavicles---or your well-groomed chest-bush---whichever you so wear proudly.

slouch-neck t-shirt from Urban Outfitters

2. Athletic-inspired pants done in luxe fabrics enable you to freely shimmy your behind and drop low to the floor, while still keeping it kla$$y. I initially had shrugged off these trousers when my friend Adrian Diaz of the Paul Smith 5th Avenue boutique had picked them out for me, apprehensive of the voluminous cut and the odd color. But after giving them a second chance and trying them on, I was very pleased at how comfortably flattering a pair of sweat pants in washed silk could be, and realized that the faded eggplant hue could in fact be subtle and wearable.

the same purple washed silk pants on the Paul Smith Spring 2011 runway (via The Fashionisto)

3. Jazz shoes, especially those done in unconventional fabrications, go from being conversation starters at cocktail hour to being your best friends on the dance floor in the wee hours of the evening.

Number (N)ine x Charles Peterson "Touch Me I'm Sick" jazz shoes in silk-trimmed wool jacquard

4. A big cape-like jacket helps perpetuate the illusion of riding off into the night on a black stallion when all you're really doing is hailing a yellow cab. The robe I wear in the photo below is called a haori, a type of kimono worn on special occasions such as weddings or holidays of cultural significance. The lovely ladies at Kiteya, where I purchased the jacket, explained that this was the Japanese gentleman's equivalent of a tuxedo jacket. The particular haori I got is of fall/winter weight silk and is fully lined, typically worn as an overcoat or layered with other kimonos of exquisite fabrics.

vintage Japanese haori with an Ann Demeulemeester black pleated suede belt

5. A blingy ring catches the light as you fist-pump, and (assuming the ring is paste) is a more risk-averse finishing touch than your great-grandfather's Patek Philippe Grand Complication.

the newest addition to my rhinestone zoo: a vintage crystal-encrusted salamander with red gem eyes

Final pose by Tompkins Square Park before heading out into the evening:

When the night is over and you've successfully dazzled all your friends and foes in your posh party pajamas, slip under your sheets and shut your eyes; you're already dressed for bed.

photos by Pop, Bop, and Snap