The perfect nightgown does exist

I may be biased, but can you blame me?

Last summer, on a hot July afternoon, the creative director behind one of my favorite sleepwear brands sat on a sofa in my living room, and we sketched a small capsule of nightgowns together while my son napped in the next room. That woman was If Only If’s Emily Campbell, and that small capsule of nightgowns officially launched on their site (!!!!) this week. I’m so excited to finally be able to tell you about each of these pieces and what makes them special.

Two things before diving in:

• You can receive 10% off your online order if you sign up for If Only If’s newsletter.

• We’re hosting a pop-up for the collection at From Lucie in the East Village this Thursday April 3rd and Friday April 4th from 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM. Emily and I will both be there from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM on Thursday, and I will be there from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM on Friday, just FYI if anyone wants to come specifically during those windows (which I would obviously love). Any purchases made at the pop-up will be shipped out for free. I hope you’ll swing by if you’re in New York!

In the meantime, please enjoy these heavenly photos by my friend Camille Delaune…

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The Harling Nightgown

The Harling was inspired by an antique, Edwardian-era blouse with a scalloped statement collar that I thrifted years ago at a flea market outside of Paris. It’s made from an exceptionally soft, mid-weight organic cotton voile, with a relaxed fit and short sleeves. I’m wearing a size S0 here, which still fits me comfortably while pregnant — the only difference is that the hemline comes up a bit shorter with a bump. (I’m 5’4” tall for reference).

The design of the scalloped, hand-embroidered statement collar is mirrored in the cutwork hem. A set of three mother-of-pearl buttons makes it breastfeeding-friendly, which was important to me during the design process (I breastfed my son for nine months and grew very attached to any sleepwear item that made those middle-of-the-night or early morning feeds a little bit easier).

This style can also moonlight as a blouse tucked into pants or skirts, or layered under sweaters. A true night-to-day transitional item. I can’t wait to wear it over a swimsuit at the beach this summer, too.

The Alice Nightgown

The Alice is made from mid-weight organic cotton cambric, in a subtle shade of Buttermilk Yellow (couldn’t resist a nod to #stickofbutter dressing, which is conveniently having a moment outside my own obsession right now). The hemline features the same distinct embroidery as The Harling nightgown, with white thread to contrast against the pale yellow fabric.

The single button closure allows the nightgown to be worn open for a deeper, breastfeeding-friendly neckline or fastened and tied with a contrasting white grosgrain ribbon. The ribbon also runs through the gathered neckline, edged with white embroidery as well. I’m wearing a size XS here, which still fits me comfortably while pregnant.

The Headscarf

And we made a headscarf to match!!!! As a lover and frequent wearer of headscarves in the spring and summer, I was very specific about the dimensions. So many scarves are too big or too small to fold into an ideal headscarf shape. This one is perfect.

Styled with jewelry, brown loafers, a suede bag, and a cardigan for daytime — this is a strong contender for my Spring 2025 uniform.

The Edie Nightgown

Last but not least, The Edie! Made from a mid-weight organic cotton cambric with an empire silhouette. I’m wearing a size XS here, however I wear a size S at my current stage of pregnancy (Edie runs a bit small in the bust, which is why I feel more comfortable in the next size up right now).

A contrasting pale yellow satin ribbon is woven through the sleeve ends and around the waist of the gown — a detail inspired by various vintage Edwardian nighties I’ve stalked on Etsy and eBay — and the sleeves and neckline are edged with soft cotton lace. The crossover neckline can be pulled down to accommodate breastfeeding.

This nightgown is opaque enough that I feel comfortable wearing it out and about with regular undergarments, but I love how it looks styled over pants when the weather’s not quite warm enough for bare legs.

All three nightgowns were designed to be worn and loved for many years, through different life stages, and by women of all ages. This has always been If Only If’s aim as a brand, which is one of many reasons I was so excited to collaborate with them. Here are a handful of other things that make me such a fan of how they operate:

• It’s a small, family-owned business (Emily took it over from her mom five years ago).

• The brand has been partnering with their suppliers in New Delhi for over 10 years now. Their small factory is SEDEX certified which means that they protect the people working in their supply chain and maintain high social and environmental working conditions. These include; being paid above the living wage, insurance and pensions given to all, an 8 hour working day and 22 days holiday a year.

• All the nightgowns, including those from this collection, are produced in small batches and worked on by hand by exceptionally skilled Indian artisans. The aim is for each collection to sell out in order to reduce waste.

• Their nightwear is made from 100% natural materials (GOTS certified organic cotton or silk).

• Size inclusion is a big priority for the brand. They work with size-inclusive brand consultant Sara Brown to produce a series called “Same Nightdress, Different Bodies” where they showcase their nightdresses on three women, each representing a different size option, and share behind-the-scenes insights into how they are actively working to improve the fit of their designs to accommodate different body shapes.

I hope you fall in love with these nightgowns just as much as I have. I could talk about them all day, so please ask any questions in the comments. And come to our pop-up this week if you live in NYC!!!!!

💛 Shop the Whole Collection Online Now 💛

xo Harling