# Pajama/sleepwear ideas for ds for fall (tall, skinny kid)?



## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

I'm at a loss for pjs/sleepwear for ds, especially as fall approaches.

He's 8. He's tall. He's skinny. Therein lies the problem. His waist is a size 4-5, length-wise, he needs a size 8. Thankfully he has a long torso and so most of his height is in his body, not his legs or he'd need a size 10!

Boys clothing seems to make a HUGE leap at size 8 in terms of waist size. For pjs that are close fitting cotton ones that I like, he needs a 10 or even a 12 for length, but they fall off. I can't even find sweatpants for him to wear that don't fall off!

This summer, he's just sleeping in his shorts/t-shirts. I'm OK with that. But what are we going to do for winter? He's worn the same pjs for the last 3 years (seriously) and they are either wearing out or finally getting too small.

I'm FINE with putting him in sweatpants/long sleeved t-shirts, but I can't find sweatpants to fit. He can't sleep in jeans and/or khakis with adjustable waists (which is how we deal with the pants issue - size 8 slim with adjustable waists all the way in). Any sleep pants I've seen would swim on him. He won't go without pjs to bed.

Help!!


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## MandyB (Oct 9, 2006)

Wish I had some advice for you! I can't get my 6yr old to sleep in anything but his underwear! He did get some hand me down thick fleece pj's though with elastic waist that fit him okay. My son is right on that same size cusp with the same problem though. Thank god for adjustable waists in pants! (We're just saving them to wear on Pajama Day at school, since this is the only time he will agree to wear PJ's!)


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## blessedwithboys (Dec 8, 2004)

hanna andersson long johns, definitely! they are sized according to the childs height and always fit my long lanky skinny boys like they were custom made


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## crl (May 9, 2004)

I was thinking Hanna Andersson too because their long johns seem to be made long and skinny. But they are pretty expensive. (You can call the outlets, by the way, and they will look to see if they have what you want in stock and ship it to you.) I wonder if just plain old long underwear would work?

Or just buy him a extra blanket and let him keep sleeping in the shorts and t-shirt.

Catherine


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## tbone_kneegrabber (Oct 16, 2007)

have you tried american apparel things? I find them to be very long and skinny, although we've only gone up to size 4 in pants and 6 in shirts (and today is ds 2nd bday!)


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

I'll look at the Hanna stuff again, but he's got 2 pair of Hanna shorts he's wearing this summer that are size 120. For length in their stuff he's tall enough to need a 140 and they are too big around the waist! Seriously the child has a 21" waist, and is 54, maybe 55" tall. (So the American apparel stuff which looks nice, he should have a 4 or 6 for waist and a 10 for height.)

I may need to learn to sew. I hate sewing. I'd rather dig ditches. I'd rather spend all day filing alphabetically. I'd rather teach a bunch of surly adolescents!


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## mumm (May 23, 2004)

Hanna Andersson doesn't fit my tall thin 8 year old. The length is okay but the waist just falls to his ankles. He prefers the one piece footie pajamas that toddlers wear. That way it doesn't have to stay up on his waist, but just on his shoulders. Fwiw, he is 4'11" and weighs 57 pounds.

He sleeps in the clothes he is going to wear the next day (always b-ball shorts and t) from march until about early november. Then he goes to the footie pjs.


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## crl (May 9, 2004)

You might try one of the WAHM MDC members. I remember ordering some "custom" pjs a very long time ago.

(And I sympathize with the aversion to sewing.)

Catherine


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

You don't have to sew them from scratch, you can do a very simple alteration.

If you get pants with a simple elastic waist band inside a casing. Open up just 2 inches or so of the casing. Take a few inches off the elastic, then just sew it back up again. Just 3 inches (1 for the elastic and 2 to close the casing) of sewing, and no patterns, fabric to cut out, seams to line up, etc.

If you get the kind that have the elastic as the waist band, then you can just pinch it in an inch or so in the back, then sew down parallel to the back seam for an inch or two. Then gradually sew towards the existing seam till the old seam and new seam meet about 4 inches or so from the waist. If you need to you can do the same in the front as well.


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## pinky (Nov 21, 2001)

I've had good luck with Gymboree pjs. My dd is similarly skinny (I had to take in her Hanna 120 pjs at the waist), and her size 8 long johns from Gymboree fit just fine. One of her pairs is actually a boy pattern, so I think the boys and girls are sized similarly.

They are spendy at full price, but I've often had good luck finding them on sale.


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## almama (Mar 22, 2003)

Ditto on asking a WAHM here. PJs are super easy to sew if you know what you are doing, and can be easily adjusted for thin waist, long legs.

For my son, I made the pants and then bought shirts on Land's End (some regular shirts that just fit the pants theme, other ones I cut some fabric from the pant fabric to make a few appliques). They go together great and he loves them.


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

If you're okay with girls sweats for pajamas (some people really arent)--- anyway, girls pants are a lot thinner cut than boys. The plain Hanes one's are 1-2 sizes smaller in the waist in the girls sizes than the boys (DD prefers the boys because they have pockets, but has to wear girls for the length/width ratio). They come in navy, black, not just pink or anything.

Another option would be to look for leggings or footless tights if DS would be okay with that.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eepster* 
You don't have to sew them from scratch, you can do a very simple alteration.

If you get pants with a simple elastic waist band inside a casing. Open up just 2 inches or so of the casing. Take a few inches off the elastic, then just sew it back up again. Just 3 inches (1 for the elastic and 2 to close the casing) of sewing, and no patterns, fabric to cut out, seams to line up, etc.

If you get the kind that have the elastic as the waist band, then you can just pinch it in an inch or so in the back, then sew down parallel to the back seam for an inch or two. Then gradually sew towards the existing seam till the old seam and new seam meet about 4 inches or so from the waist. If you need to you can do the same in the front as well.

OK, I confess, I had to read that 3 times before I got it, and even now, the thought is somewhat daunting!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TiredX2* 
If you're okay with girls sweats for pajamas (some people really arent)--- anyway, girls pants are a lot thinner cut than boys. The plain Hanes one's are 1-2 sizes smaller in the waist in the girls sizes than the boys (DD prefers the boys because they have pockets, but has to wear girls for the length/width ratio). They come in navy, black, not just pink or anything.

Another option would be to look for leggings or footless tights if DS would be okay with that.

I'll look into the girls sweats - that's what we did last year for sweats for him (navy blue and black). But he's moved up a size in those from 7/8 to whatever the next is, and I'm afraid they'll be too big. The child is remarkably resistant to any bit of looseness.

I might be able to get by with black leggings if I called them PJs and he didn't see me buy them!

I'll look into gymboree.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

Yeah, the 10 or 10/12 girl's sweatpants may be cut looser in the hips, even if they fit in the waist. Older girls tend to start getting curvier than boys. But leggings tend to be cut "straighter" than other kinds of pants, figuring on the fabric's elasticity to stretch over growing curves. If they fit in the waist, they'll fit snugly through the seat and legs.

You might try a WAHM for custom made "long john" pajama bottoms. For tops, I'd stick with long sleeved T shirts rather than paying for custom made pajama tops. Another idea would be to buy the pajama sets in the length he needs, have him wear the tops "as is" and then bring them into a tailor or seamstress to have the waists taken in (since you don't want to do the alterations yourself.)


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## pigpokey (Feb 23, 2006)

Buy a one piece based on height, or buy him flannel nightshirts. My son loves nightshirts.


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## mamabeca (Oct 3, 2004)

I third the one piece footies. If he isn't totally sweating it out at night, they will stay on the best.

Almost any pr of decent long johns can be fixed in the waist (just pinch them in the back, sew both sides of the pinch, done - they don't have to look beautiful). There are even fleece ones (bearskins from rugged bear). Make sure you get them LONG enough - probably a size 10 for him would be right if you dont mind doing the pinch and sew thing in the back.

Good luck!!


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## ecoteat (Mar 3, 2006)

How about just letting the pants be short and wear knee socks? Would he be up for that? Or legwarmers? I know a lot of boys that age would think that was dumb, but I know a few that wouldn't mind at all.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

He won't wear footie pajamas, and even if he did, his feet are often too large for them (well, that was the case when he was 2, I don't know how big they run at size 10, but ds has HUGE feet).

Right now, the best option seems to be some version of pj pants that are too short or my learning to take a few inches off the elastic! I think I can ... I think I can... I think I can...


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