Bathrobe . . . or Lifestyle?
Life can be very demanding. The average man or woman spends eight or more hours every day navigating the rat race and wondering if it’s worth it. When they get home, she kicks off her fashionable but excruciating high heels, he sheds the choking necktie, they slip into their bathrobes and, ahh—life is good! That’s what the magic of a cozy, comfortable bathrobe can do for a frazzled spirit.
For people who need a regular escape from the hubbub of this crazy world, there’s nothing more inviting than that good ol’ standby, the bathrobe. It offers warmth when you’re cold, modesty and absorbency at tub side or poolside, coziness on the couch in front of the TV, or tranquility on the back porch in the chair swing. It’s all about comfort.
There are some times when bathrobes get a bad rap. People tend to think of frumpy housewives in those old situation comedies with curlers in their hair, floppy slippers, and a shabby, oversized bathrobe. Fast-forward to the early 1980s, and the movie Pretty Woman. When Julia Roberts steps out to meet Richard Gere for breakfast, her sleep-tousled curls cascading over the shoulders of her pristine-white hotel bathrobe, the image is anything but frumpy.
The whole idea behind a bathrobe is comfort. So it’s constructed in a completely non-constricting style with long, roomy sleeves, a self-fabric tie belt, and patch pockets. The bathrobe can be cut long, down to the ankles, or a little shorter, at about mid-calf. Some robes go even shorter, to a few inches above the knees.
Comfort is the most important criterion in the selection of fabric for bathrobes. The types of preferred fabric range from highly absorbent natural cotton to luxurious, lush microfiber. Some fabric blends might also be chosen for their super plush, super luxurious qualities. Many varieties of fabric textures are also available, with terrycloth and waffle weave among the most popular.
Historically, the design of the bathrobe can probably be traced back to biblical times, when both men and women wore robe-like garments as everyday attire. The style was carried into more modern times by people in Asian countries. At some point, the basic concept was deemed ideal for preserving modesty after bathing, and the bathrobe as we know it was born.
When spas and high-end hotels began providing them to their guests, the familiar, cozy bathrobe became a high-demand luxury item. But why limit the pampering experience to a few days on vacation? More and more, people are indulging themselves and their loved ones with the tangible gift that delivers an intangible bonus: sumptuous comfort.
