My Winter Bathrobe Fantasy
Does anything feel better than slipping into a cozy robe after a steamy shower on a crisp autumn day?
It’s finally getting chillier here in Brooklyn, and I’ve been fantasizing about a Saturday where I cocoon inside a robe with no underwear and lay around reading.
A few weeks ago, I shared a room with some girlfriends in a beautiful boutique hotel in Nashville for a bachelorette party. The robes were so plush! For years, this was my favorite bathrobe, with its 100% cotton airy waffle knit texture, but the velvety hotel robe boasted a baby-toy-softness that could not compare. When I looked at the label and composition, however, I saw that the hotel robe was 100% polyester.
The coziest winter bathrobes in natural fibers
After searching for a plusher robe made of natural fibers, I am now loving this Cloud Cotton Robe (also 100% cotton) because it nails that soft feeling that’s usually only possible with polyester or a well-washed and worn cotton. Some colors are on sale right now, size up if you get it because it runs small! They are also made with “Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certified” fabric which means they’re “free from harmful substances,” if that’s important to you.
This Dusen and Dusen colorful striped bathrobe ($138) and the matching slippers are very fun! I’ve used their hand towels and bath towels for years and the colors and shape hold up well, though the up front cost can be expensive. The bathrobe composition contains 5% polyamide (and 95% cotton). Personally I feel like less than 10% is fine considering I’ve gone most of my life oblivious to the negative effect of plastics in clothing. Polyamide is another word for nylon, so I’m guessing it’s added to give the robe a tiny bit of stretch. These are also Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certified.
Forgoing plastic in robes doesn’t have to be expensive. I’m tempted to get one of these unisex terry cotton robes ($30) and see if it can get super soft after a few washes. I like that it’s white so it can also be bleached clean or tie-dyed!
Silky Pick
If you want the most luxe and plush option, Tekla stocks 100% organic cotton robes with hoods in the most gorgeous colors, like this muted magenta pink ($265). The black shawl collar robe is so chic I’m tempted to wear it out to the bar. With some boots. You can also find adorable matching robes for children. Also Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 certified.
Crunchy Pick
A 100% organic hemp terry robe ($189) from Rawganique with no dyes and durable hemp fiber is perhaps too crunchy for me, but the most sustainable option: hemp is more durable and long-lasting than cotton and requires less water to grow.
Slippers for plodding around in
My bathrobe reading day fantasy would not be complete without slippers, and like my bathrobe, the criteria is to be machine washable and plastic-free (at least where it touches my skin).
These Parachute terry cotton slippers ($39) fit the bill, although there is rubber on the soles.
I also found these 100% organic cotton slippers on Amazon for under $20 and the reviews say they wash nicely! Many other affordable pairs I saw were slippery, did not stay on the feet, or falling apart after the wash.
Rawganique’s glue-free organic hemp slippers ($89) come with a canvas/hemp sole so it’s truly plastic free!
There were many cuties like these KULE collab terry slippers, but I ruled out those that were spot clean only and not machine-washable.
What about other fabrics?
Bamboo: I have not included any viscose or rayon robes, as I didn’t find any that looked plush. I’m also now learning more about how they are only a few steps better than plastic because of the highly polluting process during manufacturing: “Unlike cotton, wool or silk, which come out of nature smooth, elastic and ready to be spun, converting a tree into fabric can be highly toxic to both workers and the environment.”
Wool: I have also not included any wool robes, because I wanted to focus on bathrobes, rather than robes that function like housecoats. Love this Etsy find though!
Silk: This washable silk robe from Lunya with practical elastic sleeves looks light and sleek for warmer days! It’s currently on my wishlist, but I can’t quite imagine putting it on right out of the shower.
I’d love to hear: what robes are you wearing at home? No one wore robes in my family growing up so it’s kind of novel and delicious to me.
Silky Crunch may make some money if you purchase through some of the links above.
Like you, I did not grow up with robes in my household, and watching people in robes on television always made me envious. Now I have two robes, both for a few years now. One is an L.L. Bean 100% Cotton monogrammed robe, and the other is a Me Undies robe, whose ingredients I can no longer read on printed "tag" but I'm sure it was in their big modal phase. I love my robes so much, and always, always want a new one. I
Hi! 🤗 I don't know if you might be interested but I love to write about fashion, travel and our relationship with clothes. My writing has not commercial purposes, in fact I focus on sustainability. I talk about anything related primarily to vintage and pre loved fashion 🎀 but also slow living and slow traveling 🌱 I like to explore the impact textile industry and consumistic culture have on the environment and also what people can do to shift the tendency.
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