I have a thing for dressing gowns: they’re comfortable, relaxed and glamorous, protecting your modesty whilst enhancing your style.

On Sundays I’ll wear one around the house during breakfast and assorted tasks, delaying the inevitable “dressing for the day”. They’re good for answering the door, collecting the mail and saying “hello” to your neighbours. I’ve even worn them to shops, cafes and nightclubs (over silk pyjamas or a slinky ’30s nightgown, please).

Women used to have many dressing gowns in their wardrobe, along with their practical cousins: the brunch coat and the house coat, but nowadays these lovely garments have mostly been relegated to history. Not in my home: on my recent trip my hand luggage included a generously swishy black floral number nice enough for the opera should the occasion present itself. I recommend buying one size up so you have plenty of coverage and comfort.

The sudden onset of winter has created a need for another element of every day glamour: a new pair of slippers. So yesterday I hit the CBD shops hoping to find something better than the previous pair, all fluffy pastels and (shudder) cheap sequins. It was quite demoralising, with most styles conjuring up images of the elderly and nursing homes.

Slippers seem to have been the first casualty in elegance, as we rushed towards comfort in the latter part of the 20th century. Most seem to have been designed with toddlers in mind, with their ease of wear, soft unchallenging colours and cheap, synthetic materials.

Desperately I googled specialist sleepwear designers known for tasteful fashion in the hope that they could do better. They could not. I even started to see the appeal in that most unattractive of footwear, the ugg boot because at least the fibres are natural. Can you imagine? Wendy, would you ever forgive me?

Vintage lover that I am, the truth struck suddenly: I wanted 1940s Daniel Green slippers. Glamour! Quality! Comfort! Style! Elegance! These may be undesirable and unachievable qualities in modern slippers but they were an every day reality for our grandmothers. Here are some examples, supplied by the wonderful world of vintage fashion….highly collectable and yet affordable glamour.

Image source Pinterest and Etsy (out of stock).

From the collection of FIDM – image source here.

Image source Pinterest and Salon of the Dames (out of stock).

Available for sale at 1860-1960 here.

Available for sale at Decotique here.

Image source.

Available for sale at etsy here.

Image source Pinterest and Etsy (out of stock).

Available for sale on Etsy here.

Image source Pinterest and Etsy (out of stock).

The great thing about vintage boudoir slippers, is that the wearers confined them to the home so they’re generally in great condition, plus they’re often bigger than normal shoes because it was about being comfortable. See? You can look fabulous and feel great.

If you like these, I’ve created a Daniel Green Pinterest board with lots more beautiful styles for your comfort and pleasure.

Daniel Green are still making slippers – but sadly these beautiful styles are a thing of the past. I wonder if this could be an opportunity for a modern shoe maker? Don’t we all need nice things to wear?