My morning routine…..well, I must say I am a creature of habit, but it isn’t exactly a pretty picture.  My alarm goes off at 5, and I stumble to take my shower.  Once clean, I shuffle off to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee and turn on the Hallmark channel so I can listen to I Love Lucy as I try to get some blogging done.  Then I begin the 45 minute procedure of preparing myself to go out into the world.  And up until that moment of when I put on my street clothes, I am wearing a very warm, very comfortable, but not very flattering, purple flannel robe.  I have tried to switch to something a bit nicer, but after a few days of flying powder dust, wildly applied hairspray, and coffee dribbles, I end up back in something a bit more durable.  Of course, this doesn’t stop me from continuing to hunt for a robe thats both comfy and more attractive.

I know I am not alone in this dilemma of comfort versus beauty.  And in discussions with fellow friends, I was comforted to realize that while many of us want to feel more attractive in the early morning hours, removing oneself from a warm bed to put on some lacy, thin thing isn’t very appealing…especially during the winter months.  And as I further mulled over the morning ritual, I began to search for examples of past robes or morning gowns to see what women in the past would have put on during their morning routines.  And based on my findings, there are quite a few I would love to wear!

1860

Known as wrappers during the 1840’s-1860’s, these robe-like gowns were often worn over all a woman’s undergarments (hoop skirt included).  While I love the idea of a loose, flowy gown, still having to have on your corset isn’t always my ideal.  However, the pattern on this example is simply stunning.

1870

Another example of a morning gown or wrapper, this particular one has a lovely royal blue contrast with tassel tie.

1900

So, this is absolutely, positively, without a doubt, gorgeous!!  The lace, the color, the ribbon tie…..sheer perfection….and a little too chilly for me in the mornings.  I love it, but I personally wouldn’t wear it.

1920

The Kimono robe, and the robe as we know it today, began to emerge in the late 1910’s to 1920’s.  While I would struggle keeping the long sleeves clean, this is exactly the sort of thing I would love to slip on and wear around the house.  I probably wouldn’t get much accomplished, but I sure would look and feel great while wearing it!

1930

While these 1930’s options are not exactly robes, they are morning dresses and would be lovely to wear around the house.  While I  still feel like it would require quite a few wardrobe changes throughout the day, the look is adorable.

1940

Now this is something right up my alley!  I love the quilted versions of these robes along with their tailored construction.

So let your morning routine be beautified by a lovely (and comfortable) robe!