Bed To Brunch: The Sleep Shirt Is Redefining Effortless Dressing (Win!)

What if your favourite sleepwear was also your best daytime outfit? That’s exactly the idea behind The Sleep Shirt, the Canadian label quietly redefining how (and where) we get dressed. With a focus on natural fabrics, timeless silhouettes, and that elusive balance between comfort and polish, owner Rebeka Eriksson has built a brand that moves seamlessly from night to day. We caught up with her to talk “sleep-to-street” style, the power of simplicity, and why the best pieces are the ones you never want to take off. —Noa Nichol

The Sleep Shirt has always blurred the line between sleepwear and daywear—how are you evolving that “sleep-to-street” philosophy for today’s more fluid, lifestyle-driven wardrobes?

It seems the rules around dressing have really changed, arguably to the point where there are none. And while I love the shift toward comfort, I don’t think style should be left behind.

This is where The Sleep Shirt fits naturally. Our pieces are designed so you can move through your day without needing to change, whether that’s school drop-off, grabbing a coffee, or heading out for a casual lunch. You can throw a pair of jeans on with a sleep shirt or wear a matching set out and still feel entirely put together.

That versatility has always been core to the brand, and we continue to evolve it through pieces like our kaftans and longer shirtdresses, which work just as well as swim cover-ups or relaxed daywear. It’s about comfort dressing effortlessly while still feeling considered – and never looking like you’ve simply stepped out in your pyjamas.

There’s something so effortlessly chic about a crisp cotton or linen shirt—what is it about that silhouette that continues to resonate, season after season?

There’s a reason the classic shirt has endured – it’s simple, functional, and confidently elegant.

We’re not trying to reinvent it. We’re focused on making it well, in beautiful fabrics, so it doesn’t need to be replaced year after year. When something fits properly and is made with care, it just works, across seasons, settings and time.

Natural fibres are also a big part of that story. Cotton and linen have an honestly about them, the way they breathe, soften, and wear in a way that feels better over time. They’re healthier to live in, and they carry a kind of understated refinement that synthetic fabrics simply cannot achieve.

It’s that combination of ease, function, and material that makes the silhouette feel as relevant today as it ever has.

As a made-in-Canada brand, how important is local production to your identity—and how does it shape everything from design to quality?

Remaining made in Canada is foundational. It shapes every decision we make.

We produce everything in small production runs here in Vancouver, which allows us to be deeply involved in the process, from fit and fabric selection through to final quality control. There’s a level of care and accountability that comes with that proximity that simply isn’t possible at a distance.

For me, if we’re already making the commitment to produce locally, it must be done properly. That means investing in the best fabrics we can source and working with skilled makers who are paid fairly, take pride in their work, and have a quality of life that matters just as much as the product itself, not just the final margin.

There’s a real cost to making garments this way, and I believe people appreciate and notice that difference. A sleep shirt is an intimate garment – it touches your skin every night, for long periods of time while you rest and regenerate. Quality matters here more than almost anywhere else.

We’re not interested in disposable fashion, we’re interested in pieces that last, and are worn and loved for hundreds of sleeps.

Your pieces feel timeless but never boring—how do you balance classic design with just enough freshness to keep things feeling current?

I always come back to longevity. If something won’t feel relevant in five or ten years, it doesn’t belong in the collection, and that’s very much how our customers wear their pieces.

We keep the silhouettes quite pure, and then bring in subtle changes through fabric, colour, and proportion. In the winter we lean into soft flannels, in the summer into linen. We love a good stripe and occasionally introduce a playful print or a thoughtful detail, like a ruffle or an adjusted length, to keep things feeling fresh.

I often hear from customers who are still wearing and loving their Sleep Shirts ten years on. That, to me, is real longevity and value. What might feel indulgent at first becomes incredibly practical when it lasts that long.

It’s about creating pieces with a quiet confidence; to feel current without trying too hard, and that you instinctively reach for, year after year, without ever feeling they’ve had their day.

For gifting, The Sleep Shirt feels like the ultimate “treat yourself” present—what are your top picks for gifting, and how do you style them beyond the bedroom?

I always come back to our namesake: The Sleep Shirt. It’s the original piece, inspired by a 19th-century men’s sleeping chemise found in a vintage shop, and it feels as relevant today as it did then.

Beyond its obvious purpose, the longer version can be worn as a dress or a cover-up, just add sandals or sneakers and go, while the shorter version works beautifully layered over jeans for a more casual look. Some of our fabrics also have matching scarves, which can be tied at the neck or waist to add a bit more structure, personality, and polish.

For something that feels a little more special, I love a matching set. It’s comfortable but looks incredibly put together. Our ruffle set has been especially popular, we recently restocked it in the last of a special blue floral print, and it makes a beautiful gift.

Win! A $400 Gift Card From The Sleep Shirt!

Congrats Sara-Jayne C. of Edmonton, AB, who will receive a $400 Gift Card From The Sleep Shirt! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding. Full contest rules/regulations here.