Sleepwear isn’t just for bedtime, or even limited to inside the home anymore — at least, that seems to be the current collective mindset. Bloomers are being worn in broad daylight, becoming unexpected (and unapologetically comfy) outfit staples — and the same goes for boxer shorts. Now, thanks to Lena Dunham’s new Netflix series, Too Much, another sleepwear-as-clothing trend is emerging: nightgowns. And there’s one brand in particular championing the cozy-cute look, London-based label If Only If.
In the first two minutes of Too Much, the show’s protagonist Jessica (portrayed by Megan Stalter) wears the up-and-coming brand’s India nightgown — a red and white micro gingham design with a frilled collar and rickrack trim. (Jessica’s dog Astrid is clad in a matching version, which, unfortunately for pet parents everywhere, was made strictly for the series.) “Since the show launched, sales for the nightgown have gone up 500%,” Emily Campbell, who took over the business from her mother Issy Falkner in 2020, tells Refinery29, adding that the style sold out the same weekend the series premiered.
Campbell, a teacher-turned-designer, kept this brand milestone under wraps for two years, having signed an NDA after the show’s costume designer, Arielle Cooper-Lethem, contacted her about featuring the nightgowns in the show. “My assistant had told me about If Only If, and I just thought they were the perfect thing,” Cooper-Lethem tells Refinery29. In the 10-episode season, she also dressed the trend-curious character in the brand’s Clover and Pandora designs — with Jessica wearing them both at her London flat (or “estate,” as it’s referred to in the series) and while she explores her new city. “I liked this idea that there was an item that she feels as fabulous at home as she does out in, essentially a piece of clothing that connects her fantasy from her home life to her outside life,” Cooper-Lethem shares.
The costume designer is overjoyed by If Only If’s recent meteoric rise, and she admits the process of securing products for film and television is no easy feat, as the timeline is much longer than an editorial shoot. “When I request something for a character, I need to keep it for four months because we might reshoot,” Cooper-Lethem explains. “It’s such a dream when I’ve asked a brand to help us out and then they end up seeing the sales from it,” she adds, also noting that for smaller labels like If Only If, this type of media exposure can change everything.
While the label has amassed quite the fan club over the past month, Campbell makes sure to shout out her mom as the one who built If Only If from the ground up. Falkner launched the brand as a passion project in 2011, and it was a one-woman show until she passed the baton to Campbell almost a decade later. “In her 50s, she was like, ‘I think I’m going to start my own business,’” Campbell recalls about her mom’s first foray into the fashion industry. “The reason she did it was because she couldn’t find beautiful nightgowns made in natural materials,” explains Campbell, who uses 100% GOTS certified organic cotton voile and Oeko-Tex certified linen chambray to craft the brand’s pieces.
While she was dedicated to her teaching career, Campbell had a feeling she’d one day take charge of If Only If. “My mom would say, ‘I really think that you can take this in a new direction and to a new generation.’” Much like Falkner, Campbell runs the business on her own terms, making choices that sidestep the conventional brand rulebook. “I didn’t do any digital marketing for the first three years, and I don’t do wholesale,” she says. “That’s probably not a great business decision, but it’s really important that my customer comes to me, and we grow organically.”
While launching a new website and rebranding If Only If, Campbell has kept the heart and soul of the company intact. She still works with the same family-run supplier her mom partnered with 15 years ago. “Our growth has been their growth, which has been really amazing,” she says. Meanwhile, the brand still carries the two styles her mom launched with — the Julia, a full-length gown with wide sleeves, and the Anna, which boasts a plunging, lace-adorned neckline. Campbell also strives to carry on Falkner’s founding tenet: To create well-made nightgowns — or “nighties,” as she refers to them — at prices that reflect their craftsmanship and quality. Most styles cost between $100 and $300, while the 100% silk satin style is priced above that range.
Even as sales surge, as a slow fashion brand, Campbell doesn’t plan on overproducing. “It will sell out, and I’m fine with that,” she says about the India style. “I can’t change my values.”
Being featured in a popular Netflix series has been an extraordinary, pinch-me experience for Campbell but that’s not to say it wasn’t a bit overwhelming at times. As such, she spoke with Lucy Akin, the founder of LA-based label Ciao Lucia, a brand featured several times in The White Lotus Season 3. “She was like, ‘You can probably run with this forever if you want to,’” Campbell says, adding that Akin also encouraged her to stick to her principles and enjoy the exposure.
Ultimately, Campbell is especially pleased that nighties are finally getting their moment. “I’m just so happy that more people are experiencing how lovely they can be,” she explains.
Whether you’re planning on wearing them while lounging at home or heading out on the town, shop a selection of If Only If’s nightgowns below — before they inevitably sell out.
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