The first thing I check is what happens when I hold the fabric up to the light. A nightdress you can see straight through in direct sun isn't necessarily a problem if that's what you want, but if you're after something you'd answer the door in without a dressing gown over the top, you need it opaque enough that the landing light doesn't betray you. I hold it against my hand first. If I can see my palm clearly through the front panel, it goes back.
Sizing on these is odd because the number on the label often has nothing to do with how it actually sits. Go by the bust measurement and then think about what you do in your sleep, because that decides everything else. If you move around a lot, you want more room through the body and a hem that doesn't ride up past a sensible point when you turn over, so anything cut close through the hips will annoy you by about three in the morning. Straps are the other thing nobody checks properly in the shop. Thin spaghetti straps look lovely on the hanger and then slide off one shoulder the second you lie down, so if you're someone who tosses and turns, look for a slightly wider strap or a proper fitted bodice with some structure in the cups, otherwise you'll wake up with everything twisted round and the whole thing bunched under one arm. As for fabric, cotton and cotton blends breathe properly and don't cling when you're too warm, which matters more than people admit until they've had a summer of waking up stuck to a slippery polyester one at 3am with the duvet kicked off. Satin and silky finishes feel glorious going on but can run warm or cold depending on the season and tend to show every seam and dart, so check the stitching is flat and doesn't pucker, because a cheap satin with uneven seams will twist round your body in the night in a way that's genuinely uncomfortable. Viscose and modal versions sit somewhere in between, soft against the skin and less clingy than satin, and they tend to wash well without losing their shape, which cheaper satin often does after a handful of washes.
Finish matters too. Check the hem is actually sewn flat rather than just overlocked, and give any lace trim a gentle tug, because trim that pulls away from the seam on the first try will be hanging off within a month of normal wear and washing.
If you've got none, start with a plain cotton one in a length that sits just below the knee, nothing fussy, nothing with a lot of lace at the neckline that might scratch. It'll do every season and every mood, and you won't have spent the money finding out what you actually prefer.
Would I be happy wearing this on a night when I can't sleep and end up walking round the house in it at two in the morning?
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