The summer set is making getting dressed a lot easier

Matching separates, easy silhouettes and lightweight fabrics are finding their place in the summer wardrobe, particularly on days when plans have a habit of changing.

Summer has a way of making getting dressed less complicated.

The days start earlier, weekends stretch longer and plans tend to evolve as they go. Coffee at home becomes breakfast somewhere, somebody suggests a braai later, or a quick trip to the shops turns into the rest of the afternoon out.

It is probably why the matching set has become such a useful part of the casual wardrobe.

There is very little decision-making involved. Wear the pieces together and the outfit is sorted. Split them up and a top works with shorts or denim, while relaxed pants can be worn with something already in the cupboard.

For South African sleepwear and leisurewear brand N3YH, that middle ground between staying home and properly dressing up has become an increasingly natural space to design for.

Having expanded beyond sleepwear into leisurewear, the brand now has collections for both women and men built around pieces intended to be mixed, matched and worn well beyond the bedroom.

An easier way to dress for summer

N3YH's women's ribbed collection pairs long-sleeve tops with lounge pants in Stone, Black, Olive and Bubblegum Pink.

The appeal is in keeping things uncomplicated. The pieces work together when you want the ease of a full set, but neither needs to stay attached to its matching half.

The men's collection follows much the same thinking, with relaxed T-shirts, shorts and long lounge pants in Olive, Black, Stone and White.

It was N3YH's first move into menswear, but rather than overcomplicating the category, the brand kept to familiar pieces and an easy colour palette. The result is the kind of clothing that makes sense for weekends, travelling, working from home or those days when there is no real distinction between staying in and heading out.

Fabric becomes particularly important as the weather warms up. Both collections are made using bamboo fabric, giving the pieces a lightweight, breathable and soft feel for clothing designed to be worn for long stretches of the day.

When comfort leaves the house

The distinction between sleepwear, loungewear and everyday casual clothing has become much less rigid.

Comfort no longer automatically means pyjamas, just as getting dressed does not necessarily require an outfit that feels overly considered.

That is where the summer set earns its place.

It solves one of the simplest wardrobe problems: what to wear when you want to be comfortable but there is every chance somebody is going to suggest leaving the house.

For women, that might mean wearing the full ribbed set in the morning before swapping the top or pants later in the day. For men, a relaxed T-shirt and shorts can do much the same job, with the individual pieces easily working with the rest of an existing wardrobe.

N3YH may have built its name around what people wear to bed, but leisurewear has given the brand somewhere else to go.

This summer, that happens to be just about everywhere else.

The N3YH Leisurewear Collection is available in-store and online.