Three print styles account for nearly every pair of matching Christmas pyjamas we sell at ChristmasPyjamas.co.uk: tartan, Fair Isle, and novelty. If you are stuck between them, the decision comes down to colour palette, how the print behaves in a group photo, and whether you want the set worn again in January.
We sell family pyjama sets across all three, in sizes from baby rompers through ages 1 to 14 and adult sizes up to 4XL, so here is how each print performs once it is on 5 people at once.
Tartan: The Classic Christmas Print
Tartan is a woven check pattern made from crossing horizontal and vertical bands of colour, and in Christmas ranges it almost always arrives in red, green, or navy. The pattern has a formal register in Scotland, the Scottish Register of Tartans, which is part of why it reads as heritage rather than seasonal novelty.
We carry 3 main colour routes: classic red and black, the boldest and the most photographed; green and navy, quieter and good for homes with a real tree; and softer greys for a muted, modern look if red feels too loud across a whole family.
Tartan's real strength is scale. The check repeat shrinks and grows cleanly, so the same pattern looks correct on a 12-month sleep suit, a 7-year-old's set, and a 3XL adult pair. Nothing gets visually chopped, which is what you want when the whole group lines up on the stairs on Christmas Eve. It personalises well too: name embroidery or printing sits neatly on a plain contrast panel without fighting the check behind it.
Quick tip: Choose the tartan colourway that contrasts with your sofa and tree rather than matching it. Red tartan in a heavily red-decorated room means somebody always disappears into the background.
Fair Isle: A Softer, Traditional Choice
Fair Isle is a knit-style repeating motif pattern built from horizontal bands of snowflakes, stars, reindeer, and small geometric rows. It takes its name from Fair Isle in Shetland, where the knitting tradition developed using a limited number of colours per row.
Visually, it sits at the opposite end of the scale from tartan. Tartan is sharp, graphic, and high contrast; Fair Isle is softer and more Nordic, broken into fine bands rather than bold blocks. In our range, it appears as a printed or knit-look design, so you are not locked into a single fabric weight to achieve the look.
Fair Isle also earns the most wear beyond 25 December. Snowflake and star motifs read as winter rather than strictly Christmas, so a Fair Isle set stays in rotation through January, while a slogan print goes back in the drawer on Boxing Day. That matters if you are weighing cost per wear across 4 or 5 sets.
Adults and older children choose it most often, usually the ones who find novelty prints too childish. For the wider picture on colour and fabric this season, our 2026 trends post covers the broader shifts.
Novelty: Fun & Playful Designs
Novelty covers festive slogans, Christmas puddings, sprouts, snowmen, gingerbread, and playful repeat motifs. It is what people buy when the point of the pyjamas is to make everyone laugh rather than look understated.
Our novelty designs span the full adult and children's size range, so adults who want the funny print are not pushed into oversized children's sizing, including those needing up to 4XL.
There are 2 ways to use novelty across a household. One shared design across all sets yields the strongest group effect. Complementary designs that share a colour and theme let the gingerbread and pudding prints sit together without being identical. Both read as coordinated in photos.
Novelty behaves differently in front of a camera. Close-range shots are excellent because the slogan or motif is legible and does the storytelling for you. Full-family group shots get busier, especially with 5 or more people in dense repeats against a decorated tree. Novelty is also the strongest standalone gift or Secret Santa buy, because the joke lands the moment the wrapping comes off.
Print Styles by Age & Personality
Babies and toddlers suit large, simple motifs. A fine Fair Isle repeat on a 12-month romper compresses into a texture rather than a pattern, while a single large snowman or one bold check reads clearly on a small garment.
For children aged 1 to 14, novelty usually wins, with one caveat: older children, roughly 10 and up, often want something that does not look like a toddler's print, and Fair Isle is the usual landing spot.
Adults split predictably: tartan for traditionalists, Fair Isle for a quieter set they will wear again, and novelty for the household that leans into the joke. Our women's styles cover all 3 routes. Couples without children have 2 clean options: a single shared print across both sets, or 2 colourways of the same print family.
For mixed-taste households, agree on the colour first, then let each person choose their print within it. A red tartan, a red Fair Isle, and a red pudding print still photograph as one group.
Shop This Year's Matching Christmas Pyjamas
Pick your print, then order the whole family's set in one go. Tartan for a sharp, traditional look. Fair Isle for something softer that carries into January. Novelty for the household that wants to laugh. Browse the full 2026 collection for all 3 print families, plus personalised options, in baby rompers, children's sizes for ages 1 to 14, and adult sets up to 4XL, with UK-wide delivery.
If you are unsure about sizing, fabric weight, or pre-Christmas delivery dates, get in touch, and we will confirm before you order, so the whole set is in the house well before Christmas Eve.
Matching Christmas Pyjamas: FAQs
Can I mix tartan and Fair Isle within one family set?
Yes, mixing print families within the same colour palette can look just as coordinated as an identical set, particularly if everyone's prints share a common colour, such as red or green.
Do novelty prints come in adult sizes, too?
Yes, our novelty designs are available across our full size range, so adults who prefer a fun, playful print aren't limited to children's sizing.
Is tartan or Fair Isle warmer for winter nights?
This comes down to fabric rather than print, since both tartan and Fair Isle designs are available in our full range of fabrics from lightweight cotton to warmer fleece.
How do I choose between so many print options?
Starting with a colour that suits your home or decorations, then choosing the print family within that colour, usually makes the decision easier than browsing every design at once.
