For the global elite, it now seems, a proper Roman holiday isn’t complete without a stop at the city’s ultimate insider style destination. That title belongs to Schostal Originals, a historic boutique that has celebrities like Zendaya, Bruce Springsteen, and Wes Anderson, as well as local Roma bene, flocking to Via della Fontanella di Borghese for its pajamas.
First opening its doors in 1870—a time of nightcaps and carriage blankets—the brand remains remarkably true to its origins 156 years later. While the focus is predominantly on luxury nightwear, these pieces are engineered with a sharp tailoring and timeless flair that demands to be worn far beyond the bedroom, tapping into a grand Italian tradition of “sleep-style” that traces its lineage back to the 1920s when Princess Irene Galitzine popularized wide-leg palazzo pants in Rome’s palatial estates. And while high-fashion heavyweights like Alexander McQueen and Dolce&Gabbana regularly showcase nightwear on the runway, it is Schostal that takes the crown for celebrity pajama designer.
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The boutique has you in something of a meditative trance on crossing the threshold. Stacked boxes and folded shirts tessellate on teak shelves while assistants in crisp shirts rearrange displays. Overseeing them all? The inimitable Shirley Braine, a woman who is—for lack of a better word—an icon. Spending the morning with the woman, effortlessly chic in an oversized shirt and signature neckerchief from the store itself, is more energizing than an espresso.
Despite being proud to represent the brand, Schostal isn’t in her bloodline. It also isn’t Italian. “The first owners came from Vienna,” Shirley tells me, pointing to an antique frame with a sepia-toned shot of the original store on Via del Corso. “Before the war, they sold it to the Bloch family”—ancestors of Shirley’s husband. Through two world wars, the family upheld certain principles that made Schostal unparalleled in Rome’s couture scene: exquisite fabric, considered design, honest pricing, and precise detail. You only need to look as far as the trim on every garment to see how this isn’t compromised years later. Plus, the shop behaves like a tailor, offering replacement cuffs for shirts, alterations, and embroidery of initials.
Although she may not have founded the brand herself, Shirley is the mastermind behind Schostal’s designs, selecting prints, materials, and color palettes for manufacture. The shirts are made here in Rome, with some pajama sets made in Lake Como. “All items are finished with precise piping and contrast color trim here [in Rome],” she explains. Precise finishes are machine-done, but in tiny factories, Shirley notes. Like her own business, all suppliers and manufacturers she works with are small, independent, and family-run businesses whose “grandfathers knew my husband’s grandfathers.”
Where are the pajamas made exactly? That would be telling. “I never say exactly where,” she notes. “If someone knew where they were made, it could be a big problem for us, copying.” There’s no way Shirley’s going to give away the details of her all-important cotton supplier.
Pure cotton varieties remain all-time best-sellers, but the pajamas also come in linen blends, as well as modal and flannel, depending on the season. Men’s short sets are top sellers, largely because their unisex appeal makes them versatile for beach days or nights counting sheep. As for preferred colors? “It really depends on the customer,” Shirley says. “This season is all about subtle pinstripes, pale blues, and lighter colors. But it changes.” To keep things fresh, she regularly rotates her designs—even the best-sellers.
A Heritage Style Secret Adapting for the Digital Age
Since the store opened, high-status clientele have been the norm. I ask Shirley to cast her mind back. Can she remember the store’s earliest not-so-mystery shopper? “Oh, tantissimi [too many],” she gestures. “Sandro Pertini. He was probably the first,” she says, pointing to a picture beneath the cash desk. Schostal’s longstanding prestige is further evidenced by historical artifacts on display, including a 1918 declaration from King Vittorio Emanuele III naming the boutique an official supplier to the Royal House of Savoy, alongside portraits of various Italian parliamentary members.
Shirley is the third generation to run the store. “My son, Andrew, is the fourth,” she says. He handles online operations and brand partnerships, helping Schostal bridge the gap between tradition and modern adaptation. “Pictures and videos are important for the young generation,” Shirley notes. “I have many young ones who come from all over the world—England, Japan, the United States. They make TikToks in the changing rooms; I don’t even know until they tag us later.”
This organic digital buzz has flooded the brand with incoming requests, leading to high-profile pairings with luxury hotels, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, and Harrods. “There are so many who want to do collaborations,” she says, admitting that choosing between them is “near impossible.” But for a brand that has fiercely protected its reputation for over a century, they have earned the right to be selective.
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How exactly does the younger generation discover this historic spot? While Shirley’s son does a brilliant job with the official Schostal Instagram, it’s Shirley’s personal account that tends to go viral. Hollywood royalty are regularly photographed exactly where I’m standing, and they all end up properly tagged on her grid.
The fortnight before my visit was particularly spectacular—what Shirley calls “not your average week.” Pulling out her phone, she swipes through photos of Mark Ruffalo, Dakota Johnson, and Josh O’Connor. Then, for good measure, she brings up Zendaya. “Look how many likes I got from her,” she says. “It’s incredible.” A few more swipes reveal a photo of her hugging Julianne Moore. “We are Instagram friends now; she writes to me. They all do. It’s fantastic!” Yet, despite the star power, her approach remains delightfully unfazed. “I treat them like people. We try to respect their privacy too. And they are all so lovely. Truly, lovely.”
“It’s always word of mouth,” Shirley says when I ask how all these big names find Schostal. Though some thanks does go to Gucci Westman, a now friend and makeup artist to much of Hollywood, who recommends the boutique to all his Rome-bound clients.
“I really never know they’re coming,” she tells me. “It is always a surprise.” Sometimes so much so that “I don’t even recognize them,” she says with a laugh. With many loyal returning customers and special guests, it can be hard for her to place people. Household names like Josh O’Connor and Toni Colette have been mistaken for tourists. She has a little hack to help her: “Have you been here before?” is always her opening question. And in Toni Colette’s case (an actress who has now shopped here at least five times), she recalls, “I saw her face. I recognized her. I had seen her in the movies, but I couldn’t place her until her friend reminded me who she was.”
It’s not just those in the movies who love Schostal; it’s those who make them too. Directors Luca Guadagnino, Sophia Coppola, and Wes Anderson are regulars. As Shirley packages socks in signature green and white sketch-style wrapping, she tells me Wes Anderson is a huge fan. “He uses the Schostal paper in certain films. Or sometimes he will put the Schostal logo somewhere, like on a wine bottle in the back of a shot.”
Shirley’s magnetism is effortless—everyone gets her undivided attention, whether they’re a local or an A-lister like Anne Hathaway or Harry Styles. But has she ever actually been starstruck?
Only once. “October 10th last year,” she smiles, visibly buzzing at the memory of Bruce Springsteen. “It was a dream come true!” On a chaotic day in the shop, Springsteen patiently queued in the corner like a total gentleman. When Shirley finally asked for a photo, he insisted: “Oh yes, my darling, but let me take the selfie.” She beams, pointing to a Positano postcard displayed proudly behind her desk, complete with his handwritten thank-you note and their photo attached.
While you can shop Schostal online, stepping inside the store is the only way to experience its enduring dazzle. You might just bump into your favorite actor, but even if you don’t, you won’t leave disappointed—Shirley will ensure you look just as stylish. After all, the real reason to visit isn’t the celebrity clientele; it’s the chance to meet the true star of the show: Shirley Braine herself.
