Bear with me.
Today I decided to change the bedding and, as is my wont, I also change my pyjamas. My clean sets live on top of a trunk in my bedroom, as I have problems with dust mite allergies so keep them in the open air.
I picked up my pyjama set. These ones are brushed cotton, haven't been worn since spring, as are a bit warm. So, the top is fine, smells just of 'sitting on the trunk'. The trousers, however, smell of 'old lady'. The particular smell of a mix of lavender, soap, talc, I don't know what it is, but it's very reminiscent of little old ladies. Nothing else anywhere in the room has the same smell, although I do have some 'old lady' soap in a drawer, rescued from my late aunt's house.
I hung them on the line to get them aired, kept sniffing them (all right, I know that is odd, but so is unexpectedly finding that your trousers smell of octogenarian) and the smell hung on. Fetched them in to put on - smell gone.
No little old ladies have borrowed my nightwear. So why that smell, and why just those items?