Hill House Nap Dress Review
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It’s here! The long awaited Hill House Home Nap Dress review is out! To be honest, I shot this back early February, but am just now getting around to writing the review and filming the YouTube video. My morning sickness / pregnancy fatigue has been pretty bad, but I’ve finally finished it. This has been a major request, so I’m excited to finally get this out to you. Perfect timing too, as Hill House’s dresses work as a great non-maternity, yet maternity-friendly wear!
To learn what I think about the viral nap dress, the quality, and if I think it is worth the money, keep reading!
Hill House Home Ellie Nap Dress | Half Slip (for under dress) | Madewell Oversized Trucker Jean Jacket (c/o) | Cariuma Sneakers (c/o) | Gucci Dionysus Wallet Bag (review of this bag here)
You know I like a little history, so here’s some backstory about the brand.
Hill House Home (HHH) was founded in 2016 by Nell Diamond and was built on basics like linens, hence the Home in its name. In 2018 she decided to add a dress to the mix, so she began to design her perfect dress… a mix of function, comfort, and aesthetics. I believe it ended launched in 2019, but I’m unsure of the exact timing / can’t find it anywhere. I do know that HHH trademarked “nap dress” in 2019 though. It was almost like they knew the pandemic was coming and launched the perfect zoom meeting / house dress that you could actually go out in, but also sleep in if you wanted to. What’s not to love?!
I first became aware of the brand in early 2020, but waited until November to purchase. I wanted a solid / wasn’t really into the patterns and they were sold out in my size. Come Black Friday 2020, they restocked sizes AND had a 20% off sale, so I was able to grab the Ellie Nap Dress for $100 instead of $125!
CORE STYLES HILL HOUSE OFFERS
Ellie - Sleeveless with a ruffle strap, smocked bodice, midi length tiered skirt
Nesli - Short puff sleeves, smocked bodice, midi length tiered skirt
Athena - Short puff sleeves, smocked bodice, mini length, non-tiered, short version of Nesli
Caroline - Short sleeve, smocked high neck, no smocked bodice, traditional looking “night gown”, but neck is stretchy and can be worn as off the shoulder, non-tiered, ruffle at the hem
Katherine - Short puff sleeves, non-smocked, mini length, non-tiered, ruffle at sleeve end and hem
In recent collections they also launched the Sabrina, Nima, and Tati, in addition to some kid-sized nap dresses! Unsure if they will continue those or if they were just seasonal. They also release limited edition fabrics in each of their core styles. This often sell out swiftly!
WHICH NAP DRESSES I HAVE
I first purchased the Ellie in sheer white swiss dot back in 2020 and then later purchased the Nesli in black dot in 2021.
REGARDING THE FABRIC
The white fabric is sheer just like they advertise, so I actually wear a slip under it, which I am fine with. It is actually a pretty soft fabric, which isn’t totally surprising as it is 100% cotton.
The black fabric is not see-through at all, but feels quite different than the white fabric. It is 60% cotton and 40% viscose. It isn’t a scratchy or uncomfortable, but the fabric kind of crinkles (the noise) even after you wash it.
REGARDING SIZING
The original reason I wanted to write this post was due to sizing. When I bought my dress last year, didn’t have the size notes like they do now. Currently they recommend everyone to size down (though some newer styles suggest sizing up) and say that they run big / stretch. I was very unsure about sizing when I bought the Ellie as it as my first dress, but was very happy with the S when I got it in. I then purchased a S in the Nesli, only to return it for an XS. Dresses with sleeves sometimes make me feel bulkier than I am and the Nesli was no exception. It kind of came out from my upper waist, making me look larger. Sizing down to an XS solved this problem completely. That being said, I still don’t regret buying the S Ellie, though I could probably be just as happy in an XS in that one too.
The point is that you should probably size down in most of the dresses, but in the case you get the wrong size, the exchange process is free and easy. I’ve done it! For reference, I’m 5’7.5”, 130 lbs (pre-pregnancy weight), and usually wear a small or a size 4. I usually only size up in items that are tighter around the hips, as I’m curvier there than in my waist, chest, and shoulders.
REGARDING THE COST
At $125 +/- a pop, Hill House dresses don’t come cheap. They are not made in the USA (relevant because made in the USA usually means higher price - my white dress is made in Madegascar and my black dress is made in China). They do make flowy dresses though which mean more fabric is needed, in turn, increasing the cost. Their smocked top is kind of what they are known for, as they provide stretch and comfort! But again, this adds cost! There are cheaper versions of dresses that are similar, but I haven’t found a smocked version that truly compares. Other options also tend to be kind of see-through and not in a “made to be sheer” kind of way. Additionally, HHH has committed to only using non-toxic natural materials, which they back with testing and high compliance standards. Yay for no use of harsh chemicals! Which again, you guessed it, usually means you are paying a higher cost for fabrics, as it is more work to not include those ingredients. They diligently work with their manufacturing partners to ensure fair treatment of employees, as well as monitor safety and health. HHH is also continuously trying to lessen their environmental impact and plan to eliminate the use of single use plastic by the end of 2021.
All this to say, the price doesn’t bother me. Hill House doesn’t cut corners and most of the methods they do incur a cost. I think we have all come to expect cheaper prices thanks to coupons and fast fashion. This wasn’t always the norm / you couldn’t get a $30 dress off of Amazon.
Hill House Home Nesli Nap Dress | Madewell Headband (c/o) | Marc Fisher Booties (almost sold out, similar here) | Senreve Maestra Bag (use discount code ELLEMULENOS for $50 off)
Shared the above look over on my spring skincare update, but wanted to include a picture of the Nesli in this post. To see more pictures of the Nesli, click here!
COMPLAINTS I’VE SEEN
Hill House nap dresses went viral during the pandemic, so a lot of people are just now getting their hands on them. I planned to have this review out months ago, but because I waited, I was able to see what others thought about it as well.
Fabric. This one is two-fold. A lot of people who just got their dresses in complained that the fabric was stiff, which is kind of what I referenced above in regard to the black dress. Apparently, the tried-and-true styles are softer and the more seasonal styles are not as soft? I’m not sure. I know I heard several people mention the light blue glitter check and that it was kind of stiff, but I would kind of expect it to be, just knowing how glitter thread is? The second part of the fabric is that I know specifically on the light blue glitter check people were surprised it had glitter in it. In their defense, if you just glance at the image, it appears to be a plain light blue, almost chambray; however, the color description clearly says GLITTER in the name and when you zoom in on the image, you can see the shimmer.
Pockets. So many people want this dress to have pockets! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good dress with pockets; however, I didn’t necessarily miss it in these. Pockets sometimes stick out weird at the hips and tend to dry weird if you aren’t super careful with them. Also these dresses use so much fabric already, adding pockets would only add to the cost and the same people who wanted pockets were already crying about the price.
Care Label. This is my only complaint, which really isn’t even valid anymore, as it has changed. My Ellie Nap dress says “hand wash only”. I pride myself on being very aware of how to wash things (I rarely dry things), but I was horrified to see my dress accidentally end up in the dryer. I immediately checked the label and to my surprise I noticed the hand wash only sign. I would have never guessed a 100% cotton dress couldn’t be machine washed!! My dress survived both the machine washer and dryer, for which I am so glad. The label on the website now says that it can be machine washed (thank goodness), but still doesn’t recommend drying it. I would agree to not dry it, because it will lessen the lifespan of the elastic in the smocking. Anyway, this is on my complaints list, because a lot of brands will just slap a “hand wash only” or “dry clean only” on something when they don’t want to do the testing on / don’t want to be liable for.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Do I think this dress is the most amazing thing since sliced bread? No. Do I think it is very chic for how comfortable it is? Absolutely. It was kind of the right place / right time type of deal regarding the fact that it went viral, as people wanted a dress they could wear to work and possibly take a nap in, since we were all working from home.
I don’t think these dresses are for everyone. Nick calls the Nesli, my “Little House on the Prairie” dress, but I always seem to get compliments from women in it! I like that it is loose and comfortable and can be paired with heels, flats, or even sneakers and still look good! Initially I thought these dresses would be too feminine for me. I’m not a tomboy, but I don’t do a lot of ruffles. The Ellie dress strap ruffle doesn’t bother me like I thought it might, but I also think it is more subtle in the plain white. My point is, don’t be afraid of the ruffles. Try them out!
I do recommend this dress and love supporting female run businesses like HHH. If you have $125 to spend on a dress like this, do it!! I have been reaching for these dresses since I purchased them and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I will likely be living in these during the latter half of my pregnancy. I’m super thankful for a comfy chic dress that isn’t tight and gives me room to breath. If you don’t have the budget but still like the Nesli dresslook, this dress isn’t 100% smocked in the top, but it is a similar style and a really great price, especially for the quality!
Want more? Here’s an in-depth YouTube video covering everything above and more!
What do you think? Have you tried Hill House nap dresses? Any other viral trend I need to report on? Let me know!!
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