The dress that took 2020 by storm! Is it a nightgown or is it a dress? Is it appropriate to wear outside of the home or is it loungewear? These questions and more are often what I receive whenever I post my Hill House Home Ellie Nap Dress on my Instagram, so I figured it was time to share my honest thoughts all in one place.
Chances are you’ve seen a handful of people on Instagram wearing the nap dress. It’s a hybrid nightgown and dress. And considering 2020 has been the year of staying home, the nap dress has been the ultimate feminine, wear anywhere or anyway dress perfect for zoom calls, al fresco dinners, or honestly, a nap.
Hillhouse Ellie nap dress // Tissue Turtleneck // Cap-toe slingback block heels (lesser priced pair here) // Pearl drop earrings
Hill House Nap Dress Review
My Hill House Nap Dress review specifically focuses on the Ellie Nap Dress, as it’s the nap dress I first took the plunge on, after seeing oh so many gals on my Instagram feed wearing a cozy, yet feminine fitting dress, that looked suited for my work-from-home needs.
I’ve always worked from home, even pre-2020, so my work weeks are generally pretty casual. I’ve always made a point to change out of my pajamas before starting my workday, but then March happened, and it was so easy to simply switch my pajama shorts for lounge pants, or find myself staying in my pajamas all day long.
What sort of clothing item could be feminine, feel comfortable enough to wear all day long, and suffice as pajamas? Enter the Hill House Nap Dress.
Sizing & Fit
I wanted to think that the hype wasn’t real. Every which way I was seeing friends or women I follow posting photos of themselves in the infamous nap dress. Initially I thought it looked dowdy. As a 5’3, petite woman, I figured the amount of fabric in the various nap dresses would simply swallow me whole.
But then one night as I was inevitably scrolling through Instagram, I saw a post on my explore page featuring, what I know now is, the Ellie nap dress style. The Ellie has a little elastic smocking, giving the A-line style a little more structure than the Caroline, which truly looks like a nightgown in my opinion.
Fate would have it that a new drop of nap dresses was happening the next day, so I set my alarm and hoped for the best. Suffice it to say, the rest is history!
I’m a 34c chest and generally all around petite, and a small in the Ellie fits me perfectly. The elastic smocking on the chest, allows for movement, yet still frames the bodice. And the flowy A-line skirt is comfy and far from constricting. Plus the length is perfect for my 5’3 frame. This dress would certainly work for an expectant mom as well, as there is plenty of room for growth.
How to style
Initially I figured my Hill House Ellie Nap dress would only be a warm-weather staple. However, I love my nap dresses so much, I decided to figure out how I could style it in the future for those cooler months of the year.
Because the dress is flowy, it’s easy to layer either a turtleneck or a button-down oxford underneath it, sans bulge of fabric. The gingham fabric is naturally a bit more summery, so it works nicely on it’s own or layered with a crisp button-down shirt. Definitely a nod to the grandmillennial style that’s become so popular!
The tartan plaid, my second Hill House Nap Dress, is perfect for the holidays, so I rotate layering between tissue turtlenecks in black, navy or white. For added warmth, you could totally toss on a scarf or add an additional layer with a denim jacket.
You’ll definitely find me wearing my Hill House Nap Dress now and later. It’s also quite suitable for those women who are expecting or postpartum, too!
Hopefully this Hill House Nap Dress review has been helpful! Feel free to leave any comments with other questions or shoot me an email.
