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These dresses keep the girls in place — I’m not wearing a bra in any of the photos in this post. I’ve heard from friends with bigger chests that they also can get away with not wearing a bra with these dresses. Two of the key differentiators from the Nap Dress were the lining and bodice. The Mallie Dress has a fitted lining, which I appreciated, as it felt more secure. However, that also made it a little warmer and less breezy than the Nap Dress.
Size Guide
The dresses have recently gone up in price to $150 (or more for certain fabrics). It’s definitely not the cheapest sundress, especially compared to what you’ll find from Old Navy or Target. I do think it’s a case of “you get what you paid for” and the dresses feel well constructed.
Is the Hill House Nap Dress worth buying?
Scroll back up to read more about fit, quality, fabric, and more since it’s all up there. Women have clearly been craving an investment piece like this that they can wear (and feel pretty in!) while running errands or attending a fun event! Beyond the original, they now have a whole bunch of different lengths, necklines and silhouettes in the collection to suit your style, all with the comfortable smocked bodice. Because they're so trendy right now, Hill House's dresses sell out often, but fortunately the brand restocks and launches new collections every few months.
The Ellie Nap Dress in Tartan
The Nap Dress’ hallmark design is a square-cut neckline with ruffle detailing. I had initial reservations about the neckline plus the smocking, which I feel often does not flatter my body type. The neckline is deep enough to break up the chest area so it doesn’t look too wide, and the pattern I chose has vertical stripes to help with the illusion. Typically, I avoid ruffles on sleeves, but in this instance, they were much appreciated, as they covered the insecure points I have on that area of my arms.
The smocked top feels super feminine but in my opinion not too girly or childish. It’s also the perfect “Zoom” dress as you’ll feel like you’re wearing a nightgown on the bottom but with a flattering top. Instead, it has an empire waist and slightly flared skirt that makes it ultra romantic and flattering. Because of that, I think this style would still be both early pregnancy and postpartum friendly.
If you like the idea of a Hill House nap dress but you don’t like the ruffle sleeves – I totally understand. It has the same smocked bodice and flowy skirt, except instead of flutter sleeves, you can adjust and tie the straps to your liking. Truthfully, I like this style way better than the original Ellie. It feels more effortless and versatile even though it’s still just as comfortable and feminine. Despite their centuries-long history, nap dresses captured the American imagination a few years back when fashion got a work-from-home makeover. It wasn't long before everyone had an opinion on this polarizing style, popularized by Hill House.
Hill House Home founder Nell Diamond had a pretty successful 2020—and she’s having an even more successful 2021, thanks to her wildly popular nap dress. If you’re on the petite side, I’d recommend going for the Elizabeth dress. It hits me right above my knees but still has the same flattering smocked top. My biggest complaint about the Nap Dress is that the Ellie is SO long. I am planning to get my Ellie dresses tailored before the summer to bring them up a bit so it’s more of a “midi” length. I could possibly even size down for the XXS but haven’t tried it on for comparison.
In other words, petite gals don’t really have to worry about tripping on it – it just might be a little long for your personal style preference. ©2024 Reviewed, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network LLC. Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
Ways to Wear a Nap Dress IRL

And it’s no wonder, as the founders’ inspiration comes from their summers spent on Nantucket. Since launching their most famous dress in 2019, Hill House has quickly expanded to other items like tops, skirts, jackets, pajamas, accessories, and even home goods. If you like how feminine and flirty the Nap Dress is, you’ll love their other pieces. The Nap Dress feels like if your favorite pajamas got a romantic, cottagecore makeover.
A reprieve from sweatpants, leggings and oversize T-shirts that you still want to sleep in? I did fall asleep in this dress one weekend afternoon, and it felt like pajamas. But I also wore it out multiple times to work and events, garnering compliments along the way. I always have trouble answering if something is “worth it” because it depends on so many things! But if you love to wear easy and comfortable dresses in the summer and $150 is within your budget, then YES. The Rowena dress is basically just a sleeveless version of the Matilda dress… but I don’t like this one nearly as much.
I’ve been draping my dresses over the hangers instead to avoid stretching out the straps. The Nap Dress® is our signature garment; soft, comfortable, and pretty enough to wear all day and night. SHOE RETURNS- Shoes that show any visible signs of wear will not be accepted for return (ex. dirt, stains, scuffs, fabric frays, and indentation on the leather).
CARLY HILL HOUSE 20% OFF CODE - Carly Riordan
CARLY HILL HOUSE 20% OFF CODE.
Posted: Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. I’m super impressed with the quality of everything I tried. While I’m not keeping everything I ordered, quality certainly isn’t the reason for my returns.
That's where we — and our curated list of nap dress outfit ideas you can wear IRL and out of bed — come in. Whether your personal style is preppy, edgy, or somewhere in between, we've got a nap dress outfit idea for you on our list below. The Anjuli is another nap dress that has the same signature smocked bodice, but instead of flutter or ribbon sleeves, there are elastic straps.
I think they’ve done a beautiful job with design, fabric, and construction. Again, I think it feels even fuller on me because of my height. It comes all the way down to the tops of my ankles, whereas I think it looks less full on taller gals when it’s more of a true midi length.
It also restricted my leg span when I needed to hop over the occasional puddle after a summer rain. It seemed like the Hill House Nap Dress reigned over the pandemic closet, and after wearing one for a week, it’s easy to see why. One of my favorite beauty experts, Jenny Patinkin, always says she’s after “lazy perfection,” and the Nap Dress epitomizes that description.