My Honest Hill House Nap Dress Review + Sizing for 10 Styles
Curious about the Hill House nap dress phenomenon? Read about my favorites and use code LAUREN20 for 20% off full price items thru May 24th!
Alright friends, I finally caved. After resisting for the entire pandemic, I finally gave in and ordered a Hill House nap dress. I assumed that the Ellie wouldn’t be ideal for petites (and I do have some sizing thoughts on that topic) but overall, I get the hype around this brand now. Everything is beautifully made and so comfortable that you could, well, nap in them as the name suggests 😂
Hill House Home was founded by Nell Diamond in 2016. The company originally started as a bedding collection but have since expanded to offer home, accessories, baby & kids, bridal collections, and of course – the now iconic Nap Dress®. They launched the dress in 2019 and trademarked the name in January 2020, right before it really took off.
What is a Hill House nap dress?
Seriously, what’s with the nap dress name? Are you supposed to actually nap in it? Not really – but I’m pretty sure the point is that it’s so comfortable, you could. When talking about why she created the Nap dress, Nell said:
“I wanted to design something that allowed me to feel like myself during a 3:00 am feeding, when I’m so bone-tired and have four thousand emails and I’m thinking about taxes and my laundry and my to-do list and the Nap Dress® came to be as a solution to a problem inherent in my own life.”
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.
So today, I am dedicating to this post to my thoughts on the oh so popular Hill House Home Nap Dress along with a few other styles they sell. Let’s dive in!
Hill House Nap Dress Review
Sizing & Length
Before I got pregnant, I was usually somewhere between an XS and small in most dresses (or size 2/4). The first Hill House dress I tried was the Ellie nap dress and because of the smocking all the way around, I was able to go all the way down to an XXS!
Since then, I’ve gotten both XS and S in their smocked styles and they fit pretty similarly. I’ve learned that you don’t need to overthink sizing in the smocked styles too much. It’s the more fitted styles that are trickier – and I’ll talk through the sizing of those below!
For reference, I’m 5’2″ and the Ellie sits right at the top of my ankles. In other words, petite gals don’t really have to worry about tripping on it, but it is a little longer than a traditional midi on me.
Fit
No matter what size you get in the Ellie, any of their dresses with a smocked bodice are super stretchy, which is a really nice feature. No need to worry about zipping this bad boy up. The straps are not adjustable (unless you get a ribbon style!), but I found them to be a great length.
As for the Ellie skirt, it’s definitely full and roomy! 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.
Comfort
WOWZA this dress is comfortable. It comes in a bunch of different fabrics so keep that in mind if you want something breezy vs. super soft – but those are always listed. I also love that it’s comfortable with a baby bump! The smocked top stretches nicely and as I said above, the skirt isn’t restricting at all.
Fabric
As I mentioned, their nap dresses come in a few different fabrics, so be sure to check out the listing for details. A lot of them are cotton, or nearly all cotton, which I love because that means they’re machine washable. Wash with a full load using cold water and lay flat (or hang) to dry. I always appreciate a dress that doesn’t require a trip to the dry cleaner, so THANK YOU for that, Hill House!
Quality
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. I think they’ve done a beautiful job with design, fabric, and construction.
Does Hill House ever go on sale?
Yes! They run a few sales on select items throughout the year, along with one big sitewide sale every November… which is happening right now! Get 25% off your entire order with code EVERYTHING25!
Hill House Dresses + Sizing
This is the OG Hill House nap dress – the one that started #napdressnation! The Ellie Nap Dress is the style I was talking about in the section above so you can read more there, but TLDR: this dress is so comfy. I originally got an XXS in the pink and I have a small in the tartan since I got that when I was pregnant. As I mentioned you don’t need to stress about sizing too much because the smocking stretches and the skirt flows away from the body.
They also just launched this variation with slimmer sleeves if you don’t like the flutter (it’s not my favorite either!).
I think the best thing about this dress is that you can easily dress it up or dress it down. I’ve worn the summer version with everything from flats to heels to sneakers. And the tartan one is cute with a chunky cardigan and flats or boots. It also packs really well on vacations too!
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I know everyone raves about the long Cosima Dress but I loved wearing this mini version last summer!! It’s bra friendly, machine washable, packable, and a great mix of conservative and flirty. I got a size small and I think an XS might have been better.
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If you like the signature smocked bodice but don’t like the flutter sleeves, this one has slim elastic straps! It also has a slimmer maxi skirt with a pretty flounce hem.
Overall, it’s longer than the Ellie but it has less fabric. It’s a little long for petites to wear with flats, but this style feels a little elevated so I wear it with a heel anyway. This style is also way more true to size with a slimmer skirt.
I have a size small and while an XS probably would have been fine due to the smocked bodice, I definitely wouldn’t ever go all the way down to an XXS like I did with my first Ellie.
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Okay let’s go one step further – you like the idea of the original nap dress but without flutter sleeves and in a shorter length? Meet the Ribbon Charlotte Dress! This is so darling, I can’t get over it. I went with a small and it fits pretty much the same as the two above. I am 5’2″ and it hits above the knee but doesn’t feel too short at ALL, so I wouldn’t stress about that unless you’re super tall.
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I know it might seem like they only make smocked dresses, but that’s not true! This dress is so beautifully structured to highlight your waist – I’m obsessed. Dress it up for an event or dress it down for brunch. I wore it on Mother’s Day last year!
If you usually size for nap dresses, I recommend getting your usual size in this style because it only has a small amount of smocking in the back.
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Omg this dress is SO PRETTY and it comes in warm weather versions!!! It’s very similar to the Ellie, but longer and without the flutter straps. It also has that absolutely adorable rosette on the bodice, and it’s made of the most beautiful lace material. Like the Ellie, the bodice is fully smocked which makes sizing really flexible. I am wearing a small here and there is plenty of room for the smocking to stretch – I could absolutely have worn this pregnant!
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This is another great option if you’re shopping for an event, but prefer a little sleeve moment! Similarly to the Margot, I recommend getting your usual size or a size up if you’re between sizes since it’s not a smocked style. That being said, it’s really comfy once you zip it because of the empire waist and roomy skirt.
I sized up to a medium in the tartan one for my pregnant belly but it’s a little too big on me now that I’m postpartum. Truthfully, they have better styles for pregnancy… I just loved that one for holiday photos!
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This is like the Ribbon Charlotte’s simpler sister. Instead of ribbons it has adjustable straps, but it still has a smocked bodice and flouncy skirt. The length and print options make it easy to dress up or down. I got a size small and it fits perfectly!
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If you like the idea of a Hill House nap dress but you don’t like the ruffle sleeves – I totally understand. Luckily they made one with ribbon straps!! 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 even better than the original Ellie. It feels a little more understated, even though it’s still just as feminine and comfy. I sized up to a small in the tartan version because of my pregnant belly and that size still fits me great postpartum.
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10. The Lana Dress
If you live somewhere cold like me, you know that it can be really hard to find holiday dresses that are both festive AND warm – and this dress is both! It’s made out of a thick sweater material that hugs your body in the best way. The combination of the sparkly navy with the black trim and crystal buttons makes this dress feel so special… in a practical way. I already know that I’m going to wear this to a holiday brunch and a holiday party with our new neighbors. I’m wearing a small and I’d say it’s true to size.
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If you like the romantic silhouette of the Matilda but you prefer a mini dress, this one is THAT GIRL. I got my usual size small and I’ve worn it SO much. It was also still bump friendly when this photo was taken around 23 weeks pregnant but that’s about as long as I could wear it until after my son was born.
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12. Hill House Seraphina Dress
This dress makes me want to frolic around Europe ASAP! It has the signature nap dress smocking so it’s super comfortable, and I love how the thin straps are placed wide on the shoulders for a really flattering silhouette. The skirt is full but not overwhelming on a petite body, and you could easily dress this up or down. I got a small and I definitely could have sized down, but it was nice to have the extra room when I was pregnant.
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Is The Hill House Nap Dress Worth It?
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-$250 is within your budget, then YES. 1000% worth it.
These dresses can be worn with flat sandals to a casual brunch or I could dress it up with heels to go to a wedding. There aren’t a ton of dresses that can do all of that!
Do you have a Hill House nap dress? What do you think of yours?
