Hill House Nap Dress Review

If you haven’t heard, Nap Dresses are all the rage! In particular, this dress from Hill House Home has taken instagram by storm. Is it a nightgown? Is it a dress? Whatever it is, Nap Dresses have become the “IT” dress this past year. I’m reviewing several Hill House Nap Dress styles so you can find out if it’s right for you.

Cottagecore style 'The Nesli' Hill House Nap Dress on woman walking on path in the woods

What is a “Nap Dress”

I was initially confused by these dresses because I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be slept in or meant to be worn out. Technically, the term “Nap Dress” was coined and trademarked by Hill House Home to describe their collection of nightgown-like dresses that usually include smocking, ruffles, and loose flowy fabric. Some of these dresses are perfect for sleeping while others are more suited for lounging at home or wearing out during the day.

Hill House Nap Dress Review featuring The Nesli dress in Emerald on woman in the woods with basket

Green Floral Nap Dress from Hill House Home

The Ellie Nap Dress Review

The Ellie Nap Dress was the first style that I ordered because it’s the one I saw everyone on Instagram wearing. It also looked really comfortable and cute and a style that I could wear lounging around the house. I ordered it in a Blue Swiss Dot pattern (there weren’t a lot of color options available at the time) and in a size Small.

Unfortunately, the dress was too big! I ordered my usually size according to the size chart but it was still too big. I mainly had a problem with the straps. They do have stretch so they ended up stretching too far down my chest and I was afraid that it wouldn’t keep the smocked bodice up. I could easily pull the whole top down under my boobs. So I had to send it back. Other than that, the dress was really flattering and comfortable! Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of it on me before I returned it.

Shipping + Return Issues

It turns out that I had actually placed a Pre-Order – which means that it wasn’t going to ship right away. I ordered it at the beginning of July 2020 and it said it would ship July 2020. So I was expecting that in a week or two I would be frolicking around my apartment in my new Nap Dress. By the end of July I still hadn’t received the dress so I emailed customer service. It turns out that the expected ship date had pushed to mid-August. This was super frustrating because I didn’t receive any updates about my order. My dress finally shipped on August 18th! So almost 6 weeks later I had my dress. I ended up sending it back at the end of August and they said to allow 3 weeks for processing.

Unfortunately, once I sent in my return I never heard back from customer service. I didn’t get an email that they received my return or that they had issued a refund. I kinda forgot about it so I didn’t end up checking in with customer service until the end of October! FINALLY – about a week later at the beginning of NOVEMBER – I got my refund from Hill House. Soooo if I hadn’t checked in with Hill House Home I probably wouldn’t have gotten my refund.

I know we aren’t off to a great start but I promise it does get better!

The Caroline Nap Dress Review

Despite my bad first impression with the brand I decided to order The Caroline Nap Dress because I was looking for a nightgown and this was a cheaper option than one from DOEN. The Caroline is actually cheaper than the other Nap Dress styles too, which is nice.

Fabric and Size

I ordered it in the Semi-Sheer White Swiss Dot in size Small. This is the same fabric that I had ordered in the Ellie style so I knew that it was really soft and perfect for sleeping. It actually feels more like a cotton voile and not a stiff cotton – like poplin. It is pretty sheer though so this is a style that I wouldn’t wear out. It does come in opaque fabric that you could wear out during the day.

Hill House Caroline Nap Dress on Woman sitting on stool

Don’t call me crazy but I ordered this dress in size Small. I really debated whether I should size down since the Ellie style was too big. But I decided that since this dress didn’t have straps and it was supposed to be pretty roomy that I’d go with the with the Small. Luckily, the size small was perfect! I’m sure I could have fit in the size XS but I like that this size is a looser fit around the arms.

Overall Thoughts

I’m very happy with this Nap Dress. The fabric is very comfortable and soft. It’s also pregnancy and breastfeeding friendly because there’s plenty of room for an expanding belly and you can pull the smocking down over your shoulders. I feel like you can take your usual size in this dress because the fit is really flexible.

I didn’t have any problems with shipping this time. This dress was in stock so it shipped in a timely manner!

The Nesli Nap Dress

Next I wanted to try a Nap Dress that I could wear out. I debated trying the Ellie dress in an XS this time but I decided that I wanted more coverage on my arms so the Nesli dress seemed like the perfect fit. I also liked that it had a tie in the back which I thought would help keep the sleeves up. So I ordered the Nesli in the Emerald Trellis in size XS.

Square Neck Smocked cottagecore dress on woman sitting in the woods

Fabric and Fit

The fabric of this dress is definitely a stiffer cotton – like poplin. So not necessarily comfortable for sleeping. But it’s not sheer at all so you can definitely wear this as a day dress. I love the smocking, the puff sleeves, and the tiered skirt. It really is a fairytale dress!

I think the size XS is perfect for me. The neckline is very wide so I think if I had gone with a size small the sleeves would fall off my shoulders. However, the sizing is a little more forgiving with this style because of the tie around the neck. It helps to keep the sleeves from falling off your shoulders. So if you did get a slightly large size you could adjust it with the ties. I can wear a bra with this style but it has to be one with wide set straps – like my Balconette bra from CUUP. The smocking on the bust means it works for a variety of chest sizes. It also still works for breastfeeding!

Green Puff Sleeve Cottagecore dress from Hill House on woman sitting in woods with flowers

Smocked cottagecore dress with tiered skirt from Hill House Home on woman with basket in woods

Hill House Nap Dress Final Thoughts

These are very cute dresses and I think they are perfect for wearing at home when you want to look cute but still be comfortable. They are maybe a little too cutesy to wear out but that just depends on your personal style.

If you are planning to wear one of these as a nightgown then definitely go for a semi-sheer style. I think the opaque fabrics are a little too stiff to comfortably sleep in.
When in doubt – size down – unless you have really broad shoulders and a large bust.
A bra is not necessary with the styles with a smocked bust because it holds you in- especially if you have a smaller chest.
I would avoid ordering a Pre-Order style because shipping could take awhile. It’s best to order a style that’s in stock.
Sign up for the Hill House Home newsletter to get 10% off your first order and be alerted of new launches. Styles sell out FAST so it’s best to order right away to get items in stock.