It’s Official: Our Pandemic Uniform is The Unassuming Nap Dress
Was it last year this time, that the nap dress took our Instagram feeds by storm? One whole year later, the trend is one that has endured so far, and given that we’re still amidst a global pandemic (and our obsession with Netflix’s period drama Bridgerton) it’s safe to say that the trend is here to stay.
The nap dress is an unassuming silhouette that is a hybrid nightgown-dress, introduced and trademarked by New York-based brand Hill House Home. It’s also the item we see ourselves spending our time moving around the house in, going from drawing room to living room to kitchen and bedroom. On repeat. As an antidote to athleisure, what the house dress offers is a round the clock approach to dressing up. It goes as easily from boudoir to brunch, couch to cocktail hour.
The guiding tropes of a house dress are its light, airy silhouettes with nostalgic elements such as Victorian puff sleeves, romantic ruffles, and lots of smocking. Typically fitted around the bust, or held together just above the waist, the garment flows freely waist down. Sometimes semi-sheer, and other times opaque in pretty prints, the house dress gives a feeling of being put-together while relaxing at home. From homegrown designers like Malie and Aish, to international labels like Silvia Tcherassi and Three Graces London, the house dress is the ubiquitous clothing item designers are working their signature aesthetic into.
ITR by Khyati Pande, Three Graces London, Malie
Think Eka’s organic materials and natural dyes brought to below-the-knee dresses, Malie’s mix of Scandi-style and Delhi’s sophistication, cultural influences by Maus in big sleeve energy dresses and ruched hemlines.
Collectiva Concepción, Silvia Tcherassi, Maus Fete
The nap dress has quickly become a pandemic go-to closet item that’s dressy enough for running errands and attending Zoom meetings, while cozy enough to just Netflix and nap in. Its comfort is never compromised - whether you’re out grocery shopping, or stirring up a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. Goodbye banana bread. Paired with the right shoes and accessories, the nap dress niftily transforms into the perfect brunch dress, and can even be worn to the office once the great outdoors are back in business.
But until then, this WFH approved trend is your best bet. Here’s some more of our nap dresses you can live in:
Idli, Three Graces London, Maus Fete
