What better time to review my holiday dress than the week of Christmas? Like I mentioned in my “What I Bought in November” post, I hadn’t planned on purchasing a holiday dress. But I’ve been following the instagram of the founder of Hill House Home, Nell Diamond, and somehow got suckered into purchasing the Nesli Nap Dress while looking at her baby content (she just had twins).

I originally was somewhat enamored with the dress when I got it, but since then the sheen has worn off. And I haven’t worn it since trying it on when I first got it (and took these photos). I’m going to be honest with you guys and this is probably my worst purchase of the year. I bought it on impulse and as much as I like supporting small businesses and women-led businesses, there is nothing remarkable about this dress. It feels like fast fashion with a thin, slightly stiff material (a blend of mostly cotton with some polyester). I probably wouldn’t nap in this dress since the elastic on the arms and across the chest is slightly uncomfortable (plus I’m very picky and can only really fall asleep in comfy loose-fitting clothing). The dress is made in China and there’s no other information about the ethics behind their production. Oh and I can’t really wear a regular bra with this since the square neckline is so large (a strapless bra would work better here). Also sucks that they recommend hand washing this (and I am not a fan of hand-washing items).

I wholly regret this purchase but I’m just going to make the best of it now and wear it during the holidays. I guess it would work great as a party dress for a holiday party with a buffet line (but when am I ever going to a party like that?). What can I say but that I make mistakes and get suckered into things from time to time? For the price of this dress ($125) I would recommend getting something from a ethical slow fashion brand and getting something that can be worn often. We’ll see if I have a change of heart about this dress (and of course I’ll update this review when I do). But as for now I can’t say I endorse purchasing this dress.

{Update: I wore it again for Christmas and this time without a bra since I didn’t want the straps showing in pictures. The good news: the smocking prevents nipples from showing even if you aren’t wearing a bra. The bad news: without a bra my nipples chaffed and then itched (lol sorry if that’s TMI). Anyway gotta conclude this dress is for looks only.}