Comfort Meets Culture: The Rise of the Nap Dress®
Founded in 2016 by Nell Diamond, Hill House Home began not as a fashion house, but as a direct-to-consumer bedding and home company with one simple mission: to make happy things for happy places. But what began with duvet covers and pillowcases quickly transformed into something much bigger—thanks to one revolutionary piece of clothing.
The Nap Dress®—soft, breathable, and as wearable at a desk as it is in bed—was introduced in 2019. Inspired by the smocked fabrics of the 1950s and reimagined with a modern sensibility, the Nap Dress was created during a deeply personal moment in Nell’s life. “I wanted to design something that allowed me to feel like myself during a 3:00 am feeding,” Nell recalls. “I was so bone-tired and overwhelmed, and I needed clothes that didn’t add to my stress. I needed comfort and beauty in one.”
The timing couldn’t have been more prescient. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the world was forced indoors and the line between loungewear and daywear blurred, the Nap Dress became a cultural phenomenon. It wasn’t just a dress—it was a symbol of adaptability, comfort, and control in uncertain times. From Zoom calls to naptime, it became the uniform of quarantine for thousands of women, offering both aesthetic appeal and emotional ease.
“Our crazy growth happened from 2019 to 2020—right in the middle of quarantine and while I was pregnant with twins,” CEO Nell Diamond told the BBC. “I could obviously see how much the business was changing internally from the sales volume, but one really pivotal moment for me was working from home, sitting in my bedroom in New York City, and looking out the window to see someone walking down the street wearing one of our dresses.”
The product went viral on social media, and Hill House quickly expanded the Nap Dress into a full category, now with over 50 styles and counting. But the dress’s genius wasn’t just in its smocked bodice or puffed sleeves—it was in its ability to adapt to your body over the years, to be worn from pregnancy to postpartum, from couch to cocktails.
Backed by Nell’s sharp design eye and a deeply customer-focused ethos, Hill House built a loyal, passionate community. Born and raised in London, Nell brings a timeless, global sensibility to the brand, while living and designing in New York City with her husband and three children—Henry, Willow, and Sebastian.
Today, Hill House is more than a fashion label—it’s a lifestyle brand rooted in quality, beauty, and joy. It serves as a reminder that sometimes, the simplest ideas—like a dress you can nap in—can spark a global movement.
VentureMom Tip: Start small, but stay open. What begins as one idea—a duvet cover, a journal, or even a dress—can evolve into something much bigger. Don’t be afraid to let your venture grow in directions you never imagined. Sometimes the “next big thing” is hiding inside your first step.
