You need a nightgown: here’s where to get one in New Zealand

This story was first published on the fashion and culture website Ensemble, which is now owned by Stuff. You can read the original version here.

The napkin is today’s clothing, a broad and very specific description: the kind of dress that is smooth and comfortable and the literal trademark name of the style from the NYC-based brand Hill House House (the picture above).

Thanks to working from home and lockdowns becoming the norm and the resulting fashion casualization (hello sweatpants and tracksuits), the napkin has become the epitome of pandemic attire.

Hill House Home launched the style in 2018 as a nightgown/dress hybrid, explained by founder Nell Diamond because it’s comfortable to sleep in, but can also be worn as casual wear.

They are also very popular. According to Fast Company, the brand sold $1 million worth of inventory in the first 12 minutes after releasing its newest collection on February 10; at the end of the day, it has generated more revenue than in all of 2019.

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But what makes a nap gown a nap gown? Comfortable, warm, soft, breathable, slightly whimsical with vintage-inspired details. They are almost always loose, although the shirring is a popular touch. His no nightgown, but you can wear it to bed if you want. You can also wear it to the supermarket.

New YorkersRachel Syme write about the allure of nap dresses and the inherent privilege of dressing to be forgotten.

Essential workers can’t get dressed for a nap. There is a little rest for the tired. But, for those who can take a stolen moment of rest, the Nap Dress has a calming allure. It’s a clean slate, white noise, gauzy, short escape for those who can afford it.

One could also attribute it to New Zealand’s longstanding interest in unstructured tunic dresses. The NZ Fashion Museum is reflected in soft wrap history, equating its popularity with our country’s culture of easy dressing – clothing that provides protection from the elements and protection from unnecessary scrutiny.

If you’re looking to support local, rather than shopping overseas, this is the place to find nap dresses – or nap dresses – right here in New Zealand. But remember, at the end of the day, nightgowns are open to interpretation:

Twenty-Seven Names Dress, $520

Karen Walker Dress, $290

Kate Sylvester slip dress, $299

Penny Sage Dress, $420

Max dress, $180

Hi Hi dress $370

Molly Perkinsons dress, $350

Papa’s dress, $385