So I want to start this off by saying that I have no clue what is meant by mid-size. I had originally heard of it defined as people (in particular women and those who buy women’s clothing) who are between straight sizes (00-12/14) and plus sizes (16 or 18 and up), but the interpretation of that on the internet seems to be people who are a size medium or large (sizes 6-10). I had thought it was to encompass a group of people who sometimes buy plus sizes and sometimes buy straight sizes depending on the brand, cut, or shape of the clothing. But I don’t know if that is still the popular definition of mid-size.
I also think that I am something that the fat-positive community/plus-size community refers to as a “small fat”? We wear the smallest sizes of plus-size clothes, have a hard time finding clothes, but not as hard as someone who wears say a 4x or above, or above a size 22. Anyways, that is just to provide some context as to what I am working with for clothes. I wear a 40H or 40DDD, bra depending on the brand, and anywhere from an XL to a 2X or 16-20 in clothes, again depending on brand/cut/style, I don’t own a scale so I have no clue what I currently weigh, and I am 5’8″ and a bit.
So Hill House Home, this has become one of my favorite brands, their clothes are so beautiful and comfortable, and this drop coming up on June 1 looks like it may be one of their most stunning yet. I’ll share what I’m considering buying at the end of this post.
Brand Review
This was my first ever nap dress purchase and this is the style you have seen on all the influencers and all over social media. This is the Ellie Dress in Blue Botanical and it is kind of their foundational style. It is super comfortable and wonderful. When I first put it on I literally said out loud to myself, “I feel like a pretty, pretty princess”.
In terms of fit, most people say to size down 1, I think if you have a large bust you should take your normal size so that the smocking actually comes down to your waist and doesn’t make the dress tent out from your boobs. If you look up pictures of smaller girls in this dress you will see that the smocking goes down much farther on their ribs than it does on me. So if you have a large chest, take your normal size so the dress comes down further to flare out from your waist rather than mid-boob. I do not wear a slip with this dress, but I do wear a bra. Here, I am wearing the Skims Bandeau bra, but I have worn regular bras with it, but I don’t think my current favorite normal bra, the Elomi Matilda, would work with this. I also normally wear shorts under all dresses to prevent chub rub. I took an XXL (they call it 2x on the website, but the tag says XXL, and as all plus girlies know, 2x and XXL are not the same).
They have updated this dress to have longer smocking and to have pockets, both of which I think are perfect additions.
This is the Ophelia Dress in Moody Floral (only available in Navy now)from a drop earlier this year, I think they called it the Victorian Romance drop. It is a truly stunning dress. The fabric is a bit thicker and it feels generally more substantial than the Ellie. I haven’t worn this dress out yet as it is a more formal dress and it is very boob-y. I have seen some people layer camisoles underneath to make it less booby.
I took an XXL (again they call it a 2x), I think it fits really well. I generally love this dress, the side zipper is a bit difficult is my only complaint. Here I am also wearing the Skims Bandeau bra, and the bow in front is a functional tie, so I have really pulled on it to bring the neckline up as much as I can.
This is the Cher Dress in Navy Tartan and the Kit Top in White. I took both in an XXL. The dress is very short, honestly it makes me nervous to buy any of the shorter dresses. It is extremely short. It does have a pretty substantial hem so I do plan on letting it down. My sort of general comment with Hill House is that they are in general not the very best for large busts. As you can see in this side profile image it would be very Bridgerton without the Kit Top underneath.
I have also seen some people wear the Kit top on it’s own, which looks very cute. I find it to be a very short top, not Long Torso Gang friendly as Tinx would say, especially if like me you are not into crop tops at all. My guess would be to size up if you can.
This is the Blair skirt in Navy Tartan, it is one of my very favourite Hill House pieces, I got it last fall and wore it at Thanksgiving and Christmas and all throughout the holidays. Both this skirt and the dress above are very Gossip Girl, east coast prep, old money vibes, and I love it. I typically wear it like this with a black turtleneck and tights. I think I would most like to pair it with loafers, but black flats or pumps would also be cute.
I took the XXL/2x in this again.
This is my favorite feature of the skirt, it is a full wrap skirt, and it has two clasps, on the right hip and the left hip. This is the inside closure on the right hip and I love that it has two buttons, so you can cinch it up if you need or loosen it if you need. So there is some flexibility within each size. Such a smart feature.
What I’m buying from the Summer 2022 Drop
This is the full line sheet from the drop. You can go to Instagram @HillHouseHome and @NellieDiamond to see full details. I currently have a big list that I need to narrow down, normally my rule is one dress, one other item, and one accessory or basic to complete an outfit. For example, the only other drop I have shopped like this was the Hill House University drop, I got the Cher dress as my one dress, the Blair skirt as my one other item, and then the Kit top to complete the Cher dress as an outfit. But I like a lot more than three items in this drop and I’m having a very hard time.
I think the crochet pieces are really beautiful, but I don’t think they will be very flattering on me.
I had thought that the pattern I would like the most would be the Blue Mosaic Tile, but now that I’ve seen the Lilac Stripe and the little veggies I’m really torn!.
I really love the look of these shirt dresses, but I don’t know if they will fit me properly. But I’m in love with the Laura style.
Right now, I think my list is the Black Billie Dress, the Lilac Stripe Laura, the Lilac Stripe Ellie, and the Blue Mosaic Elizabeth. But that is entirely too much, I don’t need that many items nor should I spend that much money.
I really love the Market tote in Blue Botanical, but I literally talked myself out of ordering a tote bag today. I have enough tote bags!
If you’re planning on shopping best of luck! And if this was helpful or you still have sizing questions please feel free to DM me on Instagram @lauracaeris or leave a comment here!
Laura
Thoughtful Millennial 