Statement Sleeves

I resisted Hill House Home Napdresses, the knockoffs, and smocking until August 2022.

the J.Crew dress

Ever since I saw a particular influencer repeatedly go up to bat for the Hill House Home Napdress, I have been repelled by the brand, specifically the Napdress and more broadly, smocking. Call it the unfluential effect. Is anyone else turned off by brands when they work with unpalatable people?

Just me?

I caved when I bought the Hill House Home Laura Shirtdress in the freshest floral print and this J.Crew dress with a smocked bodice. Effing smocking amirite? I previously blogged that I would not wear it because I do not see the trend lasting beyond the summer of 2022 and smocking is the chevron stripe of the early 2020s, if you will.

I still bought this dress and this is why:

It came in tall size range.
It has pockets.
It is machine washable.
It was 75 percent off.

The tricky part of this dress is managing a bra beneath it; this dress requires a balconet style and perhaps a husband to advise on a rogue strap. I (slash my husband) eventually just pulled the elastics of the top of each sleeve over the bra straps and voila! Undergarment success.

I am wearing a size medium tall in this dress. Because I have a pear body shape, I can wear the smaller size up top [especially at the smocking is elasticized] and the larger cut accommodates my bottom half with room to spare.

the Megababe thigh rescue

Let’s chat about the Megababe Thigh Rescue. Even at my thinnest, I used to experience thigh chafing during my daily runs. It used to be a reason for me not to wear certain clothing or even go running if my thighs were chafed and I didn’t have the right pair of shorts at the ready.

These days I swipe on Thigh Rescue any day that I leave the flat. Running? Swipe. Playground with the Pamper Pirate? Swipe. Official dinner? Swipe.

And it works! If I have a roomy pocket in the clothes on my person, I load in a stick of Thigh Rescue. And if I don’t, if goes in the pocket of my Uppababy Storage pouch. Yes, I have multiple sticks. One for both of the bathroom bathrooms and one for the road.