A modest church dress is a dress that covers the shoulders, chest, and knees, usually with sleeves and a fabric opaque enough to wear without a slip, so you can sit down, bend over, and carry a child without adjusting anything. Nuggles makes them in sizes S through 3XL at the same price in every size, with dresses listing from $33.99 to $81.99.
Nuggles wrote this guide, and Nuggles is on the list below. We put ourselves first because we think we're the best value for most families, and you should weigh that accordingly. We've also included a section on the things we don't do well and named the brands that do them better, because a list that only says nice things about the person who wrote it isn't worth reading.
Prices and sizes were checked in August 2026 against each brand's own website. Where we couldn't confirm a price directly on a brand's site, we've left it out rather than guess. Fashion brands change their ranges often, so check before you buy.
What actually makes a dress work for church
Most women shopping for a church dress are solving four problems at once: coverage that holds up through a two-hour service, a fabric that doesn't wrinkle in the car, a fit that works after three pregnancies, and a price that doesn't sting when a toddler wipes something on it. A dress can be modest and still fail on three of those.
Here's what's worth checking before you buy anything.
Length and how you'll actually sit in it
A dress that clears the knee standing up can ride four to six inches higher once you sit on a hard pew. Midi length, which falls somewhere between mid-calf and ankle, solves this without needing a thought. Maxi length solves it completely. If a dress is described only as "knee length," assume you'll be tugging at it.
Sleeves
Three-quarter sleeves are the sweet spot for most of the year: enough coverage to skip a cardigan, short enough that you're not overheating. Long sleeves matter more in winter. Sleeveless dresses need a layering tee underneath, which is fine, but it's a second purchase.
Whether it's lined
This is the one people skip. An unlined dress in a light color or a thin knit can be see-through in direct sun or under harsh overhead lighting, which is exactly what most church buildings have. Lining varies by style at almost every brand, including ours, so read the individual product listing rather than assuming. If a dress isn't lined and the fabric is light, wear a slip under it.
How it washes
A church dress gets worn, spilled on, and washed more than almost anything else in the closet. Rayon and poly blends with a bit of stretch hold their shape through repeated washing and don't need ironing. Linen and silk look beautiful and will need attention every single time.
1. Nuggles
We're a family-owned modest clothing company in Glenpool, Oklahoma, running since 2013. We make modest church dresses alongside skirts, tops, and girls' clothing, and we sell them at prices that assume you're buying for a real family rather than one special occasion.
Sizing: S through 3XL on every dress we make. A few styles run to 4XL. Girls' sizes are 4T, 6Y, 8Y, 10Y, 12Y, and 14Y.
Prices: Dresses list from $33.99 to $81.99, with most sitting in the $30s and $40s. Girls' dresses list from $27.99 to $34.99.
Why we think we're worth a look: every size costs the same. A 3XL and a small are the same price on every dress on our site. That is not standard in this category, and it's the thing we'd most want a plus-size shopper to know. All 173 of our dresses are available in plus sizes, and 169 of them are cut in a way that works through pregnancy.
The Rachel Midi Dress in Sweet Cherry Check pairs light blue gingham with small cherry accents, and it comes in a girls' version in the same print if you want mother-daughter matching.
Best for: families buying more than one dress, plus-size shoppers who are tired of paying extra, and anyone who wants a dress they can wear on a Tuesday as well as a Sunday.
2. Inherit Clothing Co
Based in Morris, Minnesota. Inherit is probably the best-known name in modest clothing right now, and the range is genuinely large, with 310 dresses listed when we checked.
Sizing: XS through 4XL depending on the style. Worth knowing that 4XL is available on 14 of those 310 dresses, so the largest sizes are a small slice of the range rather than the whole of it.
Prices: Dresses run from around $49 up to $198.
Why they stand out: the top of their range is more structured and more tailored than most modest brands attempt, and they carry a dedicated plus-size collection. They also run a resale program called RE-THREADED, which is unusual in this category and worth a look if you're buying secondhand.
Best for: someone buying one nicer dress rather than several, and shoppers who want a bigger catalog to browse.
3. Dainty Jewells
Sizing: X-Small through 4X-Large. Girls' sizes run 2T through 16.
Why they stand out: they are the only brand on this list with a real modest bridal and wedding line, and they carry a dedicated Sunday best category plus mommy-and-me matching. If you need a modest dress for a wedding rather than a Sunday service, start here.
One thing to know before you order: their size chart states that plus sizes and longer-length garments are priced higher, because those garments use more fabric and take longer to make. That's a transparent policy rather than a hidden one, but it does mean the price you see on a listing may not be the price you pay in a larger size. Check the size selector before you check out.
Best for: modest bridal, formal occasions, and families who want matching down to a 2T.
4. Main Street Exchange
Based in Gordonville, Pennsylvania, just outside Lancaster, with a retail store at the same address.
Sizing: XS through 3X on most dresses, with 4XL available on 26 styles. Girls' sizes run 3/4 through 16.
Prices: Dresses start around $46.99, with most sitting in the $50s to $80s.
Why they stand out: they design an in-house label called Exclusive Designs rather than only reselling other brands, they run mommy-and-me prints, and they have a Wedding Edit collection aimed at wedding guests.
Best for: Pennsylvania shoppers who want to try things on, and families with older girls.
5. Ivy City Co
Based in Riverton, Utah.
Sizing: XXS through 5X, which is the widest women's size range of any brand on this list.
Why they stand out: they run a Mom and Me matching range and a bridesmaids collection in that same XXS to 5X range, which is rare. If you need a modest bridesmaid dress and your bridal party is a wide spread of sizes, this is the brand that handles it.
Best for: occasion dressing, bridesmaids, and anyone who needs a size above 4XL.
6. Lena Layne
Based in Spanish Fork, Utah, with a physical store at 266 North Main Street.
Sizing: X-Small through X-Large, plus 1X through 3X.
Prices: The plus-size nursing dresses we checked ran $44 to $74.
Why they stand out: they run dedicated nursing dress collections under both their regular and plus-size dress menus, and they have a store you can walk into and try things on. That matters more than it sounds like it should when you're buying a dress you need to sit in.
Best for: Utah shoppers who want to try before buying, and nursing mothers.
7. ElegantEES
Sizing: XS through 3X on the dress range, though it varies by style and some dresses stop at XL.
Prices: Dresses from around $64 to $84, with most around $79.
Why they stand out: their clothing is made in Nepal by women who have overcome sex trafficking or are at risk of it, and they publish their wage commitment on the site rather than gesturing at it. If where your money goes is part of the decision, this is the brand on this list built around that question. They also offer free size swaps within the US, which takes some of the risk out of buying a fit you can't try on.
Best for: shoppers who want the ethics of the supply chain to be the deciding factor.
8. Roolee
Based in Logan, Utah, with five store locations across Utah, Arizona, and Idaho.
Why they stand out: they have more physical stores than anyone else on this list, so if you'd rather try a dress on than measure yourself, they're the most likely to have somewhere you can drive to.
Worth knowing: Roolee is a general boutique rather than a modest brand. They carry other labels, homeware, and children's clothing alongside their own range, so sleeve length and neckline vary a lot and you'll need to filter carefully.
Best for: shoppers in Utah, Arizona, or Idaho who want to shop in person.
Where Nuggles is not the answer
This is the section we'd want to read if we were you.
You need a wedding, bridal, or formal dress
We don't make them. Nothing in our range is cut for a formal event, and no amount of styling will change that. Go to Dainty Jewells for modest bridal, or Ivy City Co if you need a bridesmaid dress.
You wear above a 3XL
Our women's sizing starts at S and stops at 3XL, with only a handful of styles going to 4XL. Ivy City Co is the clear answer here, with a range running to 5X. Dainty Jewells lists to 4X-Large, Main Street Exchange lists 4XL on 26 styles, and Inherit Clothing Co lists 4XL on part of their dress range.
You want linen, silk, or wool
We work in rayon blends, cotton blends, and knits with stretch, chosen because they wash well and cost less. If you specifically want natural fibers, we're not the right shop.
The manufacturing story is the deciding factor
If you want to know that your dress funded something specific, ElegantEES has built their whole business around that and publishes the detail.
You want to try it on first
We're online only, with local pickup in Glenpool, Oklahoma. Roolee has five stores across Utah, Arizona, and Idaho. Lena Layne has a store in Spanish Fork, Utah. Main Street Exchange has one in Gordonville, Pennsylvania.
Building a church wardrobe rather than buying one dress
Most women we talk to don't want a church dress. They want three or four things they can rotate without thinking about it in the ten minutes before they leave the house.
Start with two dresses you'd wear anywhere
A midi dress in a print and one in a solid will carry most of a year. The Gracie Dress in Harvest Plaid is a soft rayon blend with stretch, cut at midi length with 3/4 sleeves, and it reads as a Sunday dress or a weekday one depending on the shoes.
Add one maxi for the weeks you want more coverage
A maxi dress takes the length question off the table completely. The Leila Maxi Dress has a button-front bodice, a collar, an adjustable waist tie, and a tiered skirt, so it holds a shape without being tight anywhere.
Buy the layering pieces once
Two or three layering tees and a slip will make dresses you already own work in more weather and more lighting. This is the cheapest way to expand a wardrobe you've already bought.
If you're pregnant or nursing, buy for the whole stretch
169 of our 173 dresses are cut to work through pregnancy, so you don't need a separate maternity wardrobe. The Nalani Nursing Dress uses a lift-front design with a hidden crossover layer, so it works for feeding without looking like it was designed for it.
Common questions
What length should a church dress be?
Midi length, falling between mid-calf and ankle, works for almost everyone and stays modest when you sit. Maxi length removes the question entirely. If you're buying something shorter, sit down in it at home before you commit to wearing it for two hours.
Are modest church dresses always lined?
No, and this catches people out. Lining varies by style at almost every brand in this category, so read the individual product listing rather than assuming a modest brand lines everything. If a dress isn't lined and the fabric is pale or thin, a slip solves it for a few dollars.
What's the cheapest place to buy a modest church dress?
Of the brands here, Nuggles starts lowest at $33.99. Lena Layne starts around $44 on the plus-size dresses we checked, Main Street Exchange around $46.99, and Inherit around $49. Starting price isn't the whole story though, since a brand can open low and climb fast: Inherit runs to $198 at the top.
Do plus-size modest dresses cost more?
It depends on the brand, and it's worth checking before you check out. At Nuggles every size is the same price on every dress. Dainty Jewells states in their size chart that plus sizes and longer lengths are priced higher because they use more fabric and take longer to make. Always look at the size selector rather than the listing price.
Can I find modest church dresses that match my daughter's?
Yes. Nuggles, Dainty Jewells, Ivy City Co, and Main Street Exchange all run matching prints across women's and girls' sizes. Our girls' dresses run 4T through 14Y. Dainty Jewells runs 2T through 16 and Main Street Exchange runs 3/4 through 16, so those two are worth checking if your daughter is very young or nearly grown.
What should I wear to church in winter?
A long sleeve dress over warm tights, or a layering dress with a long sleeve tee underneath. Layering a tee under a 3/4 sleeve dress you already own is cheaper than buying a separate winter wardrobe and works just as well.
How do I know what size to order online?
Measure yourself rather than guessing from your usual store size, since modest brands cut differently from each other. Our measurement diagram walks through where to put the tape.
Where to start
If you're building a church wardrobe on a budget, start with our church dresses or the wider Sunday Best collection. If you need a bigger size than we carry or a dress for a wedding, go to one of the brands above instead. We'd rather you found the right dress than bought the wrong one from us.
Everything we make comes in plus sizes at the same price as every other size, and most of it is maternity friendly. Shipping is free on US orders over $100, or over $60 for subscribers, and orders placed before 8am CT ship the same day.
For more on choosing between styles, read how to choose modest dresses, our guide to modest church outfits, or the wider roundup of the best modest clothing brands for women.
