A modest skirt is a skirt cut long enough, and full enough through the hip, that it covers without needing to be tugged or held down. Nuggles makes them in five lengths from 25 inches to 36 inches, in sizes S through 3XL at the same price in every size, and all of them have a pull-on elastic waistband and no slit.
Most of the questions we get are not about which skirt is prettiest. They are about inches. How long is 27 inches on a person who is five foot two. Whether an elastic waistband gives out after a year. Whether the light colors are see-through. What to put underneath. This guide answers those, in the order people usually ask them, so you can work out what to order before it arrives rather than after.
If you already know what you want, the full skirt collection is the place to start. If you don't, keep reading.
How long is a modest skirt?
What do the inch numbers actually mean?
Every length on the site is measured from the top of the waistband straight down to the hem, not from your natural waist or from the floor. That matters, because a skirt worn at the waist sits higher than the same skirt worn at the hip, and the same 31 inches lands in a different place on a woman who is 5'2" than on one who is 5'9". The number tells you the garment. Where it falls on you depends on your height and where you like to wear your waistband.
The quickest way to know for sure is to measure a skirt you already own and like, from waistband to hem, and order the number closest to it. That one step prevents more returns than anything else on this page.
What does a 25 inch skirt cover?
On most women a 25 inch skirt lands at or just below the knee. It is the shortest length Nuggles makes, and it gets bought for two reasons: knee coverage without extra fabric to manage, and layering underneath a dress that needs a little more length. The 25 inch Classic Skirts run $27.99.
What does a 27 inch skirt cover?
A 27 inch skirt clears the knee on most women and stops partway down the calf. This is the length people mean when they say midi, and it is the most-ordered length on the site. It works for church, work, and a school run without reading as dressy or as casual. See the 27 inch Classic Skirts at $28.99, or the whole 27 inch collection across styles.
What does a 31 inch skirt cover?
A 31 inch skirt hits mid-calf to low calf on most women, and at the ankle on a shorter frame. If your standard for coverage is "well below the knee no matter how I sit," this is the length to start with. It is also the length that layers best over boots in winter. The 31 inch Classic Skirts are $29.99.
What do 34 and 36 inch skirts cover?
These reach the ankle or the top of the foot on most women. They are the right answer if you want full coverage while sitting on the floor with small children, or if you are tall enough that a 31 inch skirt reads as a midi on you. 34 inch Classic Skirts are $30.99 and 36 inch Classic Skirts are $31.99. For fuller, flowier ankle-length styles rather than straight ones, look at modest maxi skirts.
Which length should I start with if I've never ordered one?
Order 27 inches. It covers the knee on nearly everyone, it is the length most of the collection is built around, and if it turns out to be short or long on you, you know exactly which way to move next time. Buying two lengths of the same skirt at once is the other reliable method, since the price gap between them is a dollar.
How do I measure for the right size?
Should I size by my waist or my hips?
Size by whichever measurement is larger, which for most women is the hip. Nuggles skirts pull on over the hips, so a waistband that fits but a hip measurement that doesn't will not work. The elastic waist has enough give to take up the difference at the top.
The measurement diagram shows where to put the tape, and each product page carries its own size chart, since a knit Classic Skirt and a sport skirt with built-in leggings do not size identically.
How do I measure the length I want?
Stand up straight, put the end of a tape measure where you actually wear a waistband, and let it fall to the point on your leg you want the hem to reach. Read the number. That is the length to order, not a length converted from someone else's height.
Do Nuggles skirts run true to size?
Yes. The size guidance on the Classic Skirt, the Relaxed Midi, and the girls' skirts all reads "fits true to size," so order the size you normally wear rather than sizing up out of caution. Sizing up on a pull-on elastic skirt usually produces a waistband that slides down.
What if I'm between sizes?
On a straight-cut knit skirt like the Classic Skirt, take the smaller size. The 5 percent spandex in the fabric gives it room, and the smaller size holds the waistband where you put it. On a fuller or lined skirt with less stretch through the body, take the larger one.
Do plus sizes cost more?
No. Every skirt runs S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL at one price, and a 3XL costs exactly what an S costs. That is a deliberate choice and it is not how the rest of the category works. The plus size skirt collection is the same 300 skirts as the main collection, not a separate shorter list.
Waistbands, slits, and linings
What kind of waistband is most comfortable for all-day wear?
A soft pull-on elastic waistband, which is what almost every Nuggles skirt has. There is no zipper, no button, and nothing digging in when you sit down after a meal or bend to pick up a child. Nearly the whole collection is built this way, which you can see in the stretch waist skirts.
Is a drawstring waist different from an elastic one?
A drawstring waist has the elastic plus a tie you can tighten or loosen yourself. It is useful if your waist measurement moves through the month or through a pregnancy, or if you sit between two sizes and want to adjust rather than pick. The drawstring skirts are rayon-spandex with real pockets, from $31.99. There is a longer write-up in our guide to wearing an adjustable drawstring midi.
Will an elastic waistband stretch out?
An elastic waistband loosens if it is washed hot and dried hot, repeatedly. Washed cold and hang to dry. The knit used in the Classic Skirt was wash-tested before it went on sale specifically so it would hold its shape rather than relax after a season.
Why do so many skirts have slits, and what can I do about it?
Slits exist because a narrow skirt cut without one is hard to walk in. The alternative is to add width through the body instead of cutting a slit, which is what Nuggles does. 280 of the 300 skirts on the site have no slit at all, so you can filter straight to no slit skirts and stop checking. If you already own a skirt with a slit, a slip worn underneath solves the gap without altering the skirt.
Which skirts are lined, and does it matter?
Lining matters most on light colors, on thin fabrics, and on anything you will stand in front of a window in. The lightweight lined skirts have it built in. The Callie Maxi Skirt is fully lined under a soft rayon knit and finishes around 33 inches with a ruffle at the hem, at $51.99.
Is a lighter color see-through?
A single layer of any knit in white, cream, or a pale gray will let more light through than the same knit in black. If you are buying a pale skirt and you are not sure, either choose one that is lined or plan on a slip. That is not a flaw in the skirt so much as physics, and it applies to every brand.
Fabrics, and how each one wears
What is a polyester-spandex knit skirt like to wear?
The Classic Skirt, the Pocket Classic, the Relaxed Midi, and the girls' skirts are all 95 percent polyester with 5 percent spandex. That blend holds its shape, resists wrinkling, and comes out of a suitcase wearable. It is the reason these skirts do not need ironing. Polyester holds warmth a little more than a natural fiber does, so in July you will notice it on the longest lengths.
What is a rayon-spandex skirt like to wear?
Rayon drapes softer and hangs closer than polyester, and it breathes better in heat. The drawstring skirts are 95 percent rayon with 5 percent spandex, and the Callie is 94 percent rayon with 6 percent spandex. Rayon creases more readily and wants a gentler wash, which is the trade for the softer hand.
Which skirt is best for heat or for being active?
The All-Sport Skirt. It is 85 percent polyester and 15 percent spandex, with built-in leggings the same length as the skirt so nothing rides up, and UPF 50 sun protection in the fabric. 27 inch is $37.99, and the girls' version is $29.99. We wrote about it at length in the guide to athletic skirts with built-in leggings.
Do any modest skirts have pockets?
Yes. The Pocket Classic Skirts are the same knit and the same fit as the Classic Skirt with functional side pockets added, at $33.99. The drawstring skirts have them too.
Washing and care
How should I wash a modest skirt?
Cold water, inside out, with like colors. Hang to dry. Hot water and a hot dryer are what shorten the life of an elastic waistband and set creases into rayon, and neither is necessary to get a skirt clean.
Do knit skirts shrink or pill?
The polyester-spandex knit used in the Classic line was wash-tested and wear-tested before release specifically against shrinking and pilling. Washed cold, it does not shrink. Pilling on any knit comes mostly from abrasion against rough surfaces and from washing with towels or denim, so a separate load helps more than any product does.
Do I have to iron them?
No. The polyester-spandex skirts come out of the wash ready to wear and travel without creasing. Rayon skirts can come out with a few soft creases; hanging them damp takes care of it.
Maternity, plus sizes, and girls
Can I wear a regular skirt through a pregnancy?
Usually yes, and most women do. A pull-on elastic waistband sits below or above the bump instead of fastening at it, which is why 284 of the 300 skirts on the site are marked maternity friendly. A drawstring waist gives you the most room to adjust as you go.
Which length works best while pregnant?
A bump lifts a hem at the front, so a skirt that sits at the knee before pregnancy will sit above it later. Going one length longer than usual, and wearing the waistband under the bump rather than over it, keeps the hem where you expect it.
What is the actual size range?
S through 3XL on essentially every skirt, at the same price in every size. If you wear above a 3XL, we are not your answer, and it is better to say so here than to let you order and find out. For a fuller comparison across brands, including where other companies go further than we do, see best modest skirts for plus sizes.
What sizes do girls' skirts come in?
4T, 6Y, 8Y, 10Y, 12Y and 14Y. The Girls' Classic Midi Skirt is 18 inches, the same 95 percent polyester and 5 percent spandex knit as the women's version, and $22.99 in every size. The wider girls' skirt collection includes the sport skirt as well.
What to wear underneath
Do I need a slip?
You need one if the skirt is pale, thin, or unlined, or if it clings when you walk. You do not need one under a lined skirt or a heavier knit in a dark color. A slip also stops a skirt riding up against tights in winter, which is a reason to own one even if coverage is not the issue.
What kind of slip works under a midi skirt?
Match the slip length to the skirt so the hem doesn't show, unless you want it to. The crochet lace slips come in 27 inch at $32.99 and 31 inch at $33.99, with a lace hem that is meant to be seen peeking out rather than hidden. Everything else that goes underneath sits in layering essentials.
What do I wear on top?
A skirt with a straight or gently tapered cut takes almost any top. A fuller skirt is easier with something closer-fitting above it. If you are building a set of pieces that work together rather than single outfits, our guide to modest layering tops covers what goes with what.
Choosing by occasion
What skirt works for church?
A 31 inch skirt in a dark solid, or a lined maxi. Both stay put when you sit, stand, and kneel, which is the actual test. Sunday Best collects the dressier end of the range.
What skirt works for the office or the classroom?
A straight-cut knit in black, navy, or khaki, at 27 or 31 inches. It reads as neutral, it does not wrinkle through a day of sitting, and it does not need ironing on a weekday morning. The straight fit skirts are the section to look at.
What skirt works for an ordinary day at home?
The Relaxed Midi Skirt, which is cut with more ease through the body than the Classic. 25 inch is $29.99, 27 inch is $30.99, and 31 inch is $32.99. Or anything in everyday skirts.
A few more questions we get
How many skirts do I actually need?
Three covers most lives: one black, one neutral, and one you like the color of. Add a sport skirt if you are active and a lined maxi if you dress up often. Buying in one length and one fit first, then branching out, wastes less than buying five different things at once.
Can I wear a modest skirt in winter?
Yes. A 31, 34, or 36 inch skirt over fleece-lined tights and boots is warmer than most people expect, because the extra length traps air the way a long coat does. The polyester knits hold heat well for this.
How long does shipping take, and what if it doesn't fit?
Orders placed before 8am CT on a weekday ship the same day. US shipping is free over $100. Returns need to be started within 21 days of purchase, and clearance items are final sale.
Who is behind Nuggles?
Nuggles is a family-owned business in Glenpool, Oklahoma, started in 2013 and still run by the same family. Orders are picked and packed here, and customer service is a phone call or a text to 918-313-0200 on weekdays between 9am and 4pm CT.
Where to start
If you take one thing from this page, take the tape measure step. Measure a skirt you already like, waistband to hem, order that number, and size by your hips. That single check gets it right the first time far more often than guessing from a photo does.
When you are ready, the full collection of modest skirts is there to browse by length, fit, and color, and new skirts shows what has arrived recently. We are glad you're here, and we hope this saved you a return.
