A $98 mini dress has no business feeling like a reasonable purchase. Then you walk into Altar’d State, a fitting room opens up, a candle finds its way into your other hand, and suddenly it does. That pull is exactly why people hunt for boutiques like Altar’d State the moment they see the total at checkout.
I spent about six weeks this summer measuring seven alternatives against it on price, silhouette, and fabric. Francesca’s closing made the search feel more urgent, since its brand name and other assets were sold to Altar’d State’s parent company. Below are seven picks sorted by the reason you shop there in the first place, with real prices wherever I could confirm them.
What to Look For in Boutiques Like Altar’d State
My verdict up front: the best match isn’t the one with the closest floral print. It’s the one that matches why you go.
I priced everything against Altar’d State’s own dresses. The first page of its dress section runs roughly $78 to $148. Free standard shipping only kicks in at $125, so a one dress order isn’t free, and that rule annoyed me more than any price tag did.
Here’s the part most lists skip. Everybody calls it a boho brand, and I think that label sends shoppers to the wrong stores. When I scrolled its dress page in September, only five of the first 26 styles were maxis. The rest were minis in sweater knits, plaid, sequins, and rhinestone trim. The boho streak survives in the lace tops and embroidered pieces, but the dresses lean polished and trend led. So I stopped hunting lookalike prints and sorted the picks by what people really shop there for: cheaper minis and going out looks, romantic layered dresses, and a real store to walk into.
Affordable Alternatives to Altar’d State
These four sit at or below Altar’d State’s price band. Start here if the total at checkout is what sent you searching.
1. Hazel & Olive: Best for the Lowest Price
Hazel & Olive is a Texas based online boutique that advertises fast, free shipping. Most of what I saw sat under about $50, which is roughly half the price of an Altar’d State mini.
The honest part: it isn’t very boho. I went in hoping for flowy layers and found mostly everyday trend pieces, which is great for tops and going out basics and a miss for the dreamy mood. Where it wins is the wall of tees and tops you’d normally toss into a mall haul without thinking. Pair a few with a light skirt and you’ve got most of the looks in my summer outfits for women guide. It also opened a physical shop in Rockwall, Texas back in 2014, if you happen to live nearby.
2. Pink Lily: Best for Trend Led Dresses Online
Pink Lily is an online boutique founded in 2014 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and it offers plus size options. I checked its new arrivals page once a week for four weeks and it never looked the same twice. Satin midis and embroidered floral dresses kept turning up, mostly between $20 and $80.
If Altar’d State’s minis are what you love, this is the closest online match I found, minus the candle aisle. One habit that saved me money: read the fabric line before you fall for the photo, because a satin that drapes at $40 and a satin that clings at $40 look identical on a model.
3. Lulus: Best for Dresses With Real Range
Lulus is older than most people assume. It began in 1996 as a boutique in Northern California and has been online only since 2008, and the company describes its focus as feminine, modern styles at accessible prices. Prices ran from about $30 to $150 when I browsed, so the high end overlaps Altar’d State’s band.
Sizing is where it let me down. In a fitted style I had to go up a size, so I now read the customer photos before I read the description. One more thing worth knowing: Lulus has been expanding into Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, and Dillard’s, which means you may be able to try a few styles on before you order. Call your local store first, since what’s on the floor can differ from the website.
4. Apricot Lane: Best for Walking Into a Real Boutique
If what you miss about mall boutiques is the walk in and browse feeling, this is the closest replacement I found. Apricot Lane is a California based franchise where every boutique is locally owned, stocks affordable clothing, accessories, and gifts, and gives back to local charities. Because each owner buys for their own community, no two stores carry the same racks.
That’s the appeal and the catch. Before I drive anywhere, I check the store’s Instagram, because a website can’t tell you what’s actually on the floor this week.
Boho Boutiques Like Altar’d State for a Similar or Bigger Budget
These three lean romantic and layered. Two sit close to Altar’d State’s prices, and one is a real step up.
5. Ivy City Co.: Best for Romantic Prints and Sleeves
Three mothers founded Ivy City Co. in 2015, and its romantic dresses come in sizes from XXS to 5X. One review called it a floral, ruffle heavy cousin of Anthropologie, and a signature plaid dress in that review cost $108, which sits inside Altar’d State’s band. The same review said the brand tends toward the conservative side, which I read as sleeves and longer hemlines. If that’s your lane, start here. There’s also a storefront in Sandy, Utah where you can try dresses on.
6. Baltic Born: Best for Flattering Fits and Occasion Dresses
Three sisters started Baltic Born in 2016 in Utah, and the pitch is flattering, size inclusive dresses with elastic waists and classic shapes meant to last. This is where I’d send a friend for a wedding guest or date night dress, especially the satin and chiffon midis and maxis. The elastic waist forgives a long dinner, which matters more than any print. Prices change with each drop, so check the current page before you commit.
7. Free People: Best for the Boho Original
If boho was the real reason you loved Altar’d State, go to the source. Free People presents itself as the destination for boho fashion, and the racks back that up. The catch is price: the dresses I browsed ran from $118 up to $228. That’s a real step up from Altar’d State, so I only shop it in the sale section or for one anchor piece a season.
If you love the tiered, bell sleeve side of boho but the price stings, I rounded up a smaller label’s best pieces in my Blue B Collection guide.
How to Pick the Right Store Like Altar’d State
If you want the same going out energy for less, start with Pink Lily or Hazel & Olive. If you need something for an event, Lulus and Baltic Born are the safer bets. If romantic and layered is your thing, that’s Ivy City Co. or Free People, depending on budget. And if you have to try things on, Apricot Lane is where I’d go first.
One rule I used on every order: fabric tag first, return policy second, photos last. A cheap dress you can’t return isn’t cheap. Prices and store details here reflect what I saw in September 2026, and they shift with every drop, so check the current page before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Altar’d State a faith based brand?
Yes, by its own account. Its Who We Are page says the founders took a faith based approach when they started in 2009, and that approach inspired the name. The clothes themselves are regular women’s fashion.
What is the cheapest store like Altar’d State?
Hazel & Olive, where most of what I saw came in under about $50, with Pink Lily next. If you’d rather stay loyal to Altar’d State, its dresses run about $78 to $148 at full price, so check its sale section first.
Are there boutiques like Altar’d State where I can shop in person?
Yes. Apricot Lane has locally owned stores across the country, Ivy City Co. has a storefront in Utah, and Lulus has been moving into department stores like Nordstrom and Dillard’s. Stock varies by location, so check a store’s social pages before you go.
Can I still shop at Francesca’s?
No. The chain closed its stores after a second Chapter 11 filing, and a court confirmed the liquidation plan in September, which includes selling the brand’s name and other assets to Altar’d State’s parent company for about $7 million, according to Retail Dive. I haven’t seen a relaunch announced yet.
Do these boutiques run true to size?
Mostly, but not always. Lulus can run small in some styles, so read customer photos before ordering. Ivy City Co. goes up to 5X, and Baltic Born builds stretch into its waists. When in doubt, hold the size chart up to a dress you already own.
The Short Version
Altar’d State isn’t hard to replace. It’s hard to replace all at once. Nobody else hands you the minis, the gift table, and the fitting room in a single stop, so the trick is figuring out which of those you were really paying for.
Pick your lane, place one order, and sit down in the dress before you cut the tags. If you want a wider net than seven, my guide to the best online boutiques for women is where I’d look next.
And if a boutique ever makes a $98 mini dress feel reasonable, at least make sure it fits.
