Altar’d State is a massive, yet relatively unknown, retail clothing chain. The closest location to me is the Oakbrook Center location. The store can be found on the first level of the mall near H&M and Nordstrom. Altar’d State is unique in that it is an openly Christian company. The stores play modern religious music and religious merchandise is scattered throughout the store. The clothing offered is more conservative and can be worn by a large age range- the store claims to strive to be a place where a mother AND her daughter can find an outfit. The vibe of Altar’d State’s clothing can be described as “conservative coachella.”  

Store Layout: 4/10

I have been in Altar’d State more times than I can count, and I still cannot figure out the way the store is organized for the life of me. All I can deduce is that home decor and accessories are near the cash register. The rest of the store is a combination of every type of clothing with no real rhyme or reason to why it is in that particular spot. Furthermore the racks are very crowded and it’s hard to see individual pieces hanging. Oftentimes you really have to dig to find what you want, unless it’s the rotating featured outfits laid out on tables.

Customer Service: 7/10

I have never had a problem with the customer service at Altar’d State. All the employees are attentive and helpful. There have been occasions when the store has been a little short-staffed and it’s hard to find an employee, but for the most part there is always a dressing room attendant, door greeter, and one or two employees milling around the floor. I will say that the checkout process can be excruciatingly long because they require all of their customers to be put into their online database. Many a time I’ve stood there for ten minutes while they look me up under my 2 different emails and 3 phone numbers before ultimately giving up and making a new profile.  

Quality of Clothing: 8/10

Altar’d State’s quality of clothing is nothing to rave about, but nothing to diss either. The fabrics used get the job done and are rarely noticeably cheap. Altar’d State focuses on conservative, bohemian clothing, so the majority of their clothing has a lot of material. Lace, corduroy, and prints are very common.

Price: 6/10

For the amount of material each item consists of, Altar’d State’s prices are incredibly reasonable. In comparison to bohemian stores such as Free People, Altar’d State offers less revealing clothing with more material for much cheaper prices. Additionally, more often than not the store will be running some type of sale or deal like buy two sweaters get a third for 50% off. In my opinion, one of the top reasons to check Altar’d State out is their prices are too reasonable to not at least peek at.

Basic-ness: 5/10

Before the opening of the Oakbrook location in October 2016, I had never heard of Altar’d State. Since that time, the store has gained recognition and now has over 100 boutiques in 30 states. That being said, the store is still new enough that many people don’t think to look there when shopping around. That factor combined with the fact that Altar’d State changes their merchandise pretty frequently makes the store a much less basic choice than Free People or Urban Outfitters. The conservative, Christian vibe of the store also narrows the pool of potential customers (and fashion competition for you) so if that’s the vibe you’re into check out Altar’d State for sure.

Favorite Altar’d State Outfits:

I got this flowy dress last spring from Altar’d State. It quickly became my go-to swimsuit coverup. The fun open back makes it easy to transition from a day at the pool to a trendy dinner. Unfortunately, this particular dress is no longer carried. Try the Hadleigh Dress ($69.95), Winslet Dress ($69.95), or Sunflower Dress ($59.95) for an easy pool to dinner option.

I picked this Altar’d State outfit out for my friend Peyton on Black Friday. The store changes their selection so frequently that the plaid top is no longer available. The skirt featured is the Calla Skirt  ($49.95) in the dark wash.

Favorite Altar’d State Pieces:

Cameron Top ($59.95)

Humphrey Jumpsuit ($79.99)