Penney's has many that go up to girl's size 16. Depending on her size, maybe one of these would work? http://www.jcpenney.com/kids/shop-girls/shop-all-girls/shop-girls-by-size/girls-7-16/dresses/_/N-gk8c1wZ1z141cr/cat.jump?id=cat1001440004&deptId=dept20000016&navId=gk8c1wZ1z141cr&onClick=true&Nao=24&pN=2

I have the same problem with my 12 yo. She needed a dress last spring so I ended up going to Macy's and buying a strapless dress and then taking it to a seamstress and having straps added. You can add a sweater or other cover up over that.

Target may have something not too matronly if you look in the women's section. Forget the junior's section, most of that doesn't even meet school dress code.

Also, check out Belk. We don't have one near us, but I found some more feminine type junior size tops for my daughter there and ordered them online. It looks like they might have some decent dresses depending upon your needs.

Penney's was always my go to store for young girls - until they closed locally year before last. Things looked a little glittery to me sometimes, but at least they had fabric where fabric should be. I've purchased gifts cards for girls at Forever 21, they can get some of the trendy things they like at great prices there, not sure if they would have styles conservative enough for a 10 year old though not having reason to look this year.

This is going to be hard. I just checked out juniors at Macy's , but just the first page, and it had nothing I would find suitable.

I feel for you. My youngest was over weight as a child, and shopping was a challenge. It wasn't until she got taller that she was able to bump up into the juniors and it was age appropriate.

Amy Byer and My Michelle lines have big girl dresses at Amazon up to size 16. Just put big girl dresses in the search box. Size 16 fits up to 5'3" and 110 pounds.

Penneys has very little that will fit . Even a 16 size. She started her period this year and has developed quickly. Pediatrician says her height is on target but the weight is on the high side. She is what I would call curvy. She inherited a pert behind from DHs family. Makes fitting pants a challenge.

One place I did not try was Sears. Thanks for the reminder. Ours is on a street that I don't travel often so it tends to slip my mind. I'll head there today.

I feel your pain. My grand daughter is just turning 6 but is very tall and slender and needs a 7 or 7/8 for the length hem wise and sleeve length wise. I cannot believe that once you are out of the 6x size you go from pretty young girls to slutty (sorry) looking. My GD loves dresses and would wear one every day if she could. I have taken to looking at thrift stores and children's consignment shops and have been able to find a few. I can find holiday dresses that are ok but everyday dresses are impossible. Lands end and ll bean are really out of my price range. It doesn't seem to matter whether you go to Ross or Macy's the selection is awful. Have you tried Zuilly? I did find a really cute dress at Ross for my 12 year old GD for a banquet she had. It was a long sleeved "skater" dress which fit her perfectly and it was 12.99!

How about this? The price is right for a one time wear.
Dress

I'm glad I had boys! Love that red one from Sears though. So many of the dresses are sleeveless so maybe she would need a jacket or little shrug. Good luck. We'd love to see what you find.

P.S. These fruitless shopping expeditions are just exhausting, aren't they!?

Skater dresses are in style and are more youthful with their circle and loosely pleated skirts. They come in basic sleeveless and sleeved styles that are not clingy or revealing.

I don't know how formal or what you really need in a dress. My daughter loves Hot Topic. She loves the cat tights she gets from there. They are like pantyhose material, but there are cats that come up above the knee or around the knee area depending upon how you're built. My daughter and her friends pair these with a black skirt and shoes and then a top that works with the look. It looks pretty cute and can be dressy if done right.

Here are some Cat Tights

There are some other styles that are pretty cute too.

I don't know what colors you'd like for her Christmas dress, but would something like this fit and flare dress work? There were others priced reasonably too in Sale dresses, you can filter by size to keep browsing from being too time consuming. Keep in mind it will likely be a more modest length on your 10 yr old, those models will be taller than average height and the skirt lengths higher on them.

How about a second hand store where the clothes are gently worn. My grand daughter is on the small size and she buys a lot in these type of stores. She is pretty particular what she wears. I think her other favorite store is called Forever 31 or something like that. Look on sale racks. Good luck.

lots of options on amazon...I put 45.00 as the high price and found some nice dresses:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010E31R18?keywords=christmas%20party%20dress&nodeID=7147442011&qid=1449174146&ref_=sr_1_7&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011%2Cp_36%3A-4500&s=apparel&sr=1-7

Learn to sew, anyone?????

Boops, since we all seem to be "shopping" , can you tell us what size your daughter is? I wouldn't mind perusing the web in search of the perfect dress.

Nanny, good thought, but a bit to late for Christmas:)

I can sew, but finding material, sizing... she's probably a bit far from me. And we're out of time.

:)

Good thought on the sewing. I cansew but basic stuff. OT but I did recently make a fitted slipcover for a 5 dollar armchair. With piping AND a zipper. Two things never attempted before. Sure, it's not perfect but hey, shabby chic is still in , right? However, I do have a neighbor 3houses down.hmm.Thanks all for the help. Did not get toSears yet. I'll let you know.

You go! I bet no one else notices your imperfect parts, just the great looking slipcover.

I'm not one to live and breathe all things internet but discovered a love for YouTube. That thing is an amazing resource.

My nieces love Chicos have you tried there?

Could you find a dress that she could wear for other occasions besides just Christmas?

Boops, what IS the occasion?

Congratulations on the slipcover! Those look simple, but they're tricky and it sounds like yours is a great success.

Much empathy for the dress search. I don't have any additional suggestions, but wish you good luck.

It's for Christmas pictures. And those family holiday get together where we take lots of photos. Big family that doesn't get all in 1 place too often.

Knowing her approximate size and color preferences would help. She's 10. She probably has a sense of what she likes and dislikes. How does she like to dress for everyday?

There's a very sweet plaid dress at Amazon for under $50 that goes up to size 12 -- measurements for each size are given, which ought to be helpful. Brand is Swea Pea and Lilli (spelling is accurate, lol) -- put that in search box and it should come up for you. It's definitely not a slutty dress!

Some cute hits with a "girls christmas dress" search on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dfashion&field-keywords=girls+christmas+dress&rh=n%3A7141123011%2Ck%3Agirls+christmas+dress

The OP stated that even big girls sizes are too small. Would help to know if she wears a Junior Petite, Regular Junior or Junior Plus and what the DD's taste in clothing/color style is.

Have you tried Justice? Tweens like this store.

link to dresses

party, there really are some cute things at that website! HERE'S THE ONE that I think is adorable.

rhizo, I think these two would be perfect for holiday photos, and they might even fit me. :) Here

and here.

(houzz won't let me add two links in a single post!)

Justice clothes are probably not going to work. Once you need the bigger sizes , the Justice clothes don't seem to fit right. Op's daughter is at the stage where there aren't a lot of options. To get what you want, you either have to buy clothes that either cost more or you have to be creative.