A lot of the clothes they have out there these days is just ridiculous to expect a baby to wear! For example, a lot of newborn clothing comes with a hoodie. Now at first you might think, well that makes sense. You want your little newborn to stay warm right? Well, actually, they would probably be better off wearing a knit hat instead of a hood. AND... when a newborn isn't being held, they are on their backs all the time! So, I'm sure its not comfortable for them to lay on their backs with a bunched up piece of fabric (the hood) behind their head/neck/back.
What drives me the most batty about baby clothes though is just how fast babies grow out of stuff!!!! I have this cycle of Nathan's clothes that I have to keep constantly moving because he outgrows stuff so fast! I keep his current sizes in his dresser (obviously) and then keep his smaller clothes, which he's out grown, in labeled bags inside a bin in his closet, next to another bin full of more labeled bags containing clothes in larger sizes that he'll wear in the not too distant future! And due to the extreme temperature changes in the Midwest, there might be things he doesn't even get to wear! For example, if he had a cute short sleeve onesie and shorts combo in the 12 month size, he would probably never wear it because when he's 12 months old, its the month of November (which, is NOT shorts wearing weather in the Midwest! : ) ). And by the time it warms up to shorts wearing weather, he will be in 18 month clothes, and sadly, the cute shorts outfit will no longer fit him!
See what I mean... annoying! Baby clothes are designed to drive mothers crazy! And its working! Anyways, all this to say... I have come up with Kristin's Fool Proof Baby Clothes Buying Guide!... so that if you have a baby to buy clothes for, you'll know just what to get!...
1. No Newborn Outfits - If you are buying for a newborn, consider the following. The hospital and most pediatricians advise parents to have their babies wear little t-shirts, not onesies, until the baby's dried up umbilical cord falls off (sorry if that was a grotesque thought). It took Nathan's cord two full weeks to fall off. This means that for those two weeks he wore a diaper, a little wrap around long-sleeved t-shirt and a fleece swaddle. By the time he was able to wear newborn outfits, he had gained a few pounds (and granted he was born as a pretty big baby to begin with), so he barely fit into them! Unless you know the baby is tiny or possibly was born premature, skip the newborn size and buy a 0-3 month outfit instead. (Yes, they are slightly different in size, even though the one is NB and one is 0 months). And they usually have the same outfits in the NB size and the 0-3 month size, so you won't miss out on something cute by choosing the 0-3 month size.
2. Be Practical - As cute as a hooded sweatshirt would be on a boy or as cute as a tutu would be on a girl, you may want to wait until the baby can at least sit up or even stand before you pick out such an ensemble. That means, purchase those types of clothes in 6-9 month (or older) sizes. If you want to pick out something for a younger baby, find something snuggly and comfy for them. Between 0-4 months they sleep a lot and are on their backs a lot. Practical items would be onesies (since they go through a lot of these because leakage out of a diaper is common), swaddles, and jammies. If you do want to go with an out fit, pants and onesie or short and onesie combos are nice because the "shirt" will always be tucked in... so their bellies won't be exposed and they won't feel a draft under their shirt. Also zip ups or sweatshirts without hoods are also good.
3. Think Seasonally - When picking out a size of clothing for a baby, think about what time of year it will be when the baby reaches that age. As I said earlier, Nathan will probably never wear a shorts and t-shirt combo in the 12 month size. Likewise, he probably won't wear pants and a long sleeved shirt or sweatshirt in the 18-24 month sizes. They grow so fast, they often only wear an outfit for one season and then they are on to the next size. Its actually kind of sad!
4. Bigger is better - If you are unsure what size to get, always get the bigger size. They at least might grow into it. (But remember to think seasonally). Once its too small, it just won't work and will wind up in a labeled bag inside of a bin in the closet (if it were for Nathan! : ) ).
5. Clearance - Shop the clearance racks. The clearance racks are always full of clothes from the opposite season. So pick out something at a really good price and size it for 6 months ahead of the baby's current age.
6. Consignment - Because babies grow so fast and only wear any given outfit or clothing item for one season, buy used clothing at a much cheaper price! I needed a winter coat for Nathan and didn't want to pay full price so I looked at Once Upon A Child. I found a great navy blue London Fog Parka in the 18 month size (so he can grow into it from now until May) for TEN BUCKS! I'm glad I found such a deal because, again, sadly, he'll only wear this super cute, warm jacket for one winter. Next winter, I'll have to search for another coat for him in probably the 2T size!
Alright, so there you have it, some things to think about when considering what clothes to buy for a baby in your life! Happy shopping! : )
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