Registry: Baby Clothes
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2017 Update: We still stand by this advice on what should moms register for baby clothes— links have also been updated below.
Welcome to installment three of our registry for working moms: general baby clothes. What should new moms register for clothes for their baby? Which are your favorite brands and types of baby clothing — and have they changed through the months and years with kids? We’ve already talked about carseats and strollers, cribs and sleeping gear, and now: baby clothes for the registry. As I mentioned last time, I envision the entire series going through these categories (stay tuned!):
- Carseat — necessary from coming home from the hospital!
- Stroller — how many have you tried? How many do you keep? (e.g., big stroller, umbrella stroller, jogging stroller)
- Cribs and sleeping gear — crib and bassinet rocker, if necessary
- Clothes — daytime clothes, baby socks
- Babywearing carrier — infant and 15-lb.+
- Baby toys — swings, seats, and other Big Things to register for (Exersaucers, etc)
- Essential books
- Diaper bag
- Nursing clothes
- Breastfeeding pillow
- And one final category: The Biggest Flops (stuff you hated).
- If you can, register for things like onesies and footed sleepers in multiple sizes — that first year you end up needing a ton of different sizes, and it’s nice to just have them on hand. Note that for season-specific clothes it’s hard to do this in advance because you don’t totally know how big your kiddo will be when born, or how he or she will grow.
- Don’t get too crazy registering for baby clothes, though — you may end up hating some things (for me it was sleeping gowns); you might end up loving others. It really is a matter of taste — as well as what time of year your baby was born in. For Harry (born in May), for example, we kept him in a diaper and swaddle for pretty much the first 3 months — mostly SwaddleMe, but we also had a Woombie Air and an Aden + Anais Easy Swaddle we liked. After that, to be honest, we’ve kept him in footed sleepers for most of his first year.
- Try a few brands of clothes — but in general I found it easiest to pick a few brands I like and stick with those for all of the boys’ clothes. Things fit differently (length, width), wear differently, and so forth — right now I pretty much exclusively buy Carter’s, Old Navy, and Gap for the boys. For round #2 these have held up… fine, I suppose. I’ve heard that some people who know they want a lot of kids think the fancier clothes (Splendid, Petit Bateau, etc.) hold up better for various rounds of hand-me-downs — so you get more for your money. As they say, your mileage may vary.
- Randomly: try a few brands of diapers for your little one too — they’re a bit like pants. Each brand fits a bit differently in the rise, the leg holes, etc., etc. We were big fans of Huggies for both boys. (I have no experience with cloth diapering — if anyone would like to write a guest post on your experiences with it, please contact me!)
Specific Recommendations
Swaddles: I like the SwaddleMe; the Woombie Air and Aden + Anais muslin ones were both nice alternatives for a summer baby. (Again, for H, this is pretty much all he wore for the first few months of his life. We would stick him in a onesie or footed sleeper if we were wearing him.
Pajamas: I’m a big fan of the footed sleeper, at least after the swaddling months — bonus if it has a zipper instead of snaps. Sleepers without feet don’t make any sense to me (babies do NOT do socks) and pajamas as separates, while adorable, just seem like they ride up and get all bunchy while the kiddo sleeps. Once the kiddo is out of swaddles, the sleepsack (a wearable blanket) is a must. We’ve always liked the Halo sleepsacks in jersey and fleece; we’ve also had a few Aden + Anais sleepsacks for summer. (Pictured: Harry in one of his zip-up footed sleepers.)
Socks and Shoes: Do not underestimate the ability of a baby to kick off every sock you try to get on their feet — this goes double for shoes. So for my $.02, for the first year I’m more a fan of footed pants or footed sleepers to keep their little toesies warm, at least until the baby is crawling and needs the traction of bare feet. For the rare outing where we wanted booties, we loved the Zutano baby booties for the first year, which the boys wore as “shoes” — they were super warm and, amazingly, kickproof. (I’ve read that it’s better, developmentally, to let them be in bare feet rather than shoes, so there’s that.) In general, I would not consider any socks without grippers on the bottom for traction until the kiddo is 3 or 4.
Other clothes (onesies, pants): We rarely used these (really just for babywearing and parties) until the boys were older, like 6 months. My big tip with onesies: if you can, register for ones that have a VERY wide opening at the neck, if not a V-neck or kimono-like folds and snaps. My boys’ heads were both so wobbly and soft that it freaked me out to put clothes on over their heads. (We loved our Kate Quinn Organics kimono/wraps. The designs aren’t my favorite, but I liked the functionality of the Petunia Picklebottom onesies we were gifted by friends.) We haven’t tried them, but these Zutano wraps look good. As a second-time mom I was ok with the boatneck openings on Carter’s onesies, but when I was a first-time mom they freaked me out. We got a TON of denim for baby gifts from friends — denim jackets! denim overalls! jeans! — and I will say that these were some of the least-used things in our boys’ wardrobes — they were just so stiff it felt cruel to make the boys wear them. (Pictured: a rare photo of Jack in clothes!)
Summer clothes for babies: I always get freaked out at the possibility of either boy getting a tan, so I make them wear rash guards whenever we go to a sprayground or pool, and a hat (with a chin strap) pretty much all the time. Amazon has a million rash guards; Land’s End and Old Navy both do sometimes as well. I like this blanket with UV protection (ROSK Sun Cover) for chilly but sunny weather.
Winter clothes for babies: Be very careful with a puffy jacket — you never want it to interfere with a tight seatbelt in your carseat or stroller. (The CarSeat Lady has a very thorough tutorial!) It depends on your situation, but a lot of times a stroller/carseat cover like JJ Cole or 7 A.M.® Enfant will be better for the baby because he can be fastened in tightly but warm and snuggly under his stroller cover. In general, for our boys we would just add a fleece bunting/coverall on top of their footed PJs and then either put them in the stroller/carseat with bunting or the carrier. (To be extra careful, bring the cover with you when you get your carseat-installation checked to make sure it’s safe to use in the car.) We loved the Zutano fleece hat, and have used a million mitten clips to keep their mittens attached to the coat. (Pictured: Jack in his monkey/sherpa coverall from Carters.)
Boy-specific items: I don’t think you really need anything specific for boys. A friend gifted us Peepee Teepees, which were cute, but honestly we just kept a washcloth near the changing pad for this purpose.
What are your favorite baby clothing brands? We’d love to hear your thoughts on:
- swaddles and blankets
- PJs
- socks and shoes
- general clothes
- spring/summer clothes
- fall/winter clothes
- boy/girl specific items
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N.B. These substantive posts are intended to be a source of community comment on a particular topic, which readers can browse through without having to sift out a lot of unrelated comments. And so, although of course we highly value all comments by our readers, we’re going to ask you to please keep your comments on topic; threadjacks will be deleted at our sole discretion and convenience. Thank you for your understanding! Picture below via Stencil.
Sales of note for 1/16:
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Cashmere on sale; AllSaints, Free People, Nike, Tory Burch, and Vince up to 60%; beauty deals up to 25% off
- AllSaints – now up to 60% off (some of the best leather jackets!)
- Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles with code — readers love this blazer, these dresses, and their double-layer line of tees
- DeMellier – Sale now on, free shipping and returns — includes select options like Montreal, Vancouver, and Venice
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; extra 50% off all clearance, plus ELOQUII X kate spade new york collab just dropped
- Everlane – Sale of the year, up to 70% off — reader favorites include their scoop tee, Dream Pant, ReNew Transit backpack, silk blouses and oversized blazers! New markdowns just added
- Hannah Andersson – Up to 30% off all pajamas;
- J.Crew – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 50% off cashmere
- J.Crew Factory – 40-70% off everything
- L.K. Bennett – Archive sale, almost everything 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Tag sale for a limited time — jardigans and dresses $200, pants $150, tops $95, T-shirts $50
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale – 50% off + extra 20% off, sale on sale, plus free shipping on $150+
And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
My kid does not fit carters. He is too chunky. We like whatever people have given us for free- literally I have enough clothing for three babies. For splurges Stella MC is our favourite brand and we love Moschino but most of what baby wears is BabyGap or American Apparel.
I am kind if obsessed with babywearing so I want to address the recommendations. I love that they were mentioned! I think they are essential for bonding and to get anything done! It is usually easier to babywear than to use a stroller. Having said that, I wish you hadn’t recommended the Bjorn. They are horrible carriers that are usually not comfortable for long periods of time and can exaserbate hip issues. Facing out is not recommended in most babywearing circles. Consider a ring sling for quick ups and downs. A lot of people prefer the Tula over the Ergo. Also, you can never go wrong with a good quality woven wrap like a Didymos or Natibaby. Lastly, seek out your local babywearing group so you can try out a bunch of different carriers
I have a ridiculous number of gerber brand footed zip up pjs. They’re about $10 for a 2 pack on amazon, and I got them in all of the colors I liked. My daughter haaaated being swaddled from day one, and I was terrified of dressing a floppy tiny fragile newborn in clothes that went over the head, so she wore footed zippy pjs pretty much every day for the first 4-5 months of her life and now wears them every night to sleep in. I like the gerber ones because they are nice and roomy, though the size newborn ones were so big they didn’t fit her until she was a month old. I’m really sad they only go up to size 9 month, because she’s pretty much grown out of them and I’m in denial about having to buy (twice as expensive) Carters ones.
OP here. Don’t kill the messenger — or her down to earth montessori daycare. I received the dress-your-baby-well advice from multiple sources whose kids went to all different daycares and have found it to be true for us as well. I actually expect the benefit of dressing well to decrease over time — as she gets older she’ll have more of a personality. She doesn’t wear designer clothes to school or anything, we just generally put in more care to dress her in a cute outfit that fits and matches, with matching socks and headband, than we do on days off.
I agree that outside of daycare situations baby clothes are a waste of money, but what can I say. I enjoy dressing a cute baby, especially while my own postpartum wardrobe is so ugh. So I give myself permission to enjoy this aspect of babyhood. Soon enough she’ll have strong preferences with respect to her clothes and this moment will be over.
I probably should ask for a commission since I say it so much – I really like H&M for play clothes. They have good prices, the clothes are soft and there are lots of choice, and they hold up well (although sizing can be a little tricky). For newborns, I think we stuck with the footed sleepers from Carters and occasionally I branched out and did the legwarmers + onesies. Once kiddo was crawling, it was onesies and pants (onesies to keep her little belly covered, pants to keep her knees protected). Once she was walking, tunics/dresses and leggings and socks with grippers, if she wore socks at all. I don’t know why, but oneies just seem too restrictive now that she is mobile.
I lust after the mini Boden clothes but they are SO EXPENSIVE and we destroy or outgrow clothes so quickly. My splurge is a dress from the Baby Gap clearance rack, and now that we are going outside to the playground I may be buying more shoes than a toddler should ever own. She has Nikes (gift from grandparents, so CUTE), canvas sneakers from Target, and patent leather mary janes from Target.
My one piece of advice on baby clothes is not to keep anything sacred as “nice clothes.” They will outgrow it before they wear it. My kiddo wore her Christmas dress to daycare, wears her special Easter shoes to the playground, her “good coat” out to play in the snow, etc. I had such a hard time giving away all the “nice” dresses she wore once (or never) as a newborn.
All of my baby clothes have been hand-me downs, gifts or consignment sale purchases, so it is a definite mismatch and not always my style, but between the food and poop, it’s practical. And I like to think my babies are cute enough to get attention despite their style or lack thereof.
I had really good luck buying a big bag of cloths from local moms group. You just have to find the right size and season. You can then supplement with specific needs like a swim rash guard or sleep sack. And speaking of sleep sacks, the Baby Deedee Sleep Nest is awesome for cold months. So much better than the halo fleece. It feels like a wearable duvet.
Yes, let’s be practical . . . BUT! What are the fun things!? What about splurges? Even if it’s just for special occasions?
We loved the NuRoo swaddlers. Baby was an amazing escape artist, and those were the only thing that worked. I highly recommend them. Other than that, the baby has lived in footie PJ’s almost exclusively. Now that it’s warming up, she’s in one-piece rompers. It’s just easier not to deal with outfits and multiple pieces! We have a few cute dresses and outfits, but unless there’s a good reason to wear them, we go for comfort and convenience every time. As far as nicer items/smocked items, I’ve had great luck at higher end consignment stores. And I concur with the Zutano bootie recommendation for the colder months.
Honestly, I wouldn’t register for baby clothes at all. They don’t need much at first, and you won’t really know what you like until you’re in the thick of it. Plus, you won’t really have a good idea for size until the baby is here. Also, lots of people will gift you baby clothes even if you don’t ask for them. I say save your registry picks for gear and buy a few clothing items yourself to get started. A swaddler to try, a few footie PJ’s, maybe a few gowns, and some of the wrap style shirts (until the cord stump falls off). Carter’s return policy is generous, which is helpful. Then you can re-evaluate after a month once you see what works for you.
While I haven’t tested this myself, a friend suggested skipping leggings/pants/socks altogether and instead using baby leg warmers, which can be pulled down to cover feet or scrunched up to expose feet. She dresses her baby in onesies and leg warmers and says they make diaper changing much, much easier than actual pants and that baby can’t lose them like socks. Her favorite brand is BabyLegs, which are pricey but do go on sale, so I registered for a slew of those.
+1 to being scandalized by the idea that kids dressed in nicer clothes are treated better by daycare. Mine will mostly be wearing a mismash of nice handmedowns, not actual outfits.
I don’t think of clothing as registry items, but I suppose the idea is to generate brand recs and tips.
swaddles and blankets: Aiden and Anais, hands down. I swaddle with blankets, but they are also great for a nursing cover, carseat sun shade, etc. Every one of my kids has a personalized double-sided minky blanket, too (like Carters’ Valboa blankets), which gets a lot of use well into school age.
PJs: Carters footed sleepers for pre-walkers. Hanna Andersson/Kirkland for walkers.
socks and shoes: Trumpette (sized way up) for cuteness. Hanes, Old Navy, or Children’s place for everyday socks that stay on. See Kai Run Smallers for pre/early walkers.
general clothes: Hanna Andersson wiggle pants for crawlers and/or cloth diaper babies. Otherwise, this and that from the usual suspects. I buy most infant and toddler clothing from consignment sales. For the first couple of months, I keep newborns in sleepers and only have 1-2 cute outfits per size. My babies mainly wear comfy, casual clothing from Carters, Old Navy, Gap, Children’s Place, and Target, although Hanna Andersson and Tea get mixed in. Gymboree and Zatano didn’t fit as well. I also like American Apparel, mostly for t-shirts (I prefer to onesies) and to break out of the typical baby colors.
I actually find it a little disturbing to think that the teachers would consistently pay more attention to a baby because of his/her outfit. Attire and appearance will be important as my kids get older. I don’t like it, but I recognize that it’s going to happen. But for a baby? No, no, no.
FWIW, my girls wear functional and comfortable clothes from Old Navy, Carter’s and Kohl’s. I like pajamas from Carter’s and play clothes from Old Navy. I’ve gotten a few decent pieces from The Gap, but I find the clothing generally to be a bit more fussy and expensive than I like. Kohl’s is a great option for reasonably priced basics. I don’t like Target’s clothing as much – it runs small for my girls and the fabric always feels stiff/coarse to me. I try to buy simple neutral bottoms (pants/shorts for my preschooler and pants/capris for my crawler). Then I buy a ton of colorful but simple tops.
There are always good promotions for Kohl’s, Carter’s and Old Navy. I never buy without a coupon code, because – again – most of these clothes are good for 3 months- 6 months max when they are young.
My source for fancy/cute clothes is Grandma.
We registered for some basics (sleepers, neutral sets of onesies/pants) and no one got them for us. Everyone got us clothes, but wanted to pick out something themselves. Worked out great, save a few people who got summer outfits in sizes that were too small by the time it got worn. I think it did give gift-givers an idea of what kinds of clothes we were looking for.
And what have we ended up using? Only sleepers for the first three months! Zippers preferred to snaps! This kid didn’t wear pants until last week. As we move into summer I think he’ll mostly be in onesies, which I still hate putting over his head but it’s a lot easier now than it was when he was a newborn.
Also, we registered for cloth diapers and no one bought those for us, either. We use prefolds and covers and it has worked out really well so far. I’m not expert enough for a guest post but am happy to answer questions/give my opinion about cloth diapering!
I generally stock up each season on cotton or cotton-blend “play” clothes for LO at Target and Old Navy. I find these two places less “twee” than Carters. I definitely lean toward more basic, less twee baby clothes.
I then blend in smocked items (various sources and boutiques), and other “nicer” items. As was mentioned above, I love Hanna Andersson and Zutano. I also love Burts Bees Baby. The nice thing about Zutano and Hanna Andersson is that I’ve had great luck reselling on eBay.
I agree with finding a few brands and sticking with them. Tea makes adorable clothes, but they just aren’t designed for my little guy’s shape. I wish I had known that before I bought a bunch of Future Clothes for him! We have a mix of Carter’s, Zutano, and Hanna Andersson. Zutano and Hanna Andersson can be pricey, but they have pretty reasonable sales and you can find them on zulily every so often. I do think that the Zutano and Hanna pieces hold up better over multiple washings compared to Carter’s. We decided we were willing to spend a little more on higher quality clothes, but not buy as many outfits, and just do laundry more often. (Of course, if you don’t have in-unit laundry, that’s not practical.)
I try to buy matching onesies and bottoms at the same time, so that we have outfits ready to go. The three piece sets from Carter’s are great for this – one l/s onesie, one s/s onesie, and one pair of pants. I roll up each outfit and they each fit into one square of a drawer insert made for organizing bras. It makes getting ready in the mornings a lot easier.
I agree with PP’s comment – I do think LO gets a little more attention because of his outfits.
As far as socks and booties, we love the Zutano booties, too. Those Trumpette socks are oh so cute, but they tend to run small. We like the socks from Robeez and Old Navy.
So far, nine weeks in, my favorite things are zip up footed sleepers from Carter’s. However, as my kid is a Houdini who does best with a double swaddle, she usually wears just a onesie under all that right now.