Congratulations! You’re going to have a baby. This baby is the most precious gift you will ever receive. You cannot wait to start nesting and put together the first outfit and gather the best pieces for the first wardrobe of this new life. When you buy baby clothes, you want to make sure that your baby will be comfortable and safe in the outfit. You also want the baby to have all the style and comfort in every piece of clothing you dress them in.
With so many styles, brands, and fabrics of baby clothes in the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the appropriate one for your baby boy or baby girl. You start to seek out (or is volunteered) advice from your parents, in-laws, neighbors, college buddies, and the person sitting next to you at OBGYN office. You then find yourself with an overload of information and perhaps conflicting advice, you end up being simply — more confused than when you first started.
To make this buying baby clothes more enjoyable, we listed out 6 most important factors to consider when buying baby clothes. We hope to help you make a smart and informed decision on creating that very first baby capsule wardrobe for this little being that will be the love of your life.
1. Fabric
Imagine a cute little baby has joined your family. Your first reaction is to want to dress your precious baby girl or baby boy up in funky, trendy, bright, and sometimes expensive clothes to complement all the cuteness overload. However, there are times when those cute outfits come at a price other than money, some babies start to get rashes and other skin irritations. Many times the fabric of the clothes is the culprit.
Babies, especially newborns, have very sensitive skin. So, when buying baby clothes, most parents would defer to picking out pieces made from cotton. However, there are also alternatives like soy-based fabrics that are sustainable (gentle on the environment) and silky smooth (gentle on babies) which is perfect for baby clothing. So our recommendation would be to consider fabrics like cotton (especially organic cotton), azlon from soy, and rayon from bamboo. These fabrics are from nature or derived from natural resources and have good properties to make them a good fit for baby clothes. Avoid bright colors as they may contain fluorescent agents.
Baby clothes made from materials like nylon and polyester may cause skin sensitivity and discomfort because of their inability to take up moisture and regulate babies’ body temperature so they should be avoided.
2. Safety
When buying baby clothes, safety is essential and sometimes overlooked by busy parents and families. Every year, millions of baby clothes are recalled because of failure to meet safety standards. Hence, it is vital to buy baby clothes that don’t raise safety concerns.
Do not buy any baby clothing with decorations like bows, buttons, flowers, and hooks because they can cause choking hazards. If a piece must contain decorations, they should be firmly attached. Also, avoid picking clothes with drawstrings and waistbands because they pose strangulation hazards.
When you are buying baby sleepwear, either pick the ones made from flame-resistant fabrics (chemically treated) or snug-fitting to safeguard babies from burns. This is particularly applicable to baby sleepwear sizes 9-14 months -babies are very mobile during this stage.
3. Size
Buying an adorable baby gown for your baby only to find it too small is a disappointment and a hassle of time and effort to make an exchange. Ensure you buy clothes that fit the baby right. The appropriate size is not only comfortable but also allows the baby to move easily. Babies grow at an amazingly fast rate, be sure to account for growth-rate when you are making purchases.
Most clothes have standard measurements to guide you if you are unsure of the size that will fit your baby well. However, keep in mind these are general guidelines and very often babies fall in between sizes (for example, their height is 3-6 months and weight is 6-9 months).
If you can’t decide on sizes, our recommendation is always to buy the bigger size to compensate for growth spurts. Also, ensure that baby clothes are easy to put on and take off. Between diaper changes, feeding, and burping, the last thing you want are onesies that require a lot of effort to change in and out of. Choose clothes with snaps and/or zippers as opposed to buttons. Again, avoid fanciness and consider practicality. If you are in the stores, try out the snaps and zippers to make sure they are easy to snap on and off or zip on and off.
4. Style & Functionality
When buying baby clothes, you should consider their functionality. For newborns, they would spend most of their day sleeping, so definitely pick out something comfortable, like a kimono bodysuit, onesies, sleep sack, baby footies, or a gown. Again, you want to pick styles that are easy to put on and take off.
Also, consider the practicality of clothes. Resist the urge to buy adorable sailor outfits if the baby would benefit more from bodysuits. Similarly, do not spend too much on clothes that your baby will hardly ever wear such as fancy party wears. One or two sets for special occasions are enough. For newborns, limit the number of newborn-sized clothes because as we mentioned prior, babies grow fast.
If you are choosing not to find out about your baby’s gender until birth, keeping a gender-neutral palette would be ideal. Many brands have unisex baby clothing collections to choose from alongside pink for girls and blue for boys.
Lastly, choose clothes that will launder easy and last through many washes. Babies change through outfits several times a day. Usually after a feeding or a diaper change. Therefore, buy clothes that don’t require extra TLC in its laundering process to help save time and effort on your end. Avoid knits and wool because they have special laundering conditions that may be overwhelming.
5. Cost
When buying baby clothes, don’t default to the lowest priced in the name of frugality. Never compromise quality for the price. We spoke about how fast babies grow and how sensitive their skin can be, buying top quality and well-designed clothes will give you a peace of mind as well as create a lot of oohs and aahs photographs of lasting memories. Choose quality over quantity. There are many parent-designed, thoughtfully made, and affordable baby clothes, both online and offline. Babysoy offers collections of high-quality baby clothes at affordable prices that make dressing your precious bundle a breeze.
6. Season
When buying baby clothes, factor in the season and the geographical climate you are in. Buy season-appropriate clothing and think ahead. If you are making a purchase in January, you might want to consider choosing something suitable for spring as you would only get 2-3 months out of winter clothes. Also, consider your geographic location (especially when buying a baby gift). What one wears in Southern California will be different from New York. If you are buying online, look for product descriptions carefully as it often will tell you if the fabric is light or heavy weight.
When this overlooked, you may end up making pre-purchases on clothes that your baby will not get to wear. Millions of clothes are tossed out annually and a lot of them unworn. It is a big contributing factor to a waste of our natural resources. Simply plan ahead, choose thoughtfully, and get the most usage out of the baby clothes you have your eyes set on.
After considering all the factors above, we hope some of the tips and reminders will be helpful for choosing the ideal outfit for this joy of bundle in your life. If you want to live minimally with the most thoughtfully created pieces, babysoy's parent's favorite will bring you much delight.
Dressing babies and gifting a new parent has never been easier!
