Buying Baby Clothes

Having a new bundle of joy join your family is an exciting, life-changing event. Amidst all the family gatherings, doctor’s visits and commotion, don’t forget one of the most important preparations is getting baby girl clothes or boy clothing. The best way to approach the huge purchase of infant clothing is to plan ahead before buying and making wise purchase choices. Having a plan for apparel will prevent getting too many of one size or style. Remember to get baby clothes for each stage of life though the first year. Larger sizes, like for three to six months, are nice to have on hand as your little one starts growing. Make a list of what you need and want, and have fun showering your little boy or girl with unique baby gifts. Buying cute baby clothing for your new tot can be a very special event, especially for new parents. It’s not unusual for every layette list tell you to buy different amounts of items, so a good rule is to make sure you get enough to go a few days without having to wash.

Get onesies, sleepers, booties or socks and burp cloths. Get a good supply of cloth diapers early on if you’re planning to use them instead of disposable. If you’re shopping for toddlers or older kids, get rompers (snap at the crotch), bibs, outing clothes and a light jacket. Cotton clothing is more comfy but it will shrink very quickly whereas polyester blends last through more washes. The important thing to remember is that you can get quality designer baby clothes without dishing out big bucks.

You can measure the quality of apparel by seeing how well it endures your little one’s daily life. The ability for newborn clothing to survive multiple washes is especially important since those little ones often seem to be bundles of pee, poop and spit-up, though they don’t get as dirty as older children. The secret to safe, constant cleaning is to wash on the gentle cycle with warm water and dry on low heat. Premature infants have special needs, so any item you get must be special made. Preemie baby clothes, for example, must be extra soft and warm. 

When you actually go to buy, it's important to know what baby clothing you need. A basic guideline is to not buy too much newborn apparel – little one will grow out of them too soon. Invest more in the 6 to 9 month size as well as the other larger sizes. Remember the saying "growing faster than a weed"?

This epitomizes the need to always buy a size up, even into the toddler stage. Finally, with the large amount of infant clothes you'll be buying stick to the low and mid-priced range products. It's surprising how easily the stuff considered hip becomes excessively expensive.  However, you might get lucky and find a good price on designer item, and you do get what you pay for most of the time with clothing. Be sure to keep an eye out for big sales, because they are out there. You also need to make sure to buy apparel that will work for a boy or a girl.  Don’t worry about gender specifics at first.

If you’re looking for an alternative to the usual fare, you could shop for something unique to spice up your little one’s closet.  There are several different ways to do this. You can look for shirts, pants or onesies with colors and designs that stand out. You could even get something funky like a little costume or special outfit for Halloween or Christmas.