Mom-to-be, no doubt while you were (or are) expecting, you spent a lot of time thinking and preparing for your baby. This often means buying baby equipment like bibs, a crib and a mattress, plus painting and decorating the baby’s nursery. You will be thinking of names, and when your baby is born you will no doubt be inundated with gifts from family, neighbors and friends. You also may have concerns and wonder how to survive with a newborn.
One of the concerns you may be contemplating is your newborn’s wardrobe. Buying clothes can be expensive, especially when babies grow so quickly, but it is also one of the most enjoyable aspects of your new arrival.
There will, of course, be times when you are too tired to care whether your newborn has matching colors on or is the most stylish baby at the park. But there also will be moments when you want your baby to look his or her best.
Here are some tips and ideas for dressing your baby in style and for practicality:
Dressing Your Newborn
When you are dressing a newborn, you need to consider comfort and warmth. Toddlers are easier to dress with style, but newborns need the basics first; you can worry about style after.
1. Dressing for the Day
The most common item of newborn baby clothing is probably the onesie. They are so practical and cover your baby from head to toe – depending on the style – in a soft, natural material that keeps them warm and snug. Onesies are practical and make it easy to change diapers without fully undressing your baby.
You can get many different styles, such as tank shorties, bib overalls and even kimono-style, wrap-around shirts. These come with flexible sizing so they last longer. Because they are wrap-style tops they don’t have to go over your baby's head, which is much more comfortable.
Photo: BirdRockBaby
2. Covering Their Feet
Babies lose heat through their feet and the tops of their heads, just like adults, and need to be kept wrapped up. Babies' feet sweat a lot, so use natural materials to avoid common baby problems such as eczema. Baby socks are cute and will keep your newborn’s feet warm, but they can be kicked off easily. In fact, it is amazing how good babies are at removing them, and you may end up with a lot of single socks instead of pairs during the first months.
You also can get pants that have feet built into them. They are often described as footed pants or free-footed. You can buy these a little larger than your normal sizes, as long they remain comfortable, so you get more life out of them. Your baby at this moment is possibly not looking so stylish, but these pants do come in some great patterns and colors.
Another good option for keeping Baby’s feet warm and safe is to use baby booties.
Photo: BirdRockBaby
3. Baby Booties
When babies are born, they do not have bones in their feet, just a lot of soft cartilage, and their feet will not fully develop and harden until, believe it or not, age 13! Yes, that’s right, your feet were still in development when you were 8, 9, even 10 years old. This means care has to be taken when choosing shoes for babies. You want flexible, soft baby booties that are made with natural materials. Soft soles and warm, cozy fleece is ideal for those tender, developing little feet (and look so good).
Photo: BirdRockBaby
4. Increasing Warmth
Add on layers with soft cardigans, T-shirts and comfortable jumpers. Cardigans are a good option because if your baby starts looking a little too warm, they are easily removed. Babies sweat just like adults, and with the feet, they actually sweat up to three times as much as we do. Keep an eye on your baby for flushed cheeks and to see if his or her back is sweaty. They may not need quite as many layers as you think. The materials you pick also play a part here.
5. Choosing the Right Fabrics
When you are buying clothing and dressing your baby, you want him or her to look good, but you also need to make sure Baby is comfortable. These days, there's a greater selection than ever before. Fleece, 100-percent organic cotton and sustainable materials made ethically in eco-friendly conditions are all available. Things are more diverse than when you were a baby. The Global Organic Textile Standard is a set of standards that need to be met by companies in their manufacturing procedures, and is a way to make sure you are buying sustainable products.
6. Accessorizing Baby's Outfit
Accessories are always fun and your baby has plenty of options here, too. You have already looked at footwear, and if you decided not to use shoes, then you will need socks to keep your baby's feet warm. Overcome the lost sock problem by using pants with elastic bottoms and pull those over the socks. Alternatively, use a sock-retaining product to keep them on. While you are considering this area, you also could put on some stylish leg warmers. These aren’t just a cute addition to his or her outfit; they also can keep legs warm and socks on.
Remember earlier when you read about the heat leaving the feet and the head? Well, it is important not to forget their little heads. Knitted, soft beanies are ideal and look great. When your baby has grown a little, you can have a lot of fun in this area. There are some great hats, baseball caps and even flat caps for babies. And don’t forget mittens to keep their fingers warm on colder days, too.
Photo: BirdRockBaby
7. Dressing Your Older Baby for Photos or a Big Day Out
When your child is past being a newborn, you can start to experiment with clothing more. These days, baby clothing is completely different from the generations before. What you will notice now is a lot of toddlers – from about age 2 and up – are dressed almost like miniature adults.
If you are dressing for an occasion, you can have a lot of fun with your little boy or girl. To get an idea of how big this area of clothing is now, you only need to look at the likes of Stella McCartney and other designers who make fashion lines purely for children. Slouchy beanies, mohair sweaters and even Dr. Martens are available for babies. This trend has been made popular by the likes of pop stars' and actors’ children who are often displayed in the media. However, this style of clothing can cost an arm and a leg.
Many baby brands manufacture stylish clothing at good prices that will make your child look great in those photos. Try layering, accessories and nice bright colors. Matching your child with one of their friends can look great in pictures and is very stylish.
Photo: BirdRockBaby
8. Dressing Baby on a Budget
One of the toughest parts of having a newborn is the cost. They grow so fast that you are constantly needing new clothes. Expect your baby to triple their body weight in the first year! Lots of baby outfits come fairly cheap, but if you are going through them as if they are going out of fashion then the expenditure adds up quickly. There are some approaches you can use to reduce costs.
9. Use Clothing Rentals
Not for everyday use, of course, but if you are going to some event or having some special photos taken, then instead of buying an expensive outfit that they may never wear again, you can rent one. There are many websites that offer this option.
Photo: BirdRockBaby
10. Buy Used Clothes
This might sound odd, but there are plenty of used clothes waiting to be bought online. In these environmentally-concerning times, it makes sense to get the most use out of all products we buy. Most of these baby clothes have been cared for and are in excellent condition, and are available from well-known brand names.
11. Swap Clothes
Another way to keep your baby dressed in stylish gear and save money is to swap clothing. If you have friends with babies – especially if they are older and younger than yours – then this is a good way to rotate clothing and make the most out of it. As your child outgrows their clothes, you can swap with your friend. You can also do this online with sites like Swapmamas.
Dressing your baby stylishly doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune. Fluffy baby booties, leg warmers, slouchy beanies and accessories can be fun and affordable. Swapping clothes with friends means you can rotate your infant's wardrobe and keep it fresh while saving money. Remember, comfort is the primary objective when dressing your baby.
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