Choosing Baby Clothes
There’s more to consider than how it looks…
So, you’re expecting a baby and making all the necessary preparations for the arrival of
your new family member. How do you go about choosing the clothes for your new little
person? There’s much more than “blue for a boy…pink for a girl…twice as much for
twins” when it comes time to select clothes for your new baby. To avoid the potential
pitfalls that ensnare many new parents there are a few things to keep in mind to help
make the process as seamless as possible.
Comfort Over Cuteness
Too many parents get all gushy and sentimental when shopping for baby clothes. It’s
very easy to look at that little blue sailor suit or little pink petticoat and think to oneself
“how cute will little Keanu or Britney look in this!” Consider however that your
newborn’s skin is very tender and quite sensitive. That cute little outfit could cause quite
a bit of discomfort if it’s made of the wrong materials, doesn’t breathe easily, or is too
constrictive. Clothes for a newborn should be soft, absorbent, and made of natural fibers.
Think cotton. There will be plenty of time to embarrass your child by forcing her to wear
clothes she hates when she’s a teenager. For the time being, choose outfits that put the
baby’s comfort over all else.
Accessibility
One point that some parents seem to forget when selecting baby clothes is that they will
need to be changed… often. Infant wear with too many buttons, straps, and fasteners can
quickly become troublesome as the item needs to be undone and redone again and again
to allow access for diaper changing or removing and replacing the entire outfit due to
soiling of some kind. Remember that babies are messy little people and that you and
your partner are going to be the ones cleaning up those messes, in one way or another, for
the next eighteen to twenty years. Make it easy on yourselves now while the child and
the messes are still small.
Ease of Care
A very important consideration in baby clothing is ease of care. Always look at the care
labels while you’re still in the store and make sure that the item is machine washable and
doesn’t have any special restrictions regarding detergents, bleaches, or fabric softeners.
You’re not likely to come across any baby clothing that requires dry cleaning, but you
always want to be sure. Cotton is definitely the fabric of choice for baby clothing for the
reasons mentioned above, but cotton does have a nasty tendency to shrink when washed
in hot water. Your baby will outgrow her clothes quickly enough, so items that contain a
blend of cotton and other, non-shrinking, fibers may be acceptable. Make sure that the
cotton to poly ratio is weighted in cotton’s favor and you should still be all right in terms
of comfort while ensuring that little Paris will be able to get into her duds for as long as
possible.