How to find the best baby girl clothes
Shopping for a baby should be a joy for any parent. After all, the vast majority of people see their newly arrived progeny as the best thing to ever happen to them and enthusiastically share baby stories with friends and co-workers. Taking care of an infant might impose some stress upon a new parent, but most everyone reaches the conclusion this is well worth it. What it shouldn’t necessarily impose much stress, however, is clothes shopping for a baby. After all, they are not a particularly picky demographic in matters of style and fashion, so what’s there to it besides checking that the clothes are easy to wear, fit well, and don’t contain potentially harmful dyes or plastics? With the huge variety of baby clothes on offer, however, even the most discerning parent could find a challenge in picking the right one, not to mention friends or members of the family who have been invited to baby showers or similar events and now have to pick some cool baby girl clothes from what’s available for sale.
No need to fret, after some thorough research on the web, we’ve compiled this handy guide packed with all the basic things you need to look for when shopping for a baby girl.
How we chose the coolest baby girl clothes
Size
Checking for the right size is especially important when buying for a baby since they tend to grow very fast. They also tend to significantly differ in size between them, with some larger babies never having to wear newborn clothes, for example. There are some common sizes to look for:
Newborn clothes are for babies who are shorter than 17 inches and weigh less than 7 lbs. A baby will grow out of these in her first weeks of life and “graduate” to 0-3 months clothes, which fit babies between 17-23 inches in height and 7-12 lbs. in weight. The next mileposts are at 3-6 months, 6-9 months and 9-12 months, basically you will have to change the baby’s outfit every three months.
The most important thing, however, is to accurately know the baby’s height and weight, since as we’ve mentioned, they tend to differ quite enough between them. Any parent should be informed of this during the first year doctor’s appointments, but if you’re unfamiliar with the exact figures, the safest thing to do is to buy in sizes for a higher age group. The baby will grow into them eventually.
Essential clothes and their practicality
Babies are messy creatures, their outfits need constant changing and cleaning, so when shopping for clothes, she will wear daily make sure to go for something practical. Machine washing must be a given, and also adequately placed buttons that make changing a diaper easier. Look for elastic fabric that is easier to take off, as long as it’s soft and doesn’t include too much synthetic material.
Arguably the most popular baby wear is the onesie. It can provide for great layering, keeping the baby warm underneath other clothes and it’s also comfortable enough to be worn as a sleeping outfit. It’s great for keeping the diaper in place, and it’s specially placed buttons make changing easy, eliminating the need remove the entire outfit. Sometimes they come with foldable pockets over the hands that prevent the baby from scratching.
Rompers also include snaps inside the legs to facilitate changing a diaper. They are better suited for older babies, that have already begun crawling. If the onesie leaves the legs bare, the romper extends to the ankles in order to protect the knees from hard floors or abrasive carpets. Consequently, these are going to see a lot of wear and tear. Both rompers and onesies are usually made out of the same material (soft cotton), but we recommend you look for a thicker fabric when shopping for a romper.
Special occasion clothes
Infants might not care a lot about style, but parents tend to. It’s hard to resist the temptation of playing dress-up with your little one since there are so many cute and funny baby clothes for girls out there. There are a few things to consider first, though.
Make sure that the “street” outfit doesn’t make contact with your baby’s skin since it can prove an irritant if it’s made out of hard fabric. Also, take note of the fact that small children generally don’t like to have clothes pulled over their head, so go for something that opens up at the back or in the front.
If you’re shopping for dresses, look for adjustable shoulder straps that will better fit most babies. Longer dresses are suitable for smaller babies since they provide more covering and warmth, but will entangle easily when the infant begins to crawl, so it’s advisable to look for shorter dresses at that stage.
If you want to dress up your baby for a special occasion, make sure she gets comfortable with the outfit beforehand, otherwise, you’ll have a hard time calming down a screaming infant during a photoshoot or family party.
Style and cost
When looking for the best baby girl clothes, always keep in mind that you won’t get that much use out of them. There’s no need to go for a full on designer outfit if it will become a hand-me-down in less than three months. Most advisable would be to have a mix between a handful of cheap clothes and one or two dresses for special occasions.
You can safely ignore things like high-quality stitching or any other considerations that have to do with durability for a reason already highlighted. What you should make sure of is that the outfit only contains natural material and has the appropriate certifications. If possible, stay away from products designed or even made in places like China or India, with a shady history of consumer safety.
If you really want to make something out of the money spent on stylish clothes, look for designers that provide matching outfits for you and your child, or for special offers around holidays. For example, there are a lot of price cuts for baby girl clothes for Christmas.