I have a 15-month-old son, and I am expecting his sister soon. All that is on my mind right now is how to dress babies in their first year. Sorting through my son’s old baby clothes is on my to-do list for next week! You’ll soon figure out that I’m a minimalist, and I generally underthink everything in motherhood. I pay very little attention to baby products, safety risks, and milestones. I usually find out what I should be aware of at pediatrician appointments. I am straight-up winging this thing.
How to dress a baby was a big mystery to me before having my first. I remember having to ask the nurse at the hospital, is the white bodysuit mandatory like underwear? Does the swaddle replace the jammies?
As I stare at the massive pile of bags and bins in the closet, I’m realizing just how much I’ve learned about dressing babies along the way. Just like our own fashion tastes, we all have our values and preferences. If you value practicality and ease, this is the advice column for you!
Here are my tips on how to dress babies by age during the first year:
Newborns
- 5 Newborn outfits – Max. They outgrow them so quickly. Most of our adorable newborn swag was never worn. If they come out tiny, you can always order on Amazon!
- Zips over Snaps – I am 100% on Team Zips! So much easier at 2 AM when every minute of sleep and focus is precious.
- Those white bodysuits – They do help prevent sweaty babies, and give you an extra layer with blowouts. Stick with short sleeves. Wiggling newborn arms into long sleeves at 2 AM – hard pass!
- Every day is casual Friday – Unless you live in Paris or the Upper East Side, skip the button-downs, and skip the jeans! Also, I don’t know if it was just my kid but newborns in Khakis is a strange look. Keep them in footed jammies all day! Basic onesies and pants if you’re feeling fancy! We love Primary Basics!
- Limit the socks and shoes – Listen. Baby socks and shoes are adorable. Go for it if that sparks joy, but they’re not necessary. Shoes always fall off. Socks end up who knows where. If anything, go with booties (we have one pair of Zutano Booties). I also buy into the Montessori guidance to resist covering up hands and feet because it’s how newborns experience the world!
Three Months to Nine Months
- Pants optional at home – Babies really start exploring during this time. Rolling over, pulling up, and crawling. Throw on a onesie and give those legs room to breathe, especially if it’s the summertime! And you only get to enjoy those amazing baby thighs for so long!
- Buy secondhand for daycare – Blowouts, starting solids, and general infant room tomfoolery requires several outfit changes a day. And PSA daycare DOES NOT care if the outfit they sent the baby home in matches. We quickly realized we needed to double the number of clothes we had, and it made way more sense to do secondhand. We love Children’s Orchard in Westborough. People donate great quality stuff, and there is an amazing $1 rack!
Nine Months to Fifteen Months
- Start phasing out the Onesies – Diaper changes start to feel like a little more of a workout at this age. We started doing standing diaper changes (more on that in a future post!), but even if they’re on their backs, it is way easier with just a T-Shirt and Pants!
- Slip-on Sneakers – Our son didn’t wear a pair of shoes until he started walking at 10 months. We got one pair of soft shoes for indoors. When spring hit and I realized, “Oh! He’s going to start walking outside!” We got a simple pair of slip-on sneakers from Cat and Jack. Simply because that was what was in my direct line of vision at Target on the first day the weather got nice!
Seasonal Considerations
Winter Newborns
- Fleece swaddle sleep sacks – We layered the sleep sack over a short sleeve bodysuit and footie pajamas. Also, we needed more sleep sacks than we thought! Our kid was a soaker!
- Baby-wearing coat – I’m a big walker and didn’t want to stop in the winter, so I splurged on this gem from Seraphine.
Summer Infants (3 months+)
- Long sleeve swimsuits – I had some cute trunks but quickly realized how little tolerance I have for putting sunscreen on a baby, and sunscreen is generally not recommended until 6 months old. Less exposed surface area, the better!
- Rompers with hoods – Hat, shirt, and shorts, all in one! This will totally be reversed because my daughter will be a summer baby. Any tips on how to dress babies, specifically a newborn, during the summer months?
