Traditional, Classic, and Old World Baby Clothing

In today’s world there are nearly as many styles in baby clothing as there are babies crawling about. Parents who want modern clothing can find it at the nearest Wal-Mart, those who desire alternative forms of clothing for their babies can usually find it online, some people make their baby clothing by hand, cutting cloth and sewing together designs from patterns purchased at the nearest Hancock Fabrics location. The choices are nearly limitless and include styles and designs too numerous to mention completely.

Like in other areas of the fashion world, baby clothes designs never really die, they go in and out of style according to the whims of the populace which, in the case of baby clothes, means the whims of the parents. Right now one of those whims is leaning toward retro clothing styles.

The term retro can mean a number of things, but often refers to pop culture of the recent past. While its true that styles influenced by the pop culture of the 1970s and 1980s are becoming popular, there is another retro movement taking place and it leans toward classic or old world baby clothing. Designs that were popular fifty, sixty, seventy, and up to a hundred years ago are gaining popularity with parents all over the country.

For baby boys, billowing “rompers” are selling from a number of specialty shops and websites from around the world to a largely American clientele, as are two piece short & shirt sets and old-style coveralls. Classic designs for girls include mostly flowing dresses and female counterparts to the boys’ rompers.

Most of these designs can not be found in the average American store and many come from Europe and must be purchased online or by mail order. The British web site “Baby Classics” offers these styles and more to their customers, so many of whom are in the US that the company saw fit to quote their prices in dollars as well as British pounds. The outfits are expensive by most baby clothing standards, costing about the same as some of the more extravagant designer outfits for babies, but have found an audience because of the “cute” appearance of the clothing as it is worn by the infants or toddlers.

These extremely retro baby fashions may not be for everyone because off their unique looks and hefty prices, but many parents are jumping onto this classic bandwagon and dressing their babies in the fashions of long ago. Due to the cost and the delicate fabrics you probably won’t see a lot of these designs showing up at the local park for play dates, but don’t be surprised if you’re sitting in church or at some special occasion and see a baby dressed like she’s living in the 1920s.

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Dressing a baby for winter can be a chore and a challenge. The little ones do feel changes in temperature far more keenly than adults, so it’s important to keep them warm – without overheating their little bodies. Don’t think just because you’ve picked up a nice snowsuit or bunting that your baby has all the clothes he needs for winter. What should the well-dessed winter baby be wearing?

The key concept in dressing babies for winter weather is layers. Several thin layers will keep baby far warmer than one bulky snowsuit – and make him feel far less like a stuffed sausage. In addition, you can regulate his body temperature by stripping off and putting on layers, or unzipping outer layers when you step inside. More specifically:

Onesies or footed cotton stretchies are the best inner layer for a winter outfit. The close fit helps keep body warmth in, and the one piece construction avoids drafts. Socks are important, especially if you choose a onesie instead of footed stretchies. Put them on before you put on pants so that they tuck inside pant legs.

Sweatshirts are prone to riding up and baring belly and back at the waist, and elastic waist sweatpants do the same in the opposite direction. Sweatsuits may be adorable on little ones, but a one-piece heavyweight jersey or fleece jumpsuit is a better choice for cold days. No gaps in coverage to let the cold in.

Sweaters are a must for babies and toddlers as well – and not just for winter. They’re great for slipping on over clothing on cool spring and autumn evenings. If you pick a couple of nice, oversize ones with hoods, they’ll do a nice job of substituting for a winter bunting as long as you’ve bundled up nice and snug underneath it.

While you’re bundling, don’t assume that a hood is all the head-covering baby needs. We lose up to 40% of our body heat through the top of our heads, and a loose hood can’t keep it all in. Make sure you tuck a nice snug cap under the hood – and pick a hood or cap with a face guard if you’ll have baby out in temperatures below freezing for more than short trips back and forth to the car. Tender skin gets frostbitten far too easily.

Make sure you cover up little fingers too – don’t trust to overlong sleeves. Little mittens, whether knitted or the built-in snowsuit mitts are vital. As far as snowsuits go, until the baby is up and walking, stick with bunting style snowsuits. They give the baby room to move his legs around, which will add to YOUR comfort on long car and stroller rides by reducing fussing. Shop around for a bunting with a safety-strap slot to feed car seat and stroller buckles through. Never compromise safety for warmth, not when you can have both. And speaking of car seats, adjust car seat straps and buckles to fit snugly without binding – and be sure to readjust when you pop in the baby sans bulky snowsuit.

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You’ve recently had a baby. It’s been a few months now, and the baby has outgrown virtually two full wardrobes. Sure it’s expensive, but there’s a whole other issue at hand. What is a mother to do with all of this extra baby clothes?

There are a number of ways to deal with this problem. First of all, there is the donation route. If you don’t have close friends with similar aged babies, you can put aside certain things for when they do, or in the event that you have another. The rest of the clothes can go to the Goodwill or Salvation Army. These are also a great place to find gently used baby clothes for incredible savings.

Special occasion attire like baby’s coming home outfit, first Christmas, and Baptism can be saved in a special place for passing on to a next generation. A great way to do this is by creating a memory box. Get a small trunk at a craft store and decorate it however you’d like. Fill it with small mementos like the baby’s hospital bracelet, first outfit and blanket. As the baby gets older you will have more things to add to it. This is a great way to preserve memories that your child may not have the foresight to think of now, but will appreciate very much later.

Using material from old baby clothes to make new baby clothes is a great way to save money and get a little more use out of the items that your child quickly outgrows. Making t-shirts into cute patchwork dresses, and pants into shorts are some quick fixes to pinch pennies.

Another way to use up material from old baby clothes is to make stuffed animals. Do you have a favorite t-shirt of your baby’s that his or her little arms just don’t quite fit right in anymore? Using the material to make a little stuffed bear is a great way to preserve that memory for yourself and pass something very special on to your baby. The same thing can be done, if a hobby persists, with socks and jeans as well. Soon all of your friends will be begging for little stuffed dolls made out of your baby’s old clothing.

If you are in fact creatively inclined, another great way to reincarnate your baby’s clothes is by creating a memory quilt. Save bits and pieces of your baby’s clothing and use it to create a full sized patchwork quilt for when your baby gets their own big bed. That kind of sentimental value also makes a great gift for a graduation or a wedding (if you can wait that long to show off your handy work).

If you’re planning on having another child, you have a built in way to get rid of all of the extra clothes. You can put away the clothes that your baby grows out of in a storage area. Just make sure you launder everything when it comes back out for round two. Sure, it stinks to get hand-me-downs, but it is unlikely your infant will notice, let alone care.

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Leave the cute outfits to the shower guests – these are the things you need.

Having a baby is a time of combined joy and stress for most people. Nothing compares to the joy that a mother feels when she’s holding her new baby for those first few days after bringing the little tyke home or that of the proud father showing off pictures of the infant to his friends and family. Unfortunately there is also nothing quite like the stress in worrying that everything is going to be all right and that the family is properly prepared for their joyous new addition.

New parents often fall into the trap of being unprepared when it comes to suitable clothing for their baby. In the months and weeks prior to the mother’s due date the couple will be preparing for baby’s arrival by setting up the baby’s room, buying necessary items like a crib, playpen, changing table, walker, and, of course baby clothes. The problem introduces itself when the parents (and this usually comes from Mom’s side) focus too much on purchasing the “cutsie” baby outfits and ignoring the basic essentials that babies will need.

Cotton bodysuits, absorbent baby blankets, bibs, and baby booties are items that a new parent can never have enough of. Babies are messy simply by their nature. For all the cuteness and adorability that they possess they are essentially little drooling, slobbering, spewing, waste producing machines for about the first year or so of their lives. As such, their clothes get messy quickly and often. So often that a parent may find herself changing her baby’s clothing almost as often as she changes baby’s diaper – sometimes more.

The best plan is to stock up on the practical “onesies” suits, baby tees, and mess-cleaning cotton blankets so that you always have plenty on hand. Buy plenty, but not so many that you’ll quickly be stuck with a pile of baby items that no longer fit the baby. A good rule of thumb is to have at least five clean outfits at any time. Pack extra when taking baby on an outing, and always make sure that you have plenty of clean backups. This may require a good deal of additional laundry duty, but that is just one of those fringe benefits that come along with a little bundle of joy.

The cute and adorable baby outfits are fine for taking baby to church or to visit grandma’s house, or for taking family photos, but keep in mind that the odds dictate that as soon as you fasten that last cute little button or tie the final adorable pink bow, the baby is going to spit up all over that precious little outfit. While planning and preparing for the arrival of your newest family member, forego a few cute outfits so you can stock up on more of the practical essentials. The guests at the baby shower can provide the cute stuff while you ensure that you are truly prepared.

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Getting what you need for your newborn without going broke

It’s been said time and again that babies cost a pretty penny. Although little Brad or Jennifer won’t hop out of the birth canal and start demanding servants and expensive electronic gadgets, they do represent some additional expenses that can be wallet-draining when considered all at once. Fortunately the expenses do not have to be incurred all at once – even an unplanned pregnancy allots nine months to plan and gradually deal with the expenses associated with procreation. There are several steps that expectant parents can take to help cut down on some of the major expenses that are expected.

Baby Showers

A baby shower is a time honored tradition in which expectant mothers get a bunch of free stuff from their friends and family members. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to take advantage of this situation. A decent shower can often cover most of the immediate baby layette needs. Usually someone will offer to hold a shower for the expectant mom, but she shouldn’t be afraid to drop hints to close friends and family or even come right out and ask for a shower.

Buy Diapers in Advance

When is the best time to start buying diapers and other such essentials? The moment after conception would be ideal, but since most women don’t know that they’re expecting until weeks or even months later, you may have to settle for “as soon as you find out.” Start adding diapers to your regular shopping list and try to pick up one or two packages each week. Varying between size one and two is a good idea, with perhaps a pack or two of the newborn size. If you have a bigger baby you don’t want to be stuck with lots of newborn size diapers that you’ll never use. If the baby is “normal” size it is easy to buy newborn sizes while you need them and rest easy in the knowledge that you’re already stocked up on the next sizes up. A lower cost alternative to this is to use a cloth diaper service if you can find one still in operation in your area.

Get Help & Buy Used Whenever Possible

For large baby needs like cribs, playpens, and strollers, try and get the help of family members with these purchases. Proud grandparents to be are usually more than happy to help with items like these. A lot of money can be saved by purchasing these items second-hand as well. If a used crib, stroller, or playpen is in good condition, there is no reason not to buy it over a new one. The only item you probably don’t want to buy used is a car seat. These items must meet safety requirements and there is no way to be sure that a used one measures up to current standards.

A little planning and thinking ahead is all it takes to save serious money on most of your initial and ongoing baby needs. They real key to setting up your baby layette on a budget is to start as soon as possible.

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When buying baby clothes parents are suddenly inundated with multiple choices that can become quite confusing. How many cute and adorable outfits does little Bill or Hillary need? How many “Onesie” body suits are enough? For little people that grow so quickly there are certainly a wide variety of clothing options, how does a new parent know what to get?

To help settle the dilemma and answer these questions, parents need to keep in mind a simple “rule of three.” Babies need three kinds of clothes. Clothes are needed for daytime wear, for going out, and for sleeping. The baby sleepwear will likely outnumber the other varieties since sleeping is what babies spend most of their time doing, but the numbers of each outfit will vary in direct relation to the number of times the parents are willing to do laundry.

Baby Daywear

The clothes you have for your baby to “hang around” in should be comfortable, easy to access for diaper changes, and simple. These are the articles that your baby will spend most of her time in and they’re bound to get dirty. When the baby spits up, spews strained beets all over the place, crawls around on the floor, or does any of the other relatively messy and somewhat disgusting things that babies do, these clothes are going to bear the brunt of the abuse. As such, you probably don’t want these things to happen while baby is wearing the beautiful Baby Dior outfit that Aunt Edna gave as a shower gift. The best clothes for these day to day needs are simple body suits with snaps at the crotch. Onesies are a brand name of these items, but the term has pretty much entered the language to mean any such article designed this way. You’ll probably want anywhere between five and ten of these on hand.

Baby Sleepwear

Clothing for sleeping should meet some of the same specifications as the baby daywear in terms of comfort and accessibility. Obviously if you live in a colder region or it is the middle of December you’ll want heavier articles than if you live in Phoenix and its July. Babies can still be messy when they sleep, but are usually nowhere near as messy as when they’re up and around. In warm enough climates the same style of Onesies that are used for baby’s daytime activities can double as sleepwear, but if the temperature is cooler you’ll want heavier knit PJs or similar sleepwear.

Dressing up Baby

The outdoor baby wear is where the parents really get to shine. Here is where you can utilize the cute and adorable stuff that was given as shower gifts or that you just couldn’t resist picking up during a routine trip to Wal-Mart. These items should still be examined for practicality, making sure that straps, snaps, bows and such do not interfere with diaper changing or cause discomfort to the infant, but you’re a little freer to show off. After all, everyone wants to coo over an adorable baby. When the adorable baby is adorably dressed, the cooing is that much sweeter.

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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.

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Like your shirt, Junior? It used to belong to your sister!

Purchasing clothes for babies and older children can put a financial drain on families to the point that the parents often wonder where the money will come from each year to purchase new school clothes, special occasion wear, and other such items for their kids. For this reason, the tradition of using “hand-me-downs” became popular, with the younger child wearing the clothing that an older sibling wore previously. It’s an imperfect system (it doesn’t work well if one child is male and the other female, for example, or if one is tall and thin and the other short and chubby), but can save quite a bit of money for those families that are feeling the financial crunch associated with these aspects of child-raising.

Aside from the potential flaws mentioned above (differences in gender and relative size between siblings) there are some other problems that can make using hand-me-downs impractical. These mostly include wear and tear on the clothing itself. Kids can be very tough on their clothes and clothing that is too worn can not usually be handed down to a younger child. There is one situation where the system works rather well, however, and that is with baby clothes.

Baby clothes naturally avoid the pitfalls associated with wear and tear because few items are worn for very long at all. Babies grow very quickly, especially between infancy and two years, and don’t stay in one piece of clothing long enough to wear it out. Also until they start to crawl around quite a bit, babies are largely inactive. Their usual routine of eating, sleeping, eating, and sleeping again doesn’t do anything to the clothes that they wear in order for them to become worn.

The gender difference can be a little harder to overcome because parents love to dress their boys in cute little blue suits and their girls in adorable little pink dresses. This is a strong argument for the purchase of unisex or gender-indifferent baby clothing. When you can get three or four kids’ worth of wear from one baby outfit it makes sense to make sure that any future children you have will be able to wear the item. It’s much easier to accomplish this by choosing unisex clothing instead of trying to pre-select the sex of your child, which is a costly and unsure medical procedure. While many fathers would love the idea of producing only boys, mothers may take issue with it.

If you think that you’ll have additional children in the future, the best advice that one can give today is that you purchase unisex clothing whenever possible and so not throw away or donate your baby’s clothes once little Burt or Loni has outgrown them. This way you can start preparing for a hand-me-down chain early on and save yourself some money in the future.

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In the world of art, there is a movement called Postmodernism. If you’re not an art student, or an artist, or a professor of art, there’s
really only one thing you need to know about Postmodernism. It means that you can do whatever you want. Essentially, it is a melding of things that have come before, a new take on old things. What does this have to do with baby clothes? Anything you want it to.

Perhaps you’re a young mother who is sick of the basic options of pink and blue, ruffled or hemmed with ribbon. Perhaps you’re on your second
or third child and frustrated that the styles for your baby haven’t changed at and you’re tired of looking at the same thing over and over again. Perhaps you just don’t feel like shopping for baby
clothes once every two weeks as your infant grows into the next size that they will rapidly outgrow. In any case, there is a solution to your frustration.

There are lots of things that are not baby clothes, but could be. Like what you ask? How about bandanas? That’s right, your baby is tiny. If
teeny bopper club girls can wear bandanas as shirts, imagine how much baby can fit into one! Bandanas are great for summer time as a shirt or a diaper cover, and that can be accomplished without a bit of sewing! With a little bit of snipping and stitching, there is plenty of material for an infant sized dress or pair of pants.

Baby doll t-shirts that are made for young women are ideal as dresses for older infants or even toddlers. Sure, some of the writing on them
may not be so “babyish,” but some of the more neutral styles would be much more dressy than you can find for the same price in baby dresses.

Taking your own worn out clothes, or just clothes you’re sick of as material to make clothing for your baby is a great way to personalize
their style through your once loved clothing. It will save money and give you a little bit more space in your closet. Do you have a t-shirt that you once loved, but that now is stretched in an unflattering manner, or perhaps has wear spots in a specific area? If so, you’re not alone! Most of the material from the t-shirt can be salvaged and made into a whole outfit for your baby to play in with a simple pattern that can be purchased for less than two dollars.

There are lots of other household items that can be used to tend to your baby. A normal sized bath towel, for example, can, in a matter of
minutes be converted into a robe for your baby to wear at the beach or when just out of the bath. When the baby is an infant, just adding some
accents and a hood to the towel will make a cheaper alternative to designer robes, and is a one of a kind statement that you simply can’t buy at a department store. Let your creative mind wander before you throw out those never used scraps of material and old clothes. Your wallet and your baby will thank you.

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• Wish Dallas

Baby clothes are a necessity more than anything else, but there are a couple of special occasions that make the baby the center of attention. It is moments like this that the mother’s keen sense of fashion gets to shine. Here, the fact that the baby will undoubtedly grow out of the outfit quickly is of little to no concern, and style is of the utmost importance. In most cases, so is tradition.

Perhaps the most obvious of these occasions is baby’s homecoming. Almost any mother can tell you what they brought their baby home in. Depending on the time of year, this special outfit can range from a fruit print romper to a pair of footsie pajamas. In this case, it is the sentiment attached to the moment that makes the outfit so special. It is a good idea to save this outfit in a memory box for when your child has children of their own, or make it into a treasured stuffed animal. Any way that you think is fitting to preserve the memory works, but doing something to set this outfit aside is important.

The next big day is the baby’s introduction to family. What is your baby going to be wearing the first time they meet their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and close friends? If this is a small secular gathering, then something informal is an easy out. However, you may want to dress the new family member up for the multitude of pictures that will inevitably be taken. Of course, there is also the weather to take into account. If the baby is going to be in a hot crowded home, then keeping them cool is they key factor in choosing appropriate attire. A thin cotton dress for a girl, or a onesie works great. Think of the day as an excuse to let others change the diapers for a little while.

There is of course the more common baby coming out, either christenings or a bris. The traditional christening attire is, of course a white garment. This can take many forms, from a gown to a suit, and a whole host of materials. The important thing to remember is that the baby is going to be passed around a lot on a day like today, so make sure that he or she is comfortable no matter how angelic they look.

For a bris, the attire is clearly gender specific. Therefore, baby tuxedos and suits are a hot item. You would be surprised at the inexpensive prices at which you can find a tiny tux. For less than thirty dollars, your baby can be in his very own penguin suit. There are also more traditional items, which are very much like that of the Christian baptism ceremony. That is, long white gowns with blue trim. These are also modestly priced, and generally work for either ceremony (which could potentially be a big money saver for an interfaith marriage).

The special occasion that all mothers look forward to at the end of a stressful but joyous year is the baby’s first birthday. This outfit is much like the baby’s coming home outfit (except significantly larger), and can be a whole host of different styles or degrees of formality. The most important thing about this outfit is, of course, its resistance to cake stains.

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