Mini’s newborn wardrobe was a mess — completely impractical. I had about fifteen little dresses and bubbles requiring hours of ironing, a smattering of pajamas and onesies in a range of random sizes, and four thousand pairs of socks. I learned on the fly and was much better prepared when micro came along. I include this preface because I wish I’d had a guide to building a layette before bearing children and many of you have (wisely) reached out to ask for advice along these lines. Below, sharing my guide to stocking up for a new baby.
A note on sizing: I’d buy maybe one or two items in each category below in a newborn size and the rest in size 0-3 months. Neither of my babies have worn NB size for longer than two weeks and could “fit” into 0-3 month clothing from birth (though they were a bit baggy) — though the sizing of children’s brands is all over the map so it’s a bit of a gamble anyway. If your baby comes early or is on the small side, you can always quickly supplement once she is here with additional NB-sized clothing, but they’ll grow into the 0-3 size regardless!
7 Pairs of Pajamas. One for every night of the week. Of course you’ll do laundry more frequently than weekly (ha), but you’d be amazed at how creative babies can be with wardrobe change demands. (I once had to completely change micro’s pajamas, sleepsack, and bassinet sheet three times in one night.) . Bonus points for convertible gowns. I was BIG into those with micro — makes nighttime changes so much easier.
My personal favorite brands for infant pajamas: Roller Rabbit, Kissy Kissy, Beaufort Bonnet (runs really small — specifically, narrow), 1212, Livly Baby, Hanna Andersson, Gap, Sal e Pimenta, Little English, Primary.
If I were buying pajamas for a baby girl right now, I’d consider: TBBC’s darling gift print; Kissy Kissy rosebud print footie; Roller Rabbit lovebug; 1212 ice cream cones; Little English’s timeless bow crochet playsuit.
If I were buying pajamas for a baby boy right now, I’d consider: TBBC Sir Proper Stork (Hill wore this while in the hospital — swoooon); Livly Baby bunny print; Primary star print (Hill currently owns a pair); Kissy Kissy dots; Roller Rabbit chicks.
5 onesies. I am sure others will say you need more but I personally only used onesies/leggings as “interim” outfits, i.e., I usually had my newborns in playsuits/footies during the day and then jammies at night. I like 1212, Kissy Kissy, Moon&Back, and H&M — and I’d buy most of them in white or solids so they are ultra-versatile, though I’m not adverse to a print now and then (I wouldn’t be able to turn this down for a girl, and I had a couple of truly excellent striped ones from Polarn O Pyret), so long as you think through what it might go with (I’ve definitely run into the issue of buying the cutest print ever and then having nothing to pair it with). And I always had at least one or two Peter Pan collar ones from Kissy Kissy in each infant size. These are so versatile — they can go under overalls or a sweater for a more formal look!
3 leggings. See note above on onesies; I’m sure others would buy many more in this category. I like the ones from Moon & Back, H&M, Polarn O Pyret, 1212, and Old Navy (for boys). I tend to buy solid colored ones because they are more versatile, but if you buy a print, just make sure they coordinate with at least one onesie.
5 “play” outfits. I preferred coveralls to onesies/leggings for daytime outfits for both babies. They seemed more comfortable, less fussy to coordinate, and a little gentler before baby’s umbilical cord comes off — and I just preferred the look for some reason. I love these striped playsuits from Kissy Kissy; the Little English pima playsuits; coveralls from Ralph Lauren, especially this, this, and this (look for less); overalls from Osh Kosh; Polarn O Pyret suits (run big); and La Coqueta knitwear .
3 “fancy” outfits. (Dial up or down depending on your social calendar.) I liked to have at least two really special outfits for special visitors and special occasions. I love LaCoqueta, Beaufort Bonnet Company, Pixie Lily, Foque, Luli and Me, Jacadi, and Bella Bliss.
A pram coat. Even if the baby’s born in summer, you’ll have need for an extra layer from time to time. I like something like this or this for boys and this was one of my all-time favorite items on mini.
Cardigan. White goes with everything. I will admit to buying a few cashmere cardigans for my children in various sizes…so impractical but so sweet.
A coming-home outfit. I brought mini home in a pink bunny print Kissy Kissy footie and micro home in a gray and white elephant print set from Livly Baby. I also love the elegant styles from Pixie Lily and all of the knitwear from LaCoqueta (though you probably want a one-piece).
8 pairs socks. I like Jefferies Socks in white or H&M ones in white (impressed with the quality of these) — no need to worry about matching the right pairs.
2-3 Caps. I was big into these for micro at night — he slept better when bundled with socks and hat, a onesie and a pair of pajamas underneath his swaddle. You can often find ones that coordinate with pajamas/coveralls, but I also had a few solid colored ones that went with everything, including one from Kissy Kissy and one from RL.
2 pairs of booties. Honestly, these have always been more decorative than functional since they usually fall off in a Manhattan second, but sometimes you need an extra layer when it’s cold out or you’re with company. I like the knit ones from La Coqueta or these from RL. The only ones that ever stayed on mini were these fleece ones from Zutano, which are more casual. I’d buy a special pair and the fleece ones, which you can just toss in the laundry.
1 pair dress shoes. For special occasions! I loved Elephantito and La Coqueta for girls and Paz Rodriguez for boys.
1 cold weather suit (season depending). I love this from Livly (Hill had this — weep!) or this from Gap.
2 sweaters (season depending). I love the beyond precious styles from Foque and Mebi, which I often pair with a simple pair of leggings or jeans for a fun daytime outfit.
1 pair jeans. You can’t not see your baby in a pair of itty bitty jeans. I’d buy from Gap, Zara, or H&M.
I overbought and underbought in all the wrong categories as a first-timer — definitely learned my lesson later! Now I have more of a capsule approach to buying clothing for my children.
P.S. More on my favorite sleepwear for children and my favorite traditional shoe sources for children.
P.P.S. My registry and what’s in my diaper bag.