There is something particularly delicious about a freshly-bathed baby in freshly-laundered pajamas. I look forward to our post-bath routine every night, when mini begins to wind down and, after brushing teeth and lining up her Little People on my nightstand in a tidy row (she is going to excel in Montessori this upcoming year, n’est-ce pas?), we all climb into bed together — Tilly included — to read two books as a family before we head into her nursery. (Current favorites: Jesse Bear What Will You Wear? and Madeline.) Mini is so accustomed to our routine that she will indicate, loudly, if we are doing something out of order. “Mommy, sit here,” she’ll direct, if Tilly happens to be perched in my usual spot. Or “Two books!” if I’ve only brought one. Or “Daddyyyyy!” if Mr. Magpie lingers in the living room tidying up and we’re already nestled in bed.
I love the moments where she curls up next to me in her jammies, laying her head against my chest. Even now, at two, she can be wriggly and willful and silly, and so I treasure those moments of tenderness.
Today, I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite pajama brands for babies and toddlers:
+First, a new discovery: Paper Cape! I love the traditional styling and soft pima cotton of their pajamas (seen above, on mini). The founder, Alex, was generous enough to send mini a pair and we are smitten. (I love the back story, too: “After a decade working for leading retail brands, mother Alex Golden became troubled by the fast fashion disposable clothing trend and the lack of high-quality classic styles for kids that were also super comfortable. In search of inspiration, she found a 30-year-old pair of overalls that her husband wore as a child. She recognized that this type of heirloom-quality children’s clothing in classic styles are missing from today’s market. So she set out to create Paper Cape, offering the softest, highest-quality fabrics in timeless designs that meet the needs of active kids and modern parents.” Yes!!!) I will be ordering more, including this navy footie for micro. Note: size up! Mini currently wears a size 3T and they fit perfectly.
+Roller Rabbit. I love the prints. They are spend-y for children’s pajamas but they are a super soft cotton and among the cutest I’ve seen. I especially love mini’s pair of love bug print jammies — such a precious pattern! I find I often need to size up in these — mini is currently wearing a size 4, though she’s just turned 2. (Note: I love that I can also coordinate with my kids!)
+Petite Plume. Any time mini wears hers, we go crazy over them. There is something beyond adorable about a child in proper pajamas. For Easter, I gave her her very first nightgown and a matching eye mask. To die for!
+Beaufort Bonnet Company. Such darling prints. These run really small. Size up.
+Lewis. A girlfriend of mine gifted me a pair of these and I was in love with the unusual but darling radish print! They don’t fit as snugly as Roller Rabbit’s or Beaufort Bonnet Company’s, but I found they were too short on mini pretty quickly (she is tall for her age, but just an FYI).
+Kissy Kissy. One of my favorite layette brands, but I still buy mini jammies from this label, too. In my opinion, these hold up the absolute best of all of the cotton pajamas we have — even better than Roller Rabbit. I especially love the classic and unfussy solid and striped styles, like these, for babies. But their prints are darling for older children, like these for mini. (Note: you can often find pairs from this brand for $6-$8 less than you’ll find them elsewhere on Amazon, like these.)
+Livly Baby. I love this Swedish brand and their whimsical prints — especially ones like this. I bought micro this sweet coverall and this print as his take-home outfit from the hospital!
+Gap. They often come out with cute seasonal prints and run promotions that bring a pair down to less than $15, though I will say that compared to the other brands above, the cotton is a lot coarser/scratchier. Currently loving these.
+Hanna Andersson. Love their fruit prints in particular. These are made from a slightly heavier weight cotton than a lot of the pima cottons mentioned above, but also hold up really well and have a lovely amount of stretch to them, so they grow with the child — I feel like we were able to make them last a lot longer than their size might have suggested. (Note: I appreciate that they run sizing by height, as mini is tall.) I noticed that while many of mini’s other infant pajamas looked threadbare, her Hannas and her Kissy Kissys were worth hanging onto.
+Burts Bees. I love their rugby striped pajamas — mini has owned several pairs. Classic. And you can’t beat the price!
+Bella Bliss. I especially love when they release their jammies in solid colors with white cuffs — and then you can add a monogram for a really precious look. Really soft.
A couple of other brands I’ve been eyeing but not yet tested:
+Esme. I’m not as crazy about the colors/prints, but a lot of people say these are insanely soft!
+Daniel + Sofia. OMG. These striped nighties!
P.S. We use all Noodle & Boo products in the bath (shampoo, body wash, and bubbles), and they smell like heaven. I love the scent so much I bought this linen spray to use in the nursery — I spritz it on her upholstered crib, her armchair, her ottoman, and even her stroller cushion.
P.P.S. Siblinghood and some great baby books.