Before having Sophie I had absolutely NO idea where to shop for babies, toddlers and children. I wondered, “Is CrewCuts still a thing (yes, it is) and do they even sell baby clothes?” (spoiler alert: they don’t 😅) “Hmm, Sophie won’t be able to fit into abercrombie kids for at least a few years… seriously, where do people find cute clothes for their babies / toddlers??” After doing a bit of research, both searching online and crowdsourcing from my mama friends, I’ve curated a list of brands that I return to shop from again and again and I thought that you may be interested in knowing about them too!
I have had so much fun dressing both girls in this baby stage once I found shops and boutiques that carry clothes in fabrics, styles, and colors that I love. Thankfully, I will be able to shop from many of these brands through toddlerhood and, in some cases, even up to childhood! I think that I may love building my daughters’ wardrobes more than I enjoy buying clothes for myself, and that’s saying a lot! 😂
*Note: The list is obviously a bit biased toward baby girl clothes, but it definitely includes shops that sell items for boys and gender neutral pieces as well.
FOR BASICS
Most days I tend to gravitate to a comfy infant “uniform” — a onesie + bloomers or leggings. Which is basically pajamas without being actual pajamas.
The following are my favorite places to buy these kinds of core wardrobe pieces:
Jamie Kay
Every new collection challenges my shopping restraint because I usually want to buy everything. 🤣 This is probably my favorite place to shop for the girls’ clothes. I love the quality, the styles, and color palettes / prints; if I could only shop at one place, this would be IT.
*Top Tip: You can also find a lot of their products sold by boutiques online if the size you want is sold out on the JK website (such as Cherrie Baby Boutique, A Vintage Childhood, and Barn Chic Boutique).
Oat Baby
Similar to Jamie Kay, but specializing specifically in ~neutrals~ so they’re perfect for being worn on their own or mixed and matched with pieces from other brands. High quality, cozy, and SO cute — they would be especially great to use for cozy newborn photos!
BabyGAP
They have core basics with a little twist, such as onesies with a whimsical print, a keyhole back with lace trim, or an eyelet ruffle shoulder. These are great for easy mixing and matching with pieces from other brands. I also love to grab basics from their other brands within the GAP family — Banana Republic, BR Factory (there isn’t a ton of selection, but the pieces that they do offer are so stylish!), Gap Factory and Old Navy! And at most of these price points you don’t have to stress over spitups and blowouts (no stress over stains and having to hand-wash anything).
Carter’s
I’ll admit that not all of the items sold by this brand are exactly my style, but you can find some gems… especially in the Little Planet section!
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SWIMWEAR
I wrote a full blog post about baby swimwear and accessories here so you can get even more detail and ideas, but minnow swim is, hands down, our family’s favorite swimwear brand. They make the CUTEST swimsuits around. I’m so glad that they offer mama styles in most of their prints because I often want a swimsuit for myself!! 😂 It’s the perfect opportunity to match / coordinate with your mini(s)!
PAJAMAS
I wrote a post that is dedicated to discussing all of our favorite baby pajamas in detail, but I can confidently say that you shouldn’t sleep on (ha!) Goumi Kids jammies.
FOR SPECIAL PIECES
On the rare occasions that we leave the house (for a nice dinner or a special event) it’s nice to have some outfits that are a bit less like pajamas so I like to keep a few items in the girls’ baby wardrobes to make “real” outfits.
Rylee & Cru // Noralee
When I’m looking for outfits for holidays or family photos, I love to check out what the Rylee & Cru group is offering (Noralee in particular!). So many beautiful colors, prints, and fabrics!
H&M
A great spot to find cute, affordable basics, especially for newborn photos! You can find something that’s more “special” than just a typical onesie without being so precious that they can’t wear it in everyday life.
Maisonette
Obsessed with this third party retailer. They source amazing pieces from great brands that may be sold out elsewhere.
babyGap
Listed twice because in addition to basics they also have cute outfits that won’t break the bank (especially at Gap Factory!) This is where I find most of my favorite bubble romper onesies, as well as her itty bitty “jeans”.
Cadets
Okay, how cute are these little shorts for boys?! I think they’re the perfect length. They remind me a bit of Prince George and Prince Louis outfits — SO cute!
ACCESSORIES
Lou Lou & Company
My favorite spot for bow headbands, specifically their velvet ones — so many beautiful color and size offerings!
Acre
More bow options! A few different styles, available on clip or nylon headband, and new colors / fabrics every season! I love the bows at Little Poppy Co., but don’t need a subscription (it feels like too many bows to me?)… this brand sells similar bows individually so you can pick and choose which colors and styles you want!
Briar Baby
My friend introduced me to these amazing winter bonnets / sun hats. They’re made so well that they’re truly heirloom pieces. I also love that they offer the option for silk-lining on most bonnet styles to accommodate every hair type!
Weefarers
Baby sunglasses — polarized to protect those tiny peepers! If the Wayfarer design isn’t your style, Babiators also makes a few different styles of baby sunglasses!
SquidSocks
Socks that won’t get pulled off and lost! That fact alone is worth it’s weight in gold! 🤣 IYKYK They have these little silicone dots on the inside of the sock that grip to the skin and make it almost impossible for babies and toddlers to pull off (but not for parents! 😉). Both Sophie and Chloe have used these since they were born and we love them!
Baby Shoes
Babies are obviously still too young to be walking, but I found some adorable pre-walker shoes here for her to wear for special occasions and the few rare times that we leave the house. These look like tiny Mary Janes and I just adore them! We love these fleece booties in the autumn and these for keeping her feet warm in the winter. Because we don’t get a ton of use out of them, I prefer to buy affordable options on Amazon.
LONG-TERM STORAGE
I am sooo glad that I saved a few pieces from Sophie’s wardrobe for a second baby. We didn’t know if we’d get another little girl, but we saved some favorites just in case and I’m sooo happy that we did!
I tried my best not to save everything (even though I wanted to!) but we were limited on space so I had to force myself to be ruthless in my selections — each age group had to fit into a single vacuum storage bag.
My process for saving hand-me-downs:
I gently wash and dry each item, and then fold / roll them up and place them in an airtight storage bag according to size / age group (0-3M, 3-6M, 6-9M, 9-12M and so on). Things will inevitably get wrinkled, but the vacuum seal will keep them fresh and clean and it’s easy enough to fluff out / wash the wrinkles away when you’re ready to use them. *Note: I intentionally chose a style with a manual pump that I could use for travel in the future.
If you are sentimental about saving clothing pieces as keepsakes, I highly recommend following this clever idea by @mommasociety.
*Note: If you’re interested in buying gently worn items in good, great, or even unworn(!) condition, I am slowly starting to sell some of our more special pieces on Poshmark as the girls grow out of them (you can click here to shop!).
It honestly pains me to say goodbye to these items (it feels so… final? even though we are certain that our family is complete), but it makes me feel better to know that these sweet pieces are going to good homes and will get a second life with other families!
I can’t believe that this is the last time we’ll be buying baby-sized clothes for our girls. 😭 Before our youngest grows out of everything, I definitely wanted to share my favorite brands to shop for baby clothes.
Happy shopping, friends — and squeeze your squishy babies extra tight for me! 🩷
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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