Girl colors, boy colors, and adorable prints may be what draws you to a rack of baby clothes. To make your final selection, though, you need to consider safety, comfort, and practicality — easy to put on and washable. Oh, and you probably want to consider the price, too. It’s OK to shop in secondhand stores or high-quality consignment shops for babies for most things. Just be sure to wash everything first.

First thing’s first, collect the basics

Items such as singlets or singlet bodysuits, blankets, muslin wraps, and bunny rugs are all newborn baby essentials and should be purchased alongside your wardrobe items.

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These are your staple items that will be used every day, so be sure to have a couple of each handy. You may even find that 4-6 singlets or singlet bodysuits are required alongside these pieces.

4-6 Growsuits

Your baby will likely live in grow suits for the first months of their life. Two-way zips on your onesies are a must for easy changing, as are zip protectors. With enclosed feet and fold-over mittens, our grow suits for baby boys and baby girls will keep your baby warm and comfortable.

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2 Tops and Jackets

Tops are great paired with leggings, but a little less practical than a grow suit. We recommend two tops for when you want to put your little one in something dressier. Make sure you choose tops that do not have scratchy stitching and tags on the inside, which may irritate their soft skin. It’s also practical to have a heavier weight and a lightweight jacket to keep the baby snug when you leave the house. We have a range of padded jackets for baby girls and baby boys.

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4 Long-sleeved Cardigans

Soft cotton cardigans are an essential layering piece for a newborn. Place overgrow suits and long-sleeved tops in the cooler months, or over a singlet or singlet bodysuit on cooler summer days. You may like to select two plain cardigans for at home, and two more dressy cardigans for taking the baby out with you.

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2 Pairs of Pants or Leggings

To pair with your tops and cardigans, it is a great idea to have some leggings or pants handy to complete a dressier outfit. 

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3 Hats or Beanies

Hats are an essential item for babies, as they are born with an open fontanelle where heat can easily escape. The hospital will most likely require that you have a hat to take your baby home in. Beanies are a great option for cooler months as they are a little warmer.

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3 Pairs of Booties & Mittens

Booties and mittens are great if your grow suit or romper doesn’t have enclosed feet or built-in mittens. Covering little hands and feet will keep your baby warm, while also preventing any scratching.

Other items to consider

We recommend the following accessories for your little one to purchase alongside your newborn baby clothing checklist items.

• 2 x Hooded Towels 
• 3 x Bibs
• 1 x Soft Hairbrush

Lastly, make sure you enjoy the process of collecting lovely little items for your newborn. The lead-up to birth is a very special time and collecting the perfect pieces is all part of it.

Safety first: no buttons, bows, or ties. Stay away from clothes with small buttons, decorative rhinestones, or bows, because they can be choking risks. Clothes with long ties or that pull tightly around your baby’s arms, legs, or neck are also unsafe. Make sure decorations are sewed on tight.

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Pick fire-safe sleepwear. Labels on your baby’s sleepwear will show whether it needs to be worn snugly to be fire-retardant or if the fabric itself is flame-retardant. Flame-resistant fabrics have specific laundry instructions for you to follow to keep the retardant from washing away. In fact, this is one place where secondhand items may not be a good choice — if they haven’t been washed the right way, they won’t work as well.

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Shop by your baby’s weight, not age. Age doesn’t mean much when it comes to baby clothes; different brands size clothing differently. Weight is a better measure, and it is listed along with age on many baby clothes.

Choose washable. Buy clothes that say “machine washable” on the label to avoid the time and energy of hand-washing or ironing. Clothes made from 100% cotton are ideal, since they’re comfortable, durable, and wash well.

Think ahead — wisely. Some babies never fit into the “newborn” size. Others may even grow out of 3-month-old size clothes after only 1 month. So, buy items in the 6-month or 1-year size to have on hand. Twins tend to be smaller than single babies, so the tiniest clothes might last longer. Some items can be worn a little big, until your baby grows into them. It’s not a great idea, though, to buy seasonal clothes, like swimsuits or winter coats, well in advance. It’s impossible to predict your baby’s size.