How to Plan a Wardrobe for Your Baby

If you’re a first-time parent, it can be tough to figure out exactly what clothes you need for your baby. I’m as guilty as the rest of overplanning, and my husband frequently chuckled when I went to buy more clothes. I tried to tell him he was wrong, but he was so right. We ended up with way more than we needed, and a lot of items remained unused. As a four-time parent, I’ve put together a simple guide to get you started for the first year, so you don’t make the same mistakes I did!

Newborn – This stage is tricky because you can’t guarantee the size of your baby. While most babies fall in the six to eight-pound range, many are born needing premature or three-six month-old clothing. Because of this, you don’t want to purchase too many newborn outfits. A handful of onesies, a single pack of socks, and two sets of footed pajamas will be enough. Now, don’t get me wrong, if you want to buy more, feel free to. No one is going to peek in your closet and judge you, but if you’re going for the basic essentials, this works well.

Zero to three months – Many people only purchase newborn clothes thinking they’ll last a while. The problem is, babies grow fast, and before you know it, they’ll be ready to size up. Baby clothing isn’t one size fits all, either. The sizes are sold as a generality, and one brand might be very different from another. You want to have zero to three months on hand from day one and choose a variety. For girls, a few dresses, onesies, socks, and pants will be perfect with a jacket or coat, depending on the season. For boys, a handful of onesies, pants, socks, and a few shirts will do well. Think of it this way. How often will you do laundry? You want to have at least a week’s worth of clothing on hand in case those sleepless nights and diaper blowouts put a damper on your clothing stash.

Three to six months – Very few people need three to six months on hand during month one, but it’s always a good idea to have a single outfit ready if they have a growth spurt overnight. I generally start buying three to six months during the second month, and I trade in their previous outfits at a consignment shop to get the best bang for my buck. You’ll begin to have a good idea of how many outfits you need on hand. Super poopers and the ones that spit up will need more than other kids.

Six to twelve months – Babies tend to crawl and walk during this age, which means that you want sturdy pants to protect their knees. They also love to make messes, so you’ll want a more extensive wardrobe, so you aren’t doing laundry every other day. This is also the time they start eating solid food, and bibs can be an absolute lifesaver when they’re dribbling their dinner down their chin!