How to Choose Baby Clothes: What I Wish I'd Known Before Baby Arrived

A little advice from one mum to another

There’s a particular sort of excitement that comes with buying your first baby clothes. Everything is tiny. Everything is lovely. And somehow you find yourself wondering whether a person who hasn’t even arrived yet really needs twelve different outfits for Tuesday.

I remember that feeling. I’m Lottie, a mum and the founder of Lottie & Lysh, where we make children’s clothes by hand in Cornwall. Having dressed my own babies and spent years actually cutting, sewing and refining baby clothes, I’ve learnt that the outfits you love looking at before the birth aren't always the ones you reach for once your baby is here.

So if you're pregnant, staring at a shopping basket and wondering what you really need, this is the guide I wish I'd had. Not a list of fifty things to buy. Just what matters, what doesn't, and the small details that make life with a newborn a little easier.

1. Buy less than you think you need

Before your baby arrives, it's tempting to get everything sorted. I get it. Folding those tiny clothes into drawers is one of the lovely parts of waiting for them.

But you don't know yet how big your baby will be, how quickly they'll grow, how often you'll do washing or which style of outfit you'll prefer. Some babies practically live in sleepsuits. Others are in rompers every day. And that beautifully complicated outfit with seventeen fiddly buttons? It might never make it out of the drawer.

For the first few weeks, I'd concentrate on the everyday essentials rather than lots of separate outfits. You can always buy more once you've worked out what you actually use.

A sensible starting point for your newborn wardrobe

These are my suggested starting quantities, not a rule. You may need more if you wash less often or your baby has frequent changes, and fewer if you prefer to keep things minimal. Follow your maternity team's advice for any specialist needs.

Have a look at our newborn baby clothes if you're putting together those first few outfits. And if you want to choose a special first look, there's our coming-home outfits collection.

2. Don't assume your baby will wear newborn size

This one surprised me when I became a mum. My own babies ranged from 7 lb 2 oz to 9 lb, and 0–3 months fitted them from birth. That doesn't mean every baby will be the same, but it does mean the word newborn on a label isn't a guarantee that it's the size your newborn will need.

Baby clothes sizing varies between shops. Some offer newborn, up to 1 month and 0–3 months as separate sizes; others don't. And two babies weighing the same can have very different body lengths and proportions.

My advice? Have a few options ready, keep tags on the pieces you're unsure about, and avoid washing an entire wardrobe in the smallest size before you know what fits. When you do choose clothes for sleep, make sure the fit is appropriate rather than excessively loose.

We've covered this properly in our newborn baby clothes size guide, including the differences between newborn, up to 1 month and 0–3 months.

3. Feel the fabric, not just the price tag

If I could give you one tip from years of making baby clothes, it's this: pay attention to how the fabric behaves.

Newborns spend so much time curled up, feeding, sleeping and being held. Clothes that feel stiff in your hands are unlikely to become your favourite things to put on them. I look for fabric that's soft against the skin, flexible enough for wriggly legs and comfortable around the shoulders and nappy.

At Lottie & Lysh, our everyday stretch jersey is typically 95% cotton and 5% elastane. The cotton provides a soft, breathable base, while that small amount of elastane helps the fabric stretch and recover. It's not about making clothes tight. It's about giving a baby room to move without the outfit fighting them.

We use OEKO-TEX certified fabrics, which are tested for specified harmful substances. That doesn't mean any fabric is guaranteed never to irritate skin, but it's one of the choices we make when sourcing materials. If your baby has very sensitive skin, individual reactions can still vary.

For more on the difference between soft and scratchy fabrics, read why some baby clothes feel scratchy.

4. Think about changing nappies before you think about the print

There is daytime dressing a baby. And then there is changing a baby in the middle of the night, half asleep, while they object to absolutely everything.

That's when fastenings matter.

Zips can be wonderfully quick, especially two-way zips that let you open from the bottom. Poppers can give you more control over how much of the outfit you open and can be handy when you need to deal with a spectacular nappy situation. Neither is automatically better. It's partly personal preference and partly how well the garment is designed.

When you're shopping, check:

• Can you get the outfit on without pulling and tugging around the head?
• Can you reach the nappy without undressing the whole baby?
• Are zips covered so the fastening doesn't rub against skin?
• Are poppers positioned sensibly, with enough room around the nappy?
• Can you manage the fastening when you're tired and working with one hand?

We make both zipped and popper-front sleepsuits because different parents love different things. I'd rather you choose the one that genuinely works for you than the one somebody on the internet insists is essential.

A soft sleepsuit that's easy to change will earn its place in the drawer very quickly.

5. Look closely at the little construction details

This is where being the person who actually makes the clothes gives me a slightly different perspective. I don't just see a cute romper. I see where the seam sits, how the cuff is attached, how the waistband is finished and whether there's enough space for a baby to curl up comfortably.

Some of the details I'd look for are:

• Comfortable seams: nothing unnecessarily bulky or rough against the skin.
• Soft waistbands: they should stay in place without digging into a little tummy.
• Room for a nappy: particularly important with all-in-one rompers and sleepsuits.
• Practical cuffs: well-designed fold-over or reversible cuffs can help a garment adapt as a baby grows.
• Easy openings: dressing shouldn't be a wrestling match.

We build details like enclosed waistbands and adjustable cuffs into relevant Lottie & Lysh designs for exactly these reasons. Some of our sleepsuits also have fold-over mitts and feet in smaller sizes. Check the individual product details, as features vary between styles.

Handmade doesn't magically make every item better. The difference comes from the fabric, pattern, construction and care put into it. Those are the things worth asking about, whether you're shopping with us or somewhere else.

6. Choose clothes that can handle real washing

Babies are excellent at generating laundry. Milk, dribble, nappy leaks, more milk. You might have a beautifully organised drawer one minute and a washing basket full of sleepsuits the next.

So I wouldn't buy an entire everyday wardrobe that needs complicated washing instructions. Look for clothes you can wash according to the care label, dry properly and put straight back into use.

It's worth remembering that expensive doesn't automatically mean durable, and affordable doesn't automatically mean poor quality. Look at the actual fabric and finishing. Check whether the seams are neat and the shape holds up after washing. Clothes that last can be passed on, worn again or saved for another child.

If you're wondering whether to wash everything before the birth, we've written a separate guide on washing new baby clothes before use.

7. Practical baby clothes don't have to be beige

I'm probably not the person to tell you to buy an entire wardrobe of plain basics. Colourful, slightly different children's clothes are rather our thing.

But there's a reason for that beyond just liking a good print. I don't think becoming a parent means you suddenly have to stop enjoying colour and personality. Your baby's first clothes can be soft, comfortable and easy to wear and make you smile when you pull them out of the drawer.

Our approach has always been that childhood should look like childhood. No need for every outfit to look like a miniature adult wardrobe. If you love playful prints, have a look at our cool baby clothes and cute baby clothes collections.

Just make sure the personality isn't coming at the expense of comfort. A brilliant print on an awkward garment is still an awkward garment.

8. What about the coming-home outfit?

Yes, choose something special if you want to. You only bring your baby home for the first time once, and I completely understand wanting an outfit you'll remember.

I'd just make sure it's comfortable, fits properly and is easy to get on. A soft babygrow or romper with a little personality can be every bit as lovely as a complicated matching set.

Pack a spare in another size, too. Your baby's estimated birth weight may not be spot on, and that first outfit is not the moment to discover the feet are too short.

One important safety detail: avoid bulky padded clothing beneath a car-seat harness. Use properly fitted clothing and follow your car-seat manufacturer's guidance for keeping your baby warm.

A quick checklist before you buy baby clothes

If you're shopping online and can't feel the fabric yourself, these are the questions I'd ask before pressing checkout.

That last one is allowed, by the way. Sometimes an outfit is just too lovely to leave behind. I'd simply make sure most of the drawer is filled with things that work hard for you.

Frequently asked questions about buying baby clothes

Explore our newborn baby clothes →

More helpful reading: Newborn baby clothes sizes explained  |  Should you wash new baby clothes?  |  Explore baby rompers