What should I pay attention to when buying clothes for my baby?

When you find out you are pregnant, suddenly your whole life changes. 
Many parents-to-be are eager to start shopping for the first cute baby things straight away.
A cute cuddly toy or a tiny newborn outfit, anything tangible to feel and celebrate the new life. However, many people often don’t know (yet) what to pay attention to when buying baby clothes.
Little Dutch is here to provide useful tips that you can take with you when shopping for your baby's first wardrobe.

What size should I buy?
You probably don't know yet how big your baby will be, but your midwife can often give you an estimate. However, it is wise to buy a few basics in two sizes. The size of the clothes is determined by the baby’s length. The width is usually not a problem but can vary a bit from brand to brand. Generally speaking, you can buy size 50 and 56 for the first newborn outfit, but if your baby is on the smaller side, you might need sizes 44 and 50.

Items that are slightly too big can usually still be worn by rolling up the sleeves or legs. Please note that this is not possible for outfits that have closed feet!

A summer or winter baby?
The season in which your baby is born will, of course, determine the type of clothing you need. In general, however, it is useful to buy layers. Think of a comfortable cardigan, tights or leggings for when it gets colder or when you go outside. Even though it might be springtime, newborns tend to need hats so don't forget to include those in your shopping list.

Easy and comfortable are the way to go!
During the first few weeks, your baby will be very small and fragile, and you may have to get used to being a parent. It always helps to have outfits that are easy to put on and take off. You'll be surprised how often you have to change your baby’s clothes!

Bodysuits with snap buttons at the bottom are incredible for changing your baby’s nappy easily and quickly. They don’t require you to take off the entire outfit.

In summer, bodysuits with thin straps come in handy. These can easily be pulled over your little one's head. In winter, a cardigan is often easier to put on or take off than a jumper. Make sure that any clothes you buy are soft and comfortable, allowing your baby to move around. Hard buttons, zips, synthetic and non-elastic clothing can cause irritation.

Buy sets
As you might know, babies grow fast and will quickly need the next size up. It can be useful to buy a certain colour palette and/or a certain theme/print. This way, you can easily combine cardigans, bodysuits, trousers and dresses without it becoming a bit too mismatched. This is also convenient when you only need to change part of the outfit. Moreover, you will have less of a problem if an outfit’s trousers are already too small but the jumper still fits perfectly. Mix and match to your heart's content!

Sustainable shopping
As a parent, you have your baby’s best interests at heart and you want them to have a bright future in a clean world. Therefore, when shopping, pay attention to the sustainability of the clothes you buy. Are they manufactured in a fair way for both people and the environment? Nowadays, there are many labels and things to pay attention to.

Almost all Little Dutch clothes are made from organic cotton. The labels on our new textile items are made from banana leaves and our items are packaged in polybags made from recycled materials.
In addition, we consider the quality of our items to be very important as well. If our items stay in good shape, they can be passed on to a brother, sister or friend, and that is, of course, all the more sustainable. That is the reason why we don’t include spare buttons with our clothes, we believe this is a waste of extra packaging material for something that you will probably never need. However, if you do ever need a spare button, we would be happy to send it to you!

Have fun shopping and don’t forget: enjoy the little things!