It’s a common occurrence to look at our (full) closets and determine we have nothing to wear. Thankfully, this is quite less likely to happen when you look in your baby’s closet. After all, your baby looks adorable no matter what clothes he or she has on! Nonetheless, determining how much clothing a baby needs can be quite the task, especially when you are trying to prepare before they arrive or reach the next stage. While this can vary somewhat for different families and even different babies within a family, there are some basic questions and guidelines that can be helpful to us all!
How Much Clothing Do I Need Of Each Size?
Your baby will likely need differing amounts of each item as they grow through the different sizes and stages. As you work on deciding how much clothing your baby needs, it is important to think through different stages of growth and development, as they relate to size and wardrobe. This can help you ensure that all of your purchases are put to good use!
Newborn
Newborn clothes are typically the first ones you need, but they can be one of the most difficult to plan for since many of them are purchased before you’ve ever met your baby! On top of that, how much clothing your newborn needs may look especially different from one baby to the next, depending on size and messiness.
If your baby has not yet arrived, you will want to keep in mind that some babies start out in preemie clothes, and others (though not many) may be big enough or grow rapidly enough that newborn clothes are only a part of their wardrobe for a short time. Usually newborn clothes fit best when baby is between 6 and 9 pounds. While not foolproof, it can be helpful to know how big you and your partner were at birth and whether or not you grew quickly; after all, these things are often genetic!
To be safe, you may only want to buy a few of each item in advance or keep your receipts so you can make returns if needed. You will also want to remember that newborns may need frequent changes. With things like diaper blowouts, wetting through, and spitting up, your little one may go through 3 or more sets of clothing in just one day!
- Sleepers: 7+
- Onesies: 5-10 long sleeve, 5-10 short sleeve
- Pants/Shorts: 5-10
- Sweaters/Jackets: 3+
- Shirts: 5-10
- Socks: 5-10
- Caps: 2-3
- No-Scratch Mittens: 2-3
3 Months
Babies are usually ready for 3 month clothing when they are around 21 inches long and weigh between 9 and 13 lbs. While some babies are in newborn clothes for what feels like forever, and others wear them for just a week or two, 3 month clothing is almost guaranteed to be used for a few months.
After all, not many babies start out larger than 9 lbs, so you will likely get more use out of this size. For the same reasons mentioned above, you may still find you are changing baby’s clothes quite frequently, but you can feel more confident buying ahead knowing that these clothes are almost certain to be worn many times before your baby outgrows them.
- Sleepers: 7+
- Onesies: 5-10 long sleeve, 5-10 short sleeve
- Pants/Shorts: 5-10
- Sweaters/Jackets: 3+
- Shirts: 5-10
- Socks: 5-10
- Caps: 2-3
- No-Scratch Mittens: 2-3
6 months
Six month clothing is typically recommended for babies from 12.5-17 lbs who are around 24” -26” long. Keep in mind that around the six month mark, it can be common for babies’ growth to slow down a bit. Most babies will have doubled their birth weight by the time they are 5 or 6 months, if not before.
As the growth slows, this means that you can get a lot more use out of the clothing, and this could be a fun time to splurge a little more on “fun” outfits instead of just the practical everyday things. Hopefully by this point blowouts and wetting through are a little more under control, so you might not need as many of the basics.
- Sleepers: 5+
- Onesies: 5+ long sleeve, 5+ short sleeve
- Pants/Shorts: 5-10
- Sweaters/Jackets: 3+
- Shirts: 5-10
- Socks: 5-10
- Caps: 1-2
9 months
Nine month clothing should fit babies who are between 17 and 21 pounds, and around 27” long. While baby is still growing a lot, the growth rate will continue to slow over time.
Furthermore, your baby may be starting to crawl, pull up to furniture, or even take a few steps, and all of this activity can also contribute to slower weight gain (though your baby may shoot up in height during this time)! Nonetheless, it is common for babies to grow in spurts, so it can be a good idea to stock up on a new size as soon as your little one is ready to maximize the use you get out of each item.
- Sleepers: 5+
- Onesies: 5+ long sleeve, 5+ short sleeve
- Pants/Shorts: 5-10
- Sweaters/Jackets: 3+
- Shirts: 5-10
- Socks: 5-10
12 months
When your baby is around 21-25 lbs, and 28” long, he or she will likely be ready for 12 month clothing. These clothes will probably be the ones you get the most use out of yet! At this age, you might start buying some 2-piece pajamas instead of just sleepers, and you might start to use more shirts without or in place of onesies.
- Sleepers/Pajamas: 7 or more
- Onesies: 3+ long sleeve, 3+ short sleeve
- Pants/Shorts: 5-10
- Sweaters/Jackets: 3+
- Shirts: 10+
- Socks: 5-10
What Does My Baby Need for Each Season?
Winter
Each season has its own list of extras that you will need for your baby. If you live in a climate with cool winter weather, you will want to be sure to add the following items to your baby’s winter wardrobe.
- Warm winter hat
- Winter coat
- Thick socks
- Mittens
Spring
Spring can be a tricky time to know how to dress your baby as the temperature can vary greatly from day to day, and even throughout the day! The best way to make sure you are prepared is by having plenty of layering essentials.
- Warm jacket
- Lightweight jacket
- Rain/waterproof jacket
- Extra sweaters
- Cozy hat(s)
Summer
Summer brings its own set of clothing requirements! The following items will likely get a lot of use over the warmest months of the year and can be important for keeping your baby safe from the sun’s rays.
- Sunglasses
- Sun hat
- Swimwear
Fall
Like spring, fall weather can be quite varied. Fall essentials mimic those you need in spring, though they are likely to come in different styles. And, of course, your baby will be almost certain to need these necessities in a different size!
- Warm jacket
- Lightweight jacket
- Rain/waterproof jacket
- Extra sweaters
- Cozy hat(s)
Tips On Choosing Baby Clothes
Think laundry:
How often do you typically do laundry?When you are deciding how much clothing your baby needs, it is important to take into consideration how often you will have the time and energy to wash laundry!
Keep in mind that this might look differently than before baby. After all, with a baby in tow, you are certain to have less time than before, and since babies tend to be experts at staining clothes, you may find that the task of doing laundry is increasingly time-consuming.
Mix & Match:
To make the most of the clothes you buy for your baby, try to buy shirts, onesies, and pants that can be worn in different combinations. Matching outfits are adorable, but they will be most useful if they can be mixed and matched with other pieces in your baby’s wardrobe. Versatile clothing will almost always get the most use
Buy ahead:
In order to maximize the time your baby can use the clothes you purchase, it can be helpful to buy ahead and have the next size ready to go. This way, your baby can start wearing their new clothes as soon as they fit.
If you wait until they are outgrowing all of their clothes in one size before you buy anything in the next size, you may end up with some pieces of clothing that our little one is halfway to outgrowing. After all, different brands can fit quite differently, even when the tag says they should fit the same!
In Conclusion…
Deciding how much clothing a baby needs can be a bit of a process, and it probably won’t look the same for everyone. However, taking the time to think through different sizes and different seasons can prevent you from overbuying, resulting in a closet full of clothes that never get worn, or underbuying, resulting in unneeded stress of never-ending laundry. When you pick and buy wisely, you will be able to maximize the use you get out of each item, and save yourself a lot of hassle!
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