Cute but impractical: the baby clothes no one needs
14.4.2023
Translation: Julia Graham
When you have a newborn, you’ll end up with tonnes of baby clothes – but at best, you’ll only need half of them. Read on to find out which ones I’d avoid.
I have to admit, tiny baby clothes and accessories are insanely cute. Sometimes they come in pastel colours, other times with ruffles or in cuddly fabric. And somehow, part of becoming a parent means stocking up or getting stocked up on the most kitsch mini items.
But cute doesn’t equal practical. And in the stress that is day-to-day life with offspring, you’ll soon find you prefer functionality over aesthetics. Or at least you will once you have to squeeze the babygrow neckline that’s cute but way too tight over your child’s head or pick up those cute little socks from the floor for the seventh time.
It won’t be long before you need to move up to the next size and when you do, you’ll realise you’ve only ever used half of their initial outfits once or maybe never at all. To stop the same thing happening to you, let me show you my bad buys.
Babygrows without a wrap feature
Parents of newborns have bodysuits aplenty. But very few are actually practical. The reason being that you have to pull most babygrows over your baby’s head – basically, anything you have to put on that way is annoying. Mind you, the neckline can often be widened a bit thanks to poppers (see product 1 below) at the shoulder or what’s known as an American cut (product 2). But the only ones that are really practical are [wrap babygrows](/search?q=wrap bodysuit) that feature buttons on the side (product 3).
Dresses and skirts
As a mother of two girls, I was quite stereotypically given a lot of little dresses and skirts when they were born. Cuteness doesn’t even come into it. If your child is only moving about on their back or stomach, these aren’t suitable for everyday use. Dresses never sit where they’re meant to and usually slide up over their tummy. It’s even more troublesome when they’re at the crawling stage. Once the skirt hem goes over the knee, the fabric stretches. So until your child starts walking, you’ll only need dresses for baby photos at most.
Headbands
Baby headbands are just another example of pretty photo props. Most babies lose their hair early on, so putting a headband on a practically hairless child really doesn’t make sense. Not even to show if they’re a boy or a girl. As soon as the child can, they’ll just tear it off their head. It’s not like you can blame them.
Sunglasses without an elastic strap
Speaking of kids tearing things off their head, very few babies like wearing sunglasses. I was given red, heart-shaped baby glasses when my second child was born. The little one rejected it and the older one would’ve loved to wear them, but they were already way too small for her. Obviously, protecting their eyes is important. But during the first weeks and months, I’d opt for baby sunglasses with an adjustable elastic band (see product 3 below). If your child pulls these down too, the only other option is to keep your little one in the shade.
Dungarees
Whoever invented baby dungarees failed to take into account one key aspect: babies need their nappies changed from time to time. And by that I mean about six times a day. But if you have to take off their dungarees first, it’ll take twice as long. Thank goodness you can now get some with popping buttons on the lower crotch seam (see product 3 below). All the others only merit being rated as unusable. But irrespective of the buttons underneath, the braces on dungarees get in the way when they’re crawling.
Jeans
While we’re on the topic of dungarees, a lot of them are made of denim. And, in fact, all denim clothes for babies turn out to be impractical. I mean come on – do you like lounging around in jeans yourself? Exactly. The absolute worst are denim dungaree skirts.
Baby shoes
I’ve already talked before about having too many shoes that you don’t need, and I’ll say it again here. You can skip baby shoes with soles altogether. And if they’re really snazzy, it only really makes sense to get them when your child can walk.
Snowsuits
At first glance, it’s a must-have. But look again and you’ll realise it’s a complete waste. In any case, I now know why my friends were so eager to get rid of their used, thick snowsuits in baby size 56. If you don’t plan on putting your newborn in the snow or pulling them around on a sledge, there’s no need for expensive snow overalls in the first few weeks. Your baby will usually be in their pram or carrier, so snuggly-warm rompers are the more practical choice.
Non-elasticated baby socks
Finding matching baby socks turned out to be a challenge for me. If the socks weren’t elasticated, my girls lost them all the time. But by the same token, if the elasticated bit at the cuff was too tight, they’d immediately get pressure marks on their little legs. And then there’s the issue that socks can’t be too long but equally, not too short. That’s why the simplest thing in the early days was no socks at all. Just a babygrow with feet.
*Are there any other baby clothes you don’t think are worth buying? Or any practical ones that became staples? Let us know in the comments.
Header image: Katja Fischer
Katja Fischer
Senior Editor
Katja.Fischer@digitecgalaxus.chMom of Anna and Elsa, aperitif expert, group fitness fanatic, aspiring dancer and gossip lover. Often a multitasker and a person who wants it all, sometimes a chocolate chef and queen of the couch.
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