Before Hazel was born, I had grand designs for her ~aesthetic~. I bought lots of white and grey sleepsuits, no dresses and some very plain leggings. I envisaged her in simple shades and clean lines without a colourful character in sight.
In the first few weeks those simple sleepsuits were perfectly fine – she was so small that proper outfits swamped her. But as she grew, her little personality began to develop and I soon realised that she’s not a grey and white kinda baby. She’s so cheerful and smiley, and I wanted her clothing to reflect that. As much as I love classic neutrals in my own wardrobe, I want my daughter to have her own style – turns out she’s way more fun than me.
It sounds odd, but it’s easy to tell what kind of clothes suit Hazel despite the fact she’s only 12 weeks old and can’t give me any indication of her preferences. I just get a sense of what’s right for her. My favourite colours to dress her in are blush pink, navy blue, green, charcoal grey and yellow. I love her in cute animal-themed outfits, dresses with tights and chunky knit jumpers over comfy sleepsuits. Very bright, colourful stuff doesn’t seem to be her thing, but soft colours and bold patterns definitely are. Just before Christmas I put her in a sparkly dress and it just felt wrong, but the cute sheep-patterned one shown above is perfect.
My favourite places to shop for Hazel’s clothes are John Lewis (great for tops and sleepsuits), Zara Mini (amazing knitwear) and H&M Kids (brill basics and cute prints). Of course, when she’s old enough to make her own decisions I’ll certainly let her dress herself in whatever combinations she likes, but for now her wardrobe is my domain! Here are my tips for your own super stylish baby…
– Don’t let the sex of your baby limit your clothing search. I’ve found some lovely bits for Hazel in the boys department – apparently boys wear navy stripes but girls don’t? Ok then.
– If you find something you really love, buy it a few sizes bigger than your baby currently wears. They grow so fast when they’re tiny, so it’s best to go a few sizes bigger and rock the baggy look to get more wear from favourite pieces!
– Baby clothing sales are way better than adult clothing sales. Subscribe to newsletters for your favourite stores and keep an eye out for discounts, then stock up when stuff is super cheap.
– Similarly, there are loads of pre-loved clothing groups on Facebook, selling barely-worn baby threads for great prices. Have a search around for your favourite brands.
– Don’t worry if you find your baby wears mostly sleepsuits. I always think Hazel looks most comfy in her PJs, so often just pop her in a babygro. If in doubt, stick a stylish chunky knit over the top!
– Finally, I know that dressing your baby ~stylishly~ is not a high priority. If teeny baby clothes make you happy then that’s great, but it’s also absolutely fine if they don’t. Whatever gets you through these long, maternity leave days!
Where do you like to shop for your little ones?
Aww! Looking so cute! Delicious!
I don’t have kids myself but totally understand that thing where certain colours and styles suit them. My sister had twin girls and I love buying clothes for them. Neither suits pastels (in my opinion) so I will often trawl the boys’ section to find something a bit bolder. Why is that boys ‘can’ wear bright blues, reds and greens whereas girls are left to insipid shades of pink, purple and yellow?
I had no idea that clothes are separated by gender in the baby department, how silly and unnecessary! Hazel looks lovely.
aw lots of cuteness. i used to spend a ridiculous amount of money on my daughters fashion but soon realised that they only last a few weeks as they grow so fast therefore limiting myself to one cute new outfit a month. so hard to resist dressing them up..
Just catching up on your blog and am wildly out of date! I know exactly what you mean about finding your baby’s personality through their clothes. Artoo suits bright, primary colours, navy and black. He looks best in stripes, stars and always little separates rather than dungarees. Pastels are not his thing at all. Hazel looks gorgeous, and looking back at these I can’t believe how much she’s grown!