Pregnancy & Baby Index: Real moms guide: Baby: Frou-frou or plain Jane? How do you dress your baby
Frou-frou or plain Jane? How do you dress your baby
by Real Moms
"Did you dress your babies in frou frou and frills, buttons and layers? Was the headache worth the finished "look"? Or were you plain Jane practical, all about ease and comfort?" Asks Misty, a member of our message boards.
It seems normal to see little babies all dressed up when out with their parents at the mall. Fancy dresses and newborn "suits" sometimes see like the only baby clothes in the stores. However, not all new and soon to be moms feel this way. Many are much more, uh practical.
Andrea, one of our moms believes that comfort is the way to go. "I like to be comfortable at all times and I will not dress my infant in clothing that would seem to be uncomfortable even in my wildest imagination. I am very particular about comfort. I don't even let my babies sleep on bumpy sheets. NO BUMPS! Smooth and soft and comfortable! If there is even a perception of discomfort on my part... hehe I am a little obsessive about comfort."
Onesies, sleepers and one-piece rompers seem to be a common theme among the members of our message boards. Betsy states that, "All I put her in were onesies and sleepers unless we were going out with family or something. I had tons of cute "outfits" that she never wore because they weren't comfortable or warm." Nikki agrees, "Well, the first few months were basically spent in a diaper and a onsie. I had her in June, so it would have been too warm and uncomfortable to do the "fru-fru" thing. The next one is due in June, as well, and will be wearing the same wardrobe."
Desiree went a step further in terms of comfort, "In the summer it is butt hot where we live so he just wore his diapers as clothes (they were cute though, printed cloth ones! LOL)"
Jennifer gives her opinion, "When Alex was first born I pretty much kept him in the baby in the bag type sleepers unless we were leaving the house. So convenient for all the diaper changes! Side snap shirts, he lived in also. Outside he was pretty much in rompers and onsies, he was born in June and it was a great June, not too hot and not too cold. For special occasions I had some nice overalls and short sets but those were really more of a pain then they were worth."
However, there are some women on the site that really are going for the dressy outfits. Women who like to have their babies dressed up and ready to show off 99% of the time.
Cheryl makes it very simple, "Well I am the odd one out. I have been going nuts buying things for this child. I like name brands and so thats what I buy. If you can do it then why not?"
Monica agrees that the clothes are important. "I dressed Mallory in perfect, clean, well-fitting outfits. She ALWAYS had a coordinating pair of socks on her feet, too. If she got a spill of any kind, she got changed into another beautiful outfit. I was VERY particular."
Boo admits that she is all about the frills, "If I have a girl she's going to be ultimate girly with ruffles on her butt, mary janes, cute dresses. and if it's a boy he'll also wear really cute outfits."
Disco likes something a little in between, "Let's be serious. I am all about the trendy, stylish baby. No highwaisted velour dresses, never just a onesie, etc. I was also the first of my friends to have a baby so you can only imagine the stuff I got."
At the same time one member, GeniusMomma, likes to keep her options open, "I do both. I like her to have normal casual comfy clothes for at home, but I looooove dressing her up when we go out. Some of this comes from the fact that my mom buys her lots of fancy expensive clothes. When I dress her in them I simply gush, I think it's sooo cute. But I also think there's nothing wrong at all with just going practical. If I was left to my own devices with baby fashion that's probably all I would do."
Over all there are lots of different opinions, however in the war of frou-frou and frills vs. plain Jane, it looks like comfort won out in our members 16 to 4, with a few mothers who dressed their children in both on occasion.
"I'm rapidly getting to the "end" of this pregnancy (especially with the daunting prospect of weekly bio physicals and appts starting next week), and I've still yet to buy a single piece of clothing for Quinn. I actually TRIED to this weekend and came up completely empty. Those clothes are so freaking impractical."