Baby Clothes: What to Buy for a Newborn

When I was pregnant with Alicia, as a new mom, I struggled to figure out what clothes to buy for a newborn baby, what to look for on first outfits, for going home, and overall how to build the perfect wardrobe for a newborn. Now, more than a year later and being a baby boutique owner, I dare to say that I have found the algorithm for such a difficult task (joking).

Before we start talking about what to look on these categories and how many of each you would need, I want to mention that there were a few things that I really worried about when buying clothes for my baby, concerns that I think many moms share and that I have addressed before on my post about “Why I Launched a Baby Boutique Business as a Working Mom with a Newborn”. I recommend that you check that out if you, like me, share these concerns on the products you buy for your babies: health and safety, responsibility, convenience and comfort, price and quality and distinctive style.

Now, I am not going to tell you that I was able to build the perfect newborn wardrobe by myself, because it took me a while and a lot, lot of help from my family and friends, but if you are a expecting mom (or you know one) this is how the perfect wardrobe for a newborn looks like, according to Alicia’s mom.

Step 1 – Get a bunch of cute onesies

Because your baby is going to wear onesies for a while, you can either get the basic ugly ones from any store and hide them behind other clothes, or you can get cute onesies with different collars that would make an outfit by themselves with just adding any bottom. They can be the statement piece of your going home outfit and they will definitely be part of your newborn first outtifts. As you mix and match, good quality, high-end onesies will be your allies, I promise.

Our onesies are made in Portugal out of the finest cotton and include details like embroidered collars, lace, ruffles, classic peter pan or pointed collars and are a timeless must have for babies. We also have basic onesies with details that make a difference. 

When Alicia was a newborn, as a new mom that felt unsecure when manipulating my tiny baby to put clothes on her, I used to have her on nice bodysuits most of the time, so when it was time to go out, I would just replace her pajamas with a nice knit set on top of her bodysuit and she was ready to go. Also, those wonderful collars with lace, embroidery or ruffles looked great on any newborn pictures I took, even when napping on her crib!

Step 2 – First outfits for everyday the first few months: you cannot go wrong with knit sets

Knit sets are perfect first outfits because they are the most comfortable option for newborns: they are breathable, easy to put on, they allow babies to move, knit fabric adjusts and expands as they grow, so one size will last longer than other kind of garments, and our European knits are made of high quality materials that are naturally temperature regulators.

There is nothing more comforting to me than the view of a newborn baby snuggled into a cute knit set, soft and comfy. O my post about “Why I Launched a Baby Boutique Business as a Working Mom with a Newborn” I tell you more about what is important on baby clothes and my personal journey to find out what was the best for my baby.

For our perfect newborn wardrobe, I would get at least two short outfits and two long ones. How many outfits you will need is going to depend on your lifestyle, but for me, during the first few months, we didn’t have so much social events and I have always preferred quality over quantity, so I had very few but very nice, high-quality outfits that I could was over an over and would look like new. 

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Step 3 – Cardigans

Mix and match additional cardigans with your knit sets. They will give your baby an extra layer whenever the temperature requires it. Even in the summer, with air conditioning, make sure you always carry an extra layer for your baby. That cardigan in your diaper bag, along with a cute onesie, will also save you in more than one occasion, because babies get messy, and a clean change of clothes is a must.

Choose neutral colors or a palette of hues that you can mix and match with our knit sets, because either you want it or not, you are going to end up mixing (yes, they can get very messy).

When Alicia was born, my mom got her two winter cardigans that would work as coats and she wore on top of any other outfit. The same would apply for babies born in the summer, obviously with lighter cardigans like these ones:

Step 4 – One or two special outfits for a holiday or an event

Although knit sets for first outfits are so cute that you will wear them both everyday (because of their comfort) and on special occasions (because of their cute design), you may want to include one or two different things in your new baby shopping list. These I don’t recommend them until 3 or 6 months, because honestly knit sets are what they are going to be more comfortable on while they are very little. But once they start sitting, rolling, etc, you may want to dress your little gentlemen or princess on one of these.