Last updated on September 23, 2020
Ever since I started shopping for my son over 2 years ago, I have learned quite a few things about different brands which includes the quality, the style, the fit, the price and overall which ones are worth it and those that are not so great.
In an ideal world, I would much prefer to only shop at boutiques with great quality clothing and to encourage smaller businesses. However, children grow so quickly that you constantly need to buy a new wardrobe every season which can get expensive. In the end, I buy about 70% of baby clothing from big box stores and 30% from designer and small businesses.
Let’s get started.
Here is what I’ve learnt from buying at some of the most popular big box stores.
H&M
I was surpringly happy to see that the quality-price-style is actually amazing. The only thing is that the fit is quite larger than normal so I had to size down. They have cute outfits and even a conscious label. What I especially love is that they follow the trends so you can find an array of colors instead of the basic baby blue or navy for boys and pink for girls. Also, my son has a small waist so it is very important that the pants have adjustable or an elastic waistband. How many pants did I receive as gifts and even have bought in the beginning that he has never worn because he literaly could not keep them on. Unfortunately some compagnies still make them without but H&M isn’t one of them, they are right on.
Here are my top pics right now…
CITRUS TIP 1: Buy bottoms with adjustable or elastic waistbands.
CITRUS TIP 2: H&M has a lot of inexpensive bobysuits for babies in various colors and prints which we all need multiples during the first year.
BABY GAP
Gap has very good quality cotton, it is thick and wears well. Even though the fit is larger then normal, Baby Gap is my go-to place for more formal outfits. I especially love the button down shirts and dress pants from the baby boys department. For the girls, they have the most adorable and feminine dresses which I love, as well as fun and colorful printed leggings. Another great place are the bodysuits, however they are more expensive so I buy a few pieces every now and then. This is my go-to store for gift giving as the quality is pretty amazing for the price.
Here are my top pics right now…
CITRUS TIP: They almost always have 40% sales so wait until this time and you will get their styles at a great price!
ZARA
Zara baby style has one of the most fashionable yet also very laid-back styles. So if you are looking for a fun printed tee and basic colored bottoms (which comes in the season’s shades) as well as fun printed leggings, well this store is for you. They also have a cute cozy knit collection for babies. The fit is very large so I had to also size down with my son. The bottoms have adjustable waistbands which is also a must.
Here are my top pics right now…
CITRUS TIP: They have a category called “sets” which puts outfits together for a quick and no-brainer buy from their collections.
OLD NAVY
Old Navy is the average sister to Gap. They offer basic styles at affordable prices. The quality is average and the fabric is very thin with a large neck opening (onesies). The wear and tear is not so great as well as the wash and wear. After a while, some of the styles lose their shape. Also, the fit is smaller than usual and varies from style to style which makes for a difficult buy. However, that being said they have good leggings, sweaters and basic tees. I love their baby pyjamas since they have mitts as options which I talked about in this post on newborn essentials.
Here are my top pics right now…
CITRUS TIP: They are almost always on sale, so you can get amazing prices very easily!
JOE FRESH
Joe Fresh offers all american styles at very affordable prices. The quality is very basic and the fit is not so great. The onesies are very wide and short with a large neck opening but the sizing is normal. I stopped buying from Joe Fresh for my son because the fit was not good for him. Their bottoms do not have any adjustable waistbands which makes for an incredibly difficult fit. My son could not keep his pants on as he has a small waist and they kept sliding off! I also find the styling is limited especially the boys which is only a sea of blue, red or white and the girls mostly pink hues.
Here are a few pics ….
CITRUS TIP: They have special gift boxes where an outfit including accessories are pre-selected as a no-brainer shopping experience.
CARTER’S/OSHKOSH
Carter’s is a baby brand that has been around the longest from this list. They offer a mix of styles but I find that they focus mostly on colorful casual wear. The quality of the fabric is very basic making the wear and tear not so great. The styling, I find is repetitive but what seems to appeal to most is the cute yet affordable prices as well as convenience as they are not only sold online, in Carter’s stores but also at Costco. You will often find the same 3 piece outfits but in different colors and prints as well as cute but basic tees, tanks and pants. The fabric is thin so I prefer their clothing for summer and as layering pieces. The fit is very narrow and small, both my kids wore a size 3-6 month at 1 month. So needless to say, you have to size up big time!
Here are my top pics…
CITRUS TIP 1: When you need quantity over quality, this is the place to shop
CITRUS TIP 2: I really love their socks, they wear well and stay on the feet.
Color your style, color your food, color your life!
Christiane xxx
My nephew is 6 weeks old, and I’ll be doing a lot of clothes shopping for him. Thanks for the tips!
Happy Saturday
http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/thinkoutloud/sleepwear
HI!
You are very welcome, they are all tips that I have learned along the way through my shopping experience with my son. It would have made things much easier if someone would have told me these things in the beginning. :-))
In the start i bought so much expensive and high branded clothing, because i thought it was the best quality. I later found out with number two that the quality is not the thing i should think about, because they are growing fast and i need more clothing than few expensive ones.
One of my favourite online shops is this one: https://baby-turtle.com/collections/clothing
Good quality and i find everything that i need at all time 😀
Hi Suz,
I haven’t heard of that website. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I found that buying from smaller local businesses quality and wear is amazing…especially when they are items by moms for moms and babies. But basics like socks and onesies and tanks I usually buy from big box stores. Learning as a go along what is better for me and my kids works wonderfully especially because the sizes vary greatly everywhere!
I found this article to be informative! Thank you for the content I had never heard of Joe Fresh before. Shopping for littles can be weird sometimes with the different fits from different stores. I happened upon this looking for sizing reviews / info on h&m baby clothes.
Good Day Leeann!
Oh I totally get it, it can get very frustrating because you can’t just buy based of sizes anymore…happy my post could guide you for sizing.
You actually gave me an idea to update it and do a podcast episode about it.
If there are some labels that you’d like me to add then please let me know and I’ll test it out on my little ones to review them.
Have a beautiful day mama!
christiane