Baby Clothes :: Things I Wish I'd Known

We have two little boys (2yrs + 5mths) at home right now and organizing their clothes is one task which i have embraced and am constantly seeking to simplify.

In an attempt to help future mom's and further figure out my own kid clothing tendencies i decided to post a series on the things i've learned about clothing babies... I am still learning and yet already there are things that i wish i had bought (or not bought!) for the boys when they were little.

Things to think about:

1. Babies grow fast! ~ i wish i had fewer small sized clothes. actually only now am i figuring out that speed is exponential to their age... meaning a newborn will potentially be in 'newborn clothes for only a few weeks' whereas a 2 year old with likely be in 2T for approximately a year! So think about everything size in between... 3mth, 6mths, 9mths, 12mth, 18mths as being on a scale of slightly greater than.
   (i have a niece who grew so fast by 6 months she was in 12 month clothes!)
   
• tip 1 - don't buy newborn clothes until your baby is born! you may not even need them... lots of women have large babies who start out in the 3mth size!
• tip 2 - buy fewer clothes and better quality (gap & gymboree have great quality clothes!)


Check out this newborn checklist by dandee:

I love the simplicity (& style) of this wardrobe for a new one! This lady is on baby #6... so i'm sure she's learned a little!




2. Kids clothing companies want to make $$$ ~ and you new mom are their target! It was so fun for me to be pregnant and shop for baby clothes after years of waiting to have kids that i got sucked right in (as i'm sure 99% of moms & grandma's do!) At least in my experience 9 month clothing is completely a marketing scheme on the part of the kids clothing companies to make more money by making you believe you need to buy more clothes! i actually did an experiment by comparing the lengths of sleepers/onesies labeled 9mths and 12months in the store and found that the difference is SO small, that for me at least, it is insignificant. 
   • tip 1 - try not buying 9 month baby clothes at all! 
   • tip 2 - be prepared to let your kids wear things that are a little to big, or a little too small... it won't kill them, or you!
   • tip 3 - wait to see what you receive as gifts, exchange things that you aren't going to use (or have too many of), lean towards larger sizes because your baby will wear them longer (see point #1!), buy used!
   • 
     
3. Shoes to boot ~ i think i figured this one out from watching my sister... but lets face it babies don't need shoes! until they're walking at least. Yes, they're cute ~ but honestly you'll put them on them once or twice and then have to find a place to store them. We opted for Robeez leather slippers (crib shoes) which look cute, complete an outfit, but are light and super durable! Aren't they cute?!
    

• tip 1 - wait until your kids start walking before you buy shoes (at all!) ~ i SO wish i had done this
• tip 2 - but only 1 PAIR of crib shoes like Robeez (0-6mths, 6-12mths, 12-18mths, 18-24mths) and you'll be set! (i just bought them for 2T + 3T for our oldest)


What tips or hints have you found helpful in clothing your babies?