When we found out we were pregnant with a boy (Liam), we were elated. I have quite a few boy cousins and we were gifted bags of hand-me-downs!! Everything is from my aunts in Texas. All of our winter or “weather appropriate” clothing was gifted to Liam, or was purchased from a local thrift store.

Liam was born in June so when we found out Carson was due in May our budget took a sigh of relief. We figured they would be about the same size each month and all of Liam’s hand me downs would be perfect for Carson! When Carson was born three weeks early he was too small for newborn outfits. We went shopping for preemie outfits on our way home from the hospital. I bought 5 footie pjs and he rotated through those his first month.

Then he hit his first growth spurt. He passed newborn size entirely and went straight into three month clothing. By month three he was already in six month clothing. That’s also when he started getting more wide than tall. He’s what most would consider “husky” when it comes to clothing. Footie pjs and outfits don’t fit at all. Now, at six months old, Carson is wearing 12 month clothing. He’s literally outgrown all of his big brother’s clothes. Liam passed away a week after we switched to size 9-12 months.

I tried a thrift store subscription box to help fill his closet with winter clothing. We had a great experience but unfortunately the company is no longer open.

This is what I have learned about infant clothing, thus far:

Don’t pull the tags off of the clothes you are gifted!! (Even the ones you buy yourself, wait to pull a tag until you’re ready to wash it, aka baby is ready to wear it)
Wash a few newborn and 0-3 month onesies first. Bring a couple of each to the hospital and leave the rest alone until you need them.
When it comes to holiday / seasonal clothes, you can’t always count the months from the due date and expect things to fit. KEEP THE TAGS ON!!
Thrift / second-hand /consignment / pre-loved / hand-me-down clothing are the best for infants + children, in my opinion! They grow faster than weeds, don’t waste your money on new clothes. I’ve found so many amazing name brand clothes from our local thrift stores. I’ve also found pre-loved quilts + comforters, brands like Pottery Barn.
Unpopular opinion: infants don’t need shoes. Splurge on cute socks instead, babies love the ones that rattle or have mini stuffed animals on them.
When buying infant shoes - stick to soft soles or socks with grips until they are walking. Hard soles are not good for their foot development. We love Surprize by Stride Rite - they’re perfect for fat footed babies!
Children’s clothing brands are just like adult brands. They all fit a little differently. Try buying different brands until you find the one that fits your infant best. In my experience: Cat + Jack runs larger, so does Cloud Island by Target. Carters is one of the only brands that has preemie outfits + newborn swim suits. OshKosh is super stylish and one of our faves for Liam but it runs a little skinny for Carson.
Mittens don’t stay on newborns as well as you’d think. Try finding outfits that have the extra fabric to fold over their hands instead!
Footie outfits aren’t ideal for short babies. The legs are too long or the outfit is too tight.
Fleece shrinks. I found we were always a size up on the fleece sweaters + pjs with Liam. Be careful when washing and drying infant clothes. Cold is always best!