Your Guide to Buying Baby Clothes Online

Whether you’re a new parent to a beautiful bundle of joy or you’re looking for a baby gift, we’ll walk you through the different terms used, which can be quite confusing. Below are explanations and factors to consider when buying baby clothes online.

What does no one tell you about buying baby clothes.....

Things To Look Out For

When buying online from shops that promote 'direct from manufacturers', the baby clothes do not always meet the Australian standards and labelling requirements. They are typically not 100% cotton or called a cotton blend and can be a bit haphazard with quality, cut and sizing. Also look for delivery time frames. When coming from overseas garments can take awhile and by the time they arrive, your baby has gone from size 0-3 month to 3-6 months.

Always look for a contact number so you can call customer support if you need to, and not just an email address. 

Always Buy the Larger Size 

Here’s our final tip for today: baby clothes sizes vary like adult clothes. Sometimes I fit into a 10, sometimes I fit into a size 12. Depending on the make and fit the sizes are never exact. Look for a size chart that shows approx baby height and weight and always buy the larger size.

We get that shopping for newborn baby clothes online can be confusing, but we hope this guide helps you find the perfect clothes. Don’t hesitate check out our article on finding the right size clothes for your baby.

What kind of clothes are good for newborns?

A One-piece garments are best for newborns. Most of the newborn baby clothes are a one-piece because a separate top and bottom tend to slide up (or down), when they are being held, in the capsule or on a baby play mat wriggling around. One-pieces remove this problem, and they’re better at holding the nappy in place.

What's the most important thing when buying baby clothes online?

Whether your buying baby girl clothes or baby boy clothes, it's a good idea to buy clothes that are 100% cotton. Some newborns have sensitive skin and the wrong clothes could result rashes or irritations. Cotton is a breathable fabric that's excellent all year round, and particularly in summer.

Typically high quality baby clothes are 100% cotton and more expensive but rest assured, you don't have to spend a fortune on dressing your baby. You can get affordable baby clothes that are 100% cotton, most of the time these are a more lightweight or a less dense cotton that may not last as long / might distort after a few washes.

As babies grow and go through multiple outfit changes a day, we believe a mix of high quality and more affordable clothes is a good idea. Babies tend to require a lot of clothes in the first few months. Some Mum's choose to throw out, as opposed to wash, those poop filled bodysuit or romper.

There are many different types of one-piece clothing for babies and to make things confusing, there is no 'industry standard' so what one company might call a bodysuit, another company might call a romper. We attempt to explain some of the terms used for newborn clothes;

What's the difference between a Romper a Onesie or a Bodysuit?

What is a BODYSUIT

A bodysuit is like a t-shirt that extends to below the waist and then press studs that clip together between the legs. Baby bodysuits can have different types of necklines;

Envelope neck - has little folds over the shoulder. The are designed to make it easy to get over a newborn's head AND when after a poo explosion, they can be taken off by slipping the arms out and pulling the bodysuit down over the hips and legs to avoid poop filled bodysuit going over the babies head.

Press Studs - these are normally on the should to allow the garment to open more and make it easy to get on over the baby's head.

Note that it typically a bodysuit or onesie doesn't cover the legs, leaving them exposed. Still, it’s a full outfit that’s terrific for everyday wear. 

What is a ONESIE

The simple and quick answer is, onesies and bodysuits are the same thing - a one piece garment. Did you know that the term Onesie when used in relation to baby clothes is a trademarked term by Gerber?

What is a ROMPER

A baby romper is also a type of one-piece clothing however, it's longer than a bodysuit. They extend down the legs to be shorts or full length. So parents who are worrying about the exposed legs might like these better.

There are a couple of variations of rompers, typically they have long sleeve, however you can find short sleeve rompers. And you will find enclosed feet rompers, these can also be referred to as all-in-ones.

All-in-Ones and jumpsuits are essentially the same, with full pants covering the baby’s legs. This one-piece also has several variations, including hooded, sleeve lengths and some cover hands and feet too. Mitted jumpsuits come with attached mitts, while footed ones cover the feet, as well.

Rompers, all-in-ones and jumpsuits are great for sleepwear and everyday wear, especially during the colder months.