Best/Favorite Baby Clothes - a poll

[CarolynBe]

Just wondering which brands of baby clothes you have found to be the most durable. Nothinng makes me madder than having a snap pop off an outfit.

My favorites:

Gymboree - My #1 favorite. I think the clothes are very high quality and durable. They always have a stuff on sale and I usually get the clothes at least 30-50% off.

Old Navy - Very low prices and haven't had any outfits tear or lose a snap. My favorite place for socks, jeans, and sweat pants.

Carters - Good for pajamas and low price, cute outfits at the outlet.

Osh Kosh - Good quality but expensive and hard to find on sale

Baby Gap - Good quality but expensive and hard to get good stuff on sale. The sale rack is always picked over and full of the weird looking clothes.

My least favorite brand - Baby Togs. My mother-in-law buys this brand for us. I've had numerous outfits tear and lose snaps. I finally told her to stop buying it.

Carolyn

[dave]

We've just started going to Children's Place, which has great looking clothes that are well made. Their spring colors are really fun too.

[alandenisefields]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-06-01 AT 03:52PM (Mountain)[p]We'll add one in---we like Cosco for pajamas! 100% cotton for just $10. Very cute patterns.

Alan & Denise Fields, Authors
BABY BARGAINS

[sarsah]

My favorites are: Lands End, Osh Kosh, Baby GAP, Old Navy & Cildren's Place. Those are about the only brands I buy for my son. I've received several gifts of other brands and have had trouble with snaps coming off, etc.

I find a lot of Osh Kosh clothing on clearance at the Department Stores (Sears, JC Penny, Rich's, Lord & Taylor) and I always try to buy at the end of the season and put things away for next year.

Sarah....

[JakesMom]

1. BabyGap -- the most durable, least shrinkage, etc. I bought some tee-rompers last year (6-12 month size) and my son actually wore them for nearly six months while he outgrew everything else.

2. Marshall Fields, Field Gear brand -- if you can get them, they have some great basics.

3. Old Navy -- not as good about shrinkage as their big brother BabyGap, but inexpensive and cute.

I had a ton of Carters stuff, but most of it shrinks so fast baby can only wear it a few times. I like the Childrens Place clothes too, but not everything -- their jackets, bunting and fleecy footie pajamas are terrific, but their shirts shrink fast, have tight head holes, and their stretchies are oddly shaped (too long and skinny).

My suggestion would be to find a Gap outlet store and watch their online sale selection -- they do mark a ton of stuff down. I get all of my son's jeans, overalls and tees from BG, and they're really great.

- Jodi

[angusmom]

Anyone have comments on the Little Me brand? I see them advertise in the magazines all the time and their clothes seem real good quality and very fashionable. They have them at Baby Depot but I haven't tried any yet. Opinions?

[swmc]

I really like the Little Me clothes! I have only used them for a short time.. as my daughter is only 3 months old, but they are seem great.

[thomcatbob]

We like Carters and Little Me. One of the Little Me sleepers we received as a gift zips up the front rather than snaps. My husband wants us to get more of these since they're so much easier than snaps!

[joodyjr]

I just wanted to offer a friendly note of advice to parents for when baby gets big enough for shoes....
Please do not use the socks with the little grippers on the bottom when putting shoes on baby! The grippers "grip" as soon as the foot is placed in the shoe and baby's toes get really scrunched up in the shoe.
I myself never even thought of such a thing until I started working in a shoe store and heard the owner passing the advice on to his customers.

[joodyjr]

I just wanted to offer a friendly note of advice to parents for when baby gets big enough for shoes....
Please do not use the socks with the little grippers on the bottom when putting shoes on baby! The grippers "grip" as soon as the foot is placed in the shoe and baby's toes get really scrunched up in the shoe.
I myself never even thought of such a thing until I started working in a shoe store and heard the owner passing the advice on to his customers.

By the way, I love Old Navy and Little Me.

[emmiem]

I love Baby Gap. The clothes are high quality, classic, and durable. Gymboree tends to shrink and side seams twist. The Leggings for girls always ends up too short. I guess we could use them as capris! The department stores never have a great selection. I also love Hanna Andersson. These clothes are pricey but indestructable and hand me downable!

[lesliehagan]

Great poll!

My favorites:

Gymboree - Cute styles, great quality. The leggings do run small, and their shorts run large (go figure!), but once I figured that out I've been able to outfit my daughter with clothes that will fit for 6-8 months at a time. I buy 2 pairs of leggings to go with each top, one to fit now and one to fit in a few months. Plus a lot of their collections coordinate with one another, so it is easy to find sale items that will go with clothes you already have. My daughter lives in Gymboree!

Carters - For pajamas, socks and undershirts they can't be beat!

Carriage Boutiques - I've only had a few outfits from this department store brand, but they've been high-quality dressy clothes that wash and wear well.

Baby Gap - Their higher priced items are high quality, some of the lower priced items aren't. I think a lot of the styles are too "grown up" for babies, and don't look right on baby bodies, but when Gap gets it right the kids look adorable! Their denim basics (jeans, overalls, jumper dresses, etc.) are some of the best buys out there.

Lands' End - Really cute clothes, great quality, looks like Hanna Andersson, but cheaper.

McBaby - For the first 6 months of her life my daughter wore lots of McBaby onesies. The soft, thick cotton, colorful prints, and easy snap up fronts really impressed me. We used them as summer jammies. I'm sorry I can't find them in 18 month sizes now. We also had some McBaby romper outfits and they were all quality items and were very cute! I'd say of the bargain brands, McBaby is my favorite.

Mother Maid - Boutique brand with some over-the-top styles (maribou!), but their more simple outfits are really cute.

[jiujiu]

I'll add a few of my faves...

First off, I rarely buy anything with a collar. They get in the way.

Zutano-very soft but they RUN SMALL. Just be aware of this when purchasing. Anyway, the little separates are wonderful for newborns. BUT BUY BIG (I can't emphasize that enough!!)

Healthtex-Great little basics.

I've had good luck with some of "The Kids Store" (TKS) items from Sears. You just have to look over the garment really well before you buy it. But if you're careful, you can get some good deals. I got some knit shorts and a little tank top with ties on the side that are really comfortable for my little girl.

Fresh Produce-Great high color sundresses, tshirts, and shorts.

Baby Baubles - Not a common brand around here but I like what I've found.

Stamp - cute "high color" stuff.

I like the Friemanit/Glynne Percy cotton pajamas I've bought at Baby Depot.

And like everybody else, I like Gymboree, Old Navy, Baby Gap, and Land's End.

Jennifer

[opus]

Where can I find the Fresh Produce baby clothing web site? Do they sell direct? If not, what's the best place to shop for Fresh Produce baby clothing items? Thanks.

[kicksmom]

I, like you, *love* Fresh Produce. The clothes wash really well, don't shrink, and the colors are a blast! Obviously, if you live in Florida, they're all over. I bought mine in Sanibel. However, I was in Von Maur dept. store the other day and noticed that they sell Fresh Produce also, infants and ladies too. They don't have near the selection you're going to find at a FP store, but they did have quite a few outfits. I haven't seen them anywhere else, but if you find out, please post it! :>

[mom@home]

I also love Fresh Produce and have seen them in Nordstrom's. Another one of my favorite brands is Mullberribush. For dressy/nicer clothes, I love Baby Lulu for my little girl.

[rebwal]

My favorite brands are Old Navy and Baby Gap. I found that since my daughter at 6 months is very long and lean, I'm having a hard time finding clothes that fit that body type. Old Navy and Baby Gap tend to run long (she's still wearing a 3-6 month Baby Gap outfit, but wearing 6-9 everything else) I absolutely love leggings and bought a slew of them at oldnavy.com for $2...can't beat that!

I also like Children's place, but I find that they run small for my daughter's body style.

Can't beat Gymboree for their receiving blankets.

I agree with the Fields. Cosco has wonderful sleepers...especially since my daughter hates things on her feet, and most of their stuff is footless, which is very hard to find.

[E&E]

I really like The Children's Place, but lately they seem to have a few too many "hoochie" clothes for little girls. I'm one who likes my little girl to look like a little girl, not Jennifer Lopez.

Baby Gap is nice and good quality but way overpriced for clothes they will grow out of in a minutte.

I think Carters is unbeatable for sleepers, onesies and rompers. The outlets have great prices.

I was very pleasently surprised w/ Mc Baby brand at Wal Mart. I actually like their snap front onesies BETTER than Carters. And very economical.

I like Gymboree, but find them pricey.

Little Me is great too.

For socks...It's Gap or Old Navy.

Old Navy for clothes is ok, the quality is not the greatest, but they'll probably outgrow the clothes before they start looking shabby anyway. The selection is very hit or miss too.

I really like Target's baby clothes. I get some adorable outfits for $10 or less and get more compliments on them than I do on my baby gap stuff!

Now I HATED Miniwear's onesies and pajamas...they were AWFUL.

[kzallison]

I love Gymboree and, believe it or not, Target! They have little denim shorts for about $5 that last wash after wash and are really cute. For layette clothing, nobody beats Lands' End with their supremely soft, cotton knits that wear well and wash wonderfully. Their prices are very reasonable and the customer service is incredible! I can't say enough good things about them. By the way, they make great crib sheets and diaper bags, too.

[elaine]

I've gotten terrific $4 onesies at Mervyn's from their Sprockets line. They have both pullover and the full snap front style, which I especially like.

I also like the clothes I've bought at Target - a very cute $10 dress, and the Lullaby Club onesies & blanket I got as gifts were some of the softest, most durable clothes I've found.

Hanna Andersson has great sunhats (but you have to remember to buy in spring!) and I also like the Land's End romper.

[HeyHeyMama]

I'm a new mama-to-be, so I can't attest to clothing durablity, yet. But I wanted to share my observations on Target, Old Navy, Baby Gap and Gymboree's sales racks, which I have visited in the last week.

I don't want to load up on new clothes, as baby showers are soon and I'm getting numerous hand-me-downs. So to satisfy my nesting urges, I'm looking for "can't-beat-that" sales. Goal: The prices should be at a level where, if clothes are less-than-satisfactory, I won't lose sleep and I'll have learned what not to buy.

FYI: We're having a boy. My preference is for clothes that look boyish, not cutesy. I'm buying clothes that appear to have easy access to the diaper and have necklines that accomodate the baby's head.

Target - 2 onesies and a T-shirt for less than $2 ea. Too many items w/ tags missing or I would've got more...

Old Navy - With an extra 30% off clearance: one knit cap for $1.39 and a red, hooded jacket for $2.79 (we're having a winter baby). Very good looking items for infant boy. Too many items w/ tags missing...

Baby Gap - Single sales rack practically empty, mostly girl stuff. Was shocked at the regular prices; my child's wardrobe budget shouldn't exceed his parents! Didn't buy anything.

Gymboree - Tons of sales items, 30-70% off. But even w/ sale, prices were at Old Navy/Target full-price level. Lots of ugly Halloween-orange. Didn't qualify as "can't-beat-that" sale to me. Didn't buy anything.

[sarsah]

I have an extremely active 15 month old. Here are some of my favorite brands:

- Osh Kosh - I shop the outlet stores and also dept. store clearance sales and usually save at least 70% off retail

- Gymboree - I bought a onesie at a thrift store before my son was born and got hooked on them. Again, I hold out as long as I can for a sale, and buy at the end of the season for next year

- Carters - love their 100% cotton PJs. Their other clothes are ok, not great, but not bad either

- Children's Place - some of their stuff is great, the rest is junk -- you kind of have to be careful with what you buy, I've found flaws and their clothes run small

- Old Navy - nice stuff for a good price, sometimes their shirts shrink or twist, but I didn't pay a fortune for it, so that's ok

- babyGAP - nice stuff, but pricey and hard to find on sale, especailly for little boys (they alwasy have a clearance rack of girl stuff)

- Seasame Street (from K-Mart) - I've had a few outfits from there and they were great, again I think it's kind of hit or miss, but I've had great luck

- Cherokee brand from Target, especailly their t-shirts and polo shirt onesies

Sarah