dress and leggings combo

[s_gosney]

oops...I just remembered a past discussion on what exactly leggins are. So, to clarify, I am talking about the things that are basically like tight pants...not tights.
I'm anxiously awaiting the day that Kylee starts walking so that she can start wearing dresses again. (any ideas on how long babies tend to do a combo walk/crawl mode before going to all walking?) Anyway, I'm concerned about tights holding up to regular play (is this a valid concern or are they really that well made?), so I'm hoping to find some cute outfits of the dress/legging combo style. Just a couple of questions...what are the best stores to look for these at? or are all equally good? Second, what sorts of socks & shoes do you pair with these? I've kept her barefoot all summer, but when it cools off, I'll have to put shoes on her just to keep socks on.
ETA: Do all of the first walkers shoes really cost $40+? I'm so cheap...
Thanks for the help!

[LucyG]

Sherri,

My DD started walking at 13 months, and did almost none of the crawling/walking combo. She did pull up and cruise for many months before that, though.

You can find playdress/legging combos at Hanna, of course, but they are pricey. We don't own any, but I'd like to get one this year. I did get a HA happy stripe dress to pair with solid leggings from somewhere cheap. I think I'll probably be doing more of that (nicer dress, less expensive leggings) to keep costs down. I, too, am very cheap! Also, Carter's outlets have some cute casual play dresses this fall, and you could find leggings to match. Land's End is another source. Their dresses are really cute, and not as expensive as HA.

As for shoes, I've found several pairs of cute mary janes in solid colors (navy. brown leather, etc.) at Payless and Target. We did get StrideRites for my DD's first shoes, but at the outlet they were just $26. Keds are another (cheaper) option for cute, flexible baby shoes. Now that she walks well and tends to be hard on her shoes, we don't do SR for every pair. She does have some SR sandals this summer, and we love them. Otherwise, her knock-off Keds from Payless are doing the job very well, and are precious!

[brubeck]

I like Gymboree for these things. They have matching panty/diaper covers with their dresses if you get them from the baby girl lines (up to 3T) and their lettuce edge leggings are tigh but not TIGHT IYKWIM and they are girly too with the lettuce edging on the bottom.

LE has nice dresses that I usually pair with Gymbo leggeings. I also have some Hanna dresses that pair with Gymbo leggings. Can you tell I love Gymbo leggings! Part of it is that my DD is slim and many othe leggings brands (such as LE) bag and sag on her.

HTH!

[parkersmama]

The dress/leggings combo is my favorite type of outfit for baby girls!! Amy Grace crawled forever but once she started walking, it only took about a month before she was walking full-time.

I love the Gymbo leggings but very often, they don't come out with plain color ones or the ones they have don't match their dresses. My favorite dress/legging sets are from Hanna. They are pricey but better with a code or at the end of the season sale for next year. Also, Naartjie has great legging or pants with a dress combos. I'm really in love with these right now. Other places to check are Chez Ami and Kelly's Kids but both are catalog shows and have a long lead time on purchases.

For whatever reason, I think that retailers have missed the boat on this one. I don't know why more of them don't do dress/leggings combos. They are cute, warm, durable, and easy to deal with (tights can be a real PITA!). Unfortunately, pretty much everyone that offers this idea (with the exception of Naartjie) have high priced clothing. :(