Reader Poll: Tell us your favorite baby clothing brands!

[matthewsmom]

BEST BETS:

Hanna Andersson: I love how comfortable it is for my 11 month old DD. The quality is great also. Colors are still really bright. Love the sale that is going on right now.

Gymboree: Love their cute little outfits. The quality is good also but I usually only buy it when they have a sale going on. Or else I think the price is alittle too high.

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT:

Old Navy: It doesn't hold up as well as Gymboree or Hanna Andersson but when it's cheap, it's really cheap. They are also quite cute in style.

[knaidel]

I know it't not cool to shop at Sears, but I think that the Sears houe brand (TKS - The Kids Source) is definetly a BEST BET! The prices are dirt cheap (2 pairs of jeans for $13.98 ) and the quality is great. The clothes wash and wear very, very well. The styling is pretty boring- plain khakis, jeans, sweatshirts, etc....., but for everyday clothes, they're fine. I might get kicked off this board for saying this, but give me Sears over Hanna anyday. ;)

TKS starts at the 6-12 month size.

[crimsonowl]

Best Bets:

Baby Gap: Soft, durable basics for sleep and play clothes. They hold up through multiple washes and seem very comfortable. Good value, especially for onesies, gowns, and sleepers. And their triple-roll socks are the only ones that actually stay on my infant's feet.

Hanna Andersson: High-quality playclothes and holiday wear. Sizing is generous, and clothes withstand lots of washing. A bit on the expensive side, though, so perhaps best reserved for older infants and toddlers who don't grow as quickly, or for holiday clothes. We get more compliments on our Hanna clothes than anything else my daughter wears.

Zutano: Colorful, hip, comfortable, and well-made. Because of their durability, Zutano clothes are good value for toddlers --- less so for newborns who grow quickly.

Good But Not Great:

Gymboree: Fun, comfortable playclothes that withstand lots of washes and last a long time. We especially love, love, love their pajamas. Too expensive at full retail-price, but the frequent sales produce excellent deals.

Janie and Jack: Beautiful, well-made clothes, especially for "dress up," but generally too expensive for everyday wear.

Ralph Lauren: Beautiful clothes, but they run very small, shrink dramatically, and are expensive. Best bought at one of the many outlets.

Babystyle: Their super-soft cotton onesies and gowns are ideal for newborns. Larger sizes make for practical, comfortable playclothes. Colors are fun and hip. If they hadn't recently raised their prices, this would be a "best bet."

Old Navy: For the money, Old Navy's playclothes offer excellent value. They are soft, reasonably durable, and age-appropriate. But their selection is small; their styles are basic; and they aren't made to last a lifetime. That said, our fast-growing infant gets a lot of use from their playclothes for day care.

Pottery Barn Kids: We've been very impressed with the quality and comfort of their new clothing line. They offer good value on personalized shirts, onesies, and sweaters, and their frequent sales (often with free shipping online) are excellent. The only complaint is that their selection is very small.

Haute Baby: Fun, hip styles made with quality fabrics. Only complaint: Very expensive at full-retail. Best for "special occasion" clothes or gifts.

Skip-It:

Koala Baby --- Run small. Boring styling

Circo --- Cheaply made; run small; not fashionable.

Carter's --- Too hit or miss. The fabrics aren't high-quality; the construction is mediocre; and they are generically styled.

Gerber --- Poor quality. Run small.

Asorba --- Relatively durable, but absolutely devoid of style.

Vitamins --- Scratchy, thin fabrics. Cheaply constructed. No sense of style.

[klwa]

BEST BETS
We've really liked the Carter's clothes. I know they're not super stylish, etc, but for comfy play around the house/daycare clothes, you can't beat them.

I've also always loved the Sears house brand, TKS. I've given them to many people as baby shower gifts only to have them ask me WHERE I found them because they were some of their favorite outfits. They almost never believe me when I tell them, either. The only problem there is that with the addition of the Lands End to all of the stores, it's harder to find the TKS.

Most Osh Kosh. Haven't had any problem with stitches, etc, and the clothes are softer than a lot of the other "2 piece" places.

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT
Childrens Place. They look very nice, but aren't as comfy as I'd like in baby clothes.

Koala Baby. We've gotten some nice things, but some of them don't seem as well constrcuted, etc.

Gymboree. Same comment as Children's Place

SKIP IT
GERBER! 'Nuff said.


These are based on DS who is 16 mo now.

[jbrandy]

My DS is 4 and we are expecting DS #2. From my expereience:

Best Bets:

Carters - not circo, washes well and holds up well. They do run a bit small but over time are durable and still look good.

Gymmboree - great clothes, pricey. We have an outlet store and can get good deals there. For boys underware Gymmboree are the best -- soft, wash up well, and don't shrink.

Osh Gosh -- for boys clothes under 24 months. They have a good selection, they wash up fairly well and don't shrink. Again we have an outlet store and they are reasonablly priced.

Land End -- they have limited boys clothes but the ones they have wear and wash up well without shrinking. They are true to their size.

Gap for baby - I was very impressed with Gap Baby clothes -- soft, true to size, didn't shrink but....after 18 months in size I'm not impressed. They have a VERY small selection for boys over 2 years of age, the clothes aren't as soft, and they tend to shrink.

Skip it:
Walmart -- the worst kids clothes I have ever seen -- you have to buy at least a size larger -- they shrink, aren't soft, and do not wear well. I will never buy anymore clothes for kids here.

Target -- Their sweatpants aren't too bad but the circo brand is not as nice as their parent company -- Carters. Again I tend to steer away from buying clothes here.

Old Navy -- Selection for boys is limited, clothes shrink, are not very soft, etc.... I rarely buy anything here.

Shoes:
ROBEEZ -- the best!! Wash and wear well. I had these for DS #1 4 years ago and I'm buying new ones for DS #2. They are a bit pricey but well worth every penny!

Preschoolians -- FANTASTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE!! You can't lose with the company. They have soft bottomed shoes and they will replace them if there is anything wrong with hardly a question asked. There is something to be said for great customer service. I had a pair of shoes that came that had the end of the stitching lose. They sent me a new pair and didn't even ask me to return the old ones.

Note in general for clothes and shoes --- I am not at all impressed with how lopsided clothing is for boys as opposed to girls. In most stores 66%-75% of clothes are for girls and there is a small section for boys. Sad....It only gets worse as boys get older. It wasn't too bad until after the 18 month size. 24m on the clothes are plain and boring. I'm wondering why designers can't be creative with boys clothes and come up with more variety as they can with girls clothes.

Beth B
DS 4-4-03
#2 DS 4-07

[Globetrotter]

For babies, I would say:

BEST BETS

Pumpkin Patch - oh my, they have the CUTEST clothes!!! very well made and comfy-looking
Baby Gap - quality can't be beat - their stuff wears well, better than some of the pricier brands! Layette items are very soft.
Naartjie - adorable and original for girls, boys so-so
Carters - for everyday, practical and decent quality for a good price, doesn't wear as well as pricier brands
Gymboree - cute stuff

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT

Hanna Andersson - LOVE it - so soft, but pricey for babies, okay if you plan to have a few kids
Talbots - fabulous but pricey
Osh Kosh - shows wear
Old Navy - their fleece is GREAT, other items don't always hold up so well, good price point
Childrens place - doesn't wear well, but okay for the price
Circo/Target - sometimes they have thick cotton that wears well

SKIP IT

Gerbers - don't even bother!
I've had bad experiences with clothing from less expensive brands, and I find they tend to be scratchy, ill-fitting and don't wear well. There are certainly exceptions to this, of course, but I'd rather get the good stuff on sale/clearance :)

I also don't like to buy "disposable clothes". I'd rather get stuff that can be handed down again and again.

Kris

[KarenNYC]

BEST BETS
Babygap - especially when the stuff is on sale. the quality and fit can not be beat!
Old Navy - hip, well priced and sturdy
Target/Cicro - well priced and wears well - every so often the sizing if off but forwarned is for armed. the stuff is so inexpensive that even if it does not last past a season - who cares!
Children's Place - also well priced, lots of choices for mix and match but sizing tends to be an issue as it runs small
H&M - cute, cheap and not everyone shops there so it is different but the shirts are super comfy and they now offer the sizable waistbands
Nordstroms brand (I forgot the name- I think it is Jenna Jessie) - cute, hip and not expensive
Bloomie's brand (I think it is Lila Bleu) - same as Nordstroms
city threads/wes and willy - cute boys stuff

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT
carter's - their is stuff is always on sale but honestly does not last past one kid's wearing
Flowers by Zoe/JM/Lulu - fabulous clothes but VERY expensive
Ralph Lauren/POlo - great clothes but the sizing is AWFUL - it runs really small and half of the sweater hae short bodies with long arms


SKIP IT
Gymboree - I know lots of people LOVE their stuff but is just does NOT fit properly - my kids are average sizes and the stuff just falls off them. It is expensive for what it is as well.
Talbots - again, expesive and kind of stuffy. I like to dress my kids like little people not babies but this stuff is even to mature for me!
Janie and Jack - super cute stuff but SERIOUSLY overpriced for everyday stuff