Reader Poll: Tell us your favorite baby clothing brands!

[MonicaH]

Best bets:
--Hanna Andersson. For all the reasons the PPs mentioned. I think the style is just right for babies and little girls. Zippers are the softest PJs ever and sooo cute on a toddler.
--Talbots Kids. They are well made and hold up well. They don't seem to have a wide selection of baby clothes at once but there are usually some pretty cute things. They have sales a few times a year and you can also sign up for their email promos for an extra coupon twice a year.
--Carters, especially the baby stuff. DD lived in the cotton footed sleepers till 8 months old. I haven't had a chance to try out the toddler sizes yet.
--Le Top. Soft cotton, very cute styles, wash well.
--Anavini smocked dresses. Gorgeous, wonderful quality fabrics and smocking if you can get it at a good price.
--Baby Lulu. I don't care for many of the styles but I really love the baby tee dresses. Sometimes you can find them at discount places (Chocolate Soup often has tons in small sizes, if there is one near you.) Runs small though so size up.

Good, not great:
--Gymboree. Some of the lines are really cute but you have to play the pricing game. They come out with new lines so often that you could seriously over-buy if not being careful. Of course the individual pieces will never look quite as nice with a different brand top/jeans/whatever so further temptation to over-buy. When DD was a newborn, I found some footed sleepers that were nice and thick and snapped all the way down one leg, but I don't think the ones I've seen since were as nice. Plus they are the really tight-fitting kind and my baby chunked up and then they didn't fit anymore.
--Janie and Jack. Quality is excellent, but really expensive. I'd only buy there on a big sale (or gift certificate). I had a gift from there that I wanted to exchange, but the item I wanted was not in the store, and I was told that they could not get it from another store for me. Don't know if this is really true or not, but it didn't seem like good customer service to me.
--babyGap. Hit or miss. Some of the cotton tees/onesies we have had from there have gotten very pilly. The pants fit small, IMO (again, my baby's a chunk). The triple roll socks are great.
--Mulberribush. Cute stuff, but we got several tees and 2 pairs of shorts and they were all cut differently. Not sure if I'd buy these again.
--Zutano. They are cute but I was disappointed that their striped pieces are printed on, not knitted in.
--Target brands (Cherokee, Circo, OshKosh brand). Hit or miss. Pants and shorts seem to wear better than tops IME. Have to size up for the chunky, but they then may be too long.
--Garnet Hill. I think that the separates are really cute and fit her well. Cotton is soft. Some of the stuff seems very overpriced though. One-piece PJs are "sausage wear".

Skip:
--Babies R Us brands (Koala Kids, can't remember other names). Look crummy after washing, not made well.
--Target Carters brand. Rough, thin, shrinks.
--Old Navy. Have had some onesies from there that were good last winter, but this time around the cotton is rough and they have shrunk a lot. I really don't like a lot of the styles for babies and little girls (spaghetti strap camisoles, anyone?)
--The Children's Place. Styles are too grown up, and they are often cut funny IME.

Okay, I am somewhat horrified to have this many opinions on children's clothing. I swear, a lot of it has been bought by grandma ;) Look for bargains at good resale shops or Swap or ebay.

Monica

[spanannie]

BEST BETS

Hanna Andersson -- favorite for girls; soft, high quality clothing, with an excellent guarantee; well worth the money. LOVE the pjs for boy and girl: it's all my kids wear.

MiniBoden -- love the styles; sizing is wonky, but worth it for the styles; soft/good quality; downside is that it's pricey and you have to wait for a while to receive some shipments; have to guess to match things on site; upside is that they have frequent discount codes, free shipping and free returns

Lands' End -- best place to buy coats for kids and love the fleece footed 2 piece pajamas. They button at the waist, so the shirt doesn't ride up. Great for an older kid in the winter. Great return policy and customer service.

LLBean -- good for coats/fleece

Geox -- favorite sneakers; wear like iron; great styles

Primigi -- love these; wear well; great styles

Charlie Rocket -- LOVE IT! CR makes the best jeans, in my opinion. I have never had a quality issue, until recently, but I e-mailed the company and they repaired the pocket on the jeans and sent me those + a new pair! Problem is, they are hard to find in stores, and you have to hunt on-line to find them. My son is 4.5 and has been wearing their jeans and shorts since he was 12 mos old.

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT

Gymboree -- some cute designs, but the styles are common and repetitive; very themed/matchy; hate their business practices/sale structure: yuck!

Janie and Jack -- there are some lines that I LOVE, but many of them are very repetitive and too themed/matchy; expensive

Gap -- decent quality; boring styles; same old thing

SKIP IT

Old Navy -- doesn't hold up well; shrinkage
Babystyle -- doesn't hold up well; shrinkage

BOUTIQUE BRANDS

Cach Cach -- piling, especially bad on their "fuzzy" fabrics, which are common in their line
MisTeeVUs -- excessive shrinkage
Catimini -- sensitive laundry instructions; piling
Mulberribush, Spudz -- good
Baby Lulu -- adorable designs, but sensitive to laundering. May fade, shrink or pile. Need to size up in knits.
I've found that boutique brands, in general, are sensitive to laundering. It's important to lay flat or hang to dry on many pieces, or you risk shrinkage or the garment not wearing well. As my kids get older, I'm moving away from the boutique clothes more and more because they don't hold up as well as others, and the companies don't guarantee their products, and the boutiques usually have stingy return policies.

[megamay79]

BEST BETS
Hanna Andersson - very cute, great quality, expensive, but worth it.
Baby LuLu - EXTREMELY cute! Wait for a sale, quality is good, but it is really the cute factor that makes this brand so great
Gymboree - cute, good quality, they have great sales so don't buy full price unless there is something that you just have to have

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT
Carter's - good for play clothes. Decent quality, doesnt wash all that well.
Baby Gap - good quality, sizing can vary (some things run really big, others really small), overpriced unless you get it on sale


SKIP IT
The Children's Place - The quality and the styling are seriously lacking. Sometimes I buy basics here if they are having a really good sale, but even then it isnt always worth it.
Old Navy - quality is really lacking, they dont wash or wear well. I buy things on the clearance rack sometimes because you can get stuff for practically nothing. their denim is good quality though, so I will buy jeans and overalls there.

[tarynsmum]

I third H&M (once you get that the sizing is different from most brands). The clothing runs big, IMO (DD wears 6-12 in most clothes right now, but a 4-6 at H&M). THe styles are realy cool while still not "grown-up", and they have a cool sense of color. And VERY good prices.

[emmiem]

BEST BETS Hanna Andersson, expensive but worth every better. Can be handed down, washes great, resists wrinkles and stains, comfy.

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT Gymboree, Gap. Hit and miss on quality and fit.

SKIP IT Carter, ToysRUs Brands, Target Brands. They shrink, don't wash well
Michele

[Puddy73]

BEST BETS:

Hanna Andersson, but only bought on sale. As much as I like it, I don't think that it is worth full price.

Baby GAP - good quality basics, great sales.

For DS I have LOVED a few Ralph Lauren pieces that I picked up on eBay. I was surprised by how well they held up and I love the preppy style.

LL Bean - not much selection for little ones, but good prices on well-made basics.

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT:

Old Navy
Carters
Target Circo or Cherokee

SKIP IT

Gerber, Health-Tex & Spencers. We had a few infant items with these labels and they were awful, scratchy fabric that pilled quickly.

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle 9/08/03 & Finn 10/31/05

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." - Jimmy Buffett

[Marcy_O]

I don't have access to a lot of the boutique brands unless I hit Iowa City and I won't pay the prices for them. So here's the run down on what I do purchase :)

BEST BETS
Old Navy: Clothes wear great - esp jeans, though I've noticed the sizes don't last as long as Baby Gap, but for the price, esp on sale, you can't beat the quality. Plus, they're a lot of fun! We buy a lot of casual every day clothes here. (As I look around at the christmas packages, I have three ON shopping bags!!)

Baby Gap: Love their PJ's. Best so far. They wear great, wash up great and fit great. A bit expensive, but you can get great deals at outlet stores or on sale if you don't mind buying out of season jammies.

Carters: Though the sizes run a bit small, they work great for average to smaller kids (like mine). Usually have to buy 1 up to get a lot of use out of them, but the quality is fantastic. We have recently purchased a lot of items at an outlet store and were pleasantly surprised with the cost, selection & quality of the items. I'm also really happy so far with their footed PJ's though I think they run a tiny bit small. But at the outlet price, 2/15.00, I can't complain.

Kid Connection by Wal-Mart: Infant clothing is super soft and light. I found that it keeps it's shape after washing and though it pills up a bit after a while, for the price, you can't beat this brand for onesies, play clothes or sleepers.

Children's Place: Their socks are the best! With the triple roll and the nice light well made fabric/knit, they are by far the best. Socks are a must around my house because of the cold floors. My son doesn't like socks, but these he keeps on I think because they keep his feet warm but not hot and they don't pinch at the top.

Best Bet Shoes:
Merrell: My son LOVES his merrell shoes (mom loves hers too!). Another outlet buy for 25.00 (though the price wasn't much different at the department store) for a nice pair of leather with velcro shoes. Best purchase yet! He learned to walk in these shoes and whenever he gets to choose his shoes, he picks these. They're made with the same quality as adult size shoes but for kids feet. Women's shoes are taylored to women's feet, kid's to kid's feet and men's to men's feet. And they wear like iron and get more comfortable over time. AND they're nice and light for new walkers. (I really like the merrells!!)

Robeez: Soft, flexible, washes great, wears great, super fun styles. Worth the extra $$ you pay for them.



GOOD BUT NOT GREAT
Baby Gap: We buy a lot of dressier clothing here for photos and such. I've also gotten great deals on coats and pants after season. Otherwise, the price is too high, which is the only reason I put BG in the good but not great section. I've also found some flaws in some items, but they are usually happy to return or exchange the item with a receipt.

Hannah Andersson: I love the styles and the durability of Hannahs. We usually only purchase "staples" because of the cost, but those have worn great. I put it here soley for the cost. They're good to splurge on.

Le Top: I can only find this brand at the higher end stores around here, but I REALLY like them a lot. The clothing is soft and flowy, cute and worth a bit of a splurge. Though I've noticed you have to be a bit careful about the sizes and make sure the item is not running smaller than other brands. You have to be careful about the consistency of the sizes here.

Circo by Target: Depending on what you're getting, the fabric can be either really scratchy and stiff or light and soft. It's not terribly consistent, and so I won't buy a circo item if it comes in a sealed bag. They soften up a bit after washing but some things never get really soft. I've noticed that the items get softer / better as the price goes up. Overall, it's an OK brand to use for everyday play.

Good but not great Shoes:

New Balance: Though they are taylor made for little feet, they are quite heavy and cumbersome for new walkers. I suspect they would work great for seasoned walkers.

Stride Rite: At least the sandals - they were nice and light, but the straps tended to bother my son's feet - and he doesn't have chubby feet. And they were a bit heavy and pricey.


SKIP IT
Baby URit: We get a lot of these clothes (I think they're from Kohls or TRU) from my DS's Nana. They are good quality, cute but usually the shirts run just right or too small and the pants run way too big - esp around the waist. And the shirts usually have a button up the back, which is a total pain especially for infants who can't sit up on their own.


SKIP IT SHOES:
Hannah Andersson: Swedish Mocs. I love the concept and the look but they don't stay on, are too hot to wear with socks, and tend to pill for crawlers.

[luv_my_girl]

I have two kids, ages 4 and 2 and yet I still find this board useful! But my opinions have shifted over time.

For an INFANT:

Best Bets: Carter's (good enough, inexpensive), Baby Gap (softer), Hanna (if you have the $, otherwise gets outgrown too quickly at this age)

Good but not Great: Gymboree (too fancy, not as practical), Osh Kosh, Little Me

Skip It: H&M (terrible shrinkage, doesn't wash well, and overpriced relative to quality)

For a TODDLER and PRESCHOOLER

Best Bets: Hanna Andersson (quality is remarkable, wait for a sale), Gymboree (terrific sales once you "get it", kids love the comfy clothes, cutest outfits around, don't overdo it on the matchy matchy though), Lands End (wears like iron, styling has improved)

Good but not Great: Gap (bland styling, expensive), Osh Kosh (inconsistent sizing), Carter's (shrinkage).

Skip It: H&M, Childrens Place (looks cheap), Old Navy (looks cheap), Ralph Lauren and Laura Ashley (overpriced and poorly made).

[nupe]

Gymboree has been my favorite in general for my slim son. He is 2 1/2 now and 90% off his wardrobe is from Gymboree. I also like to purchase cotton for him given eczema.
1) Prices may not be the best, but I don't buy collections, I buy pieces that I need.
2) Pieces tend to coordinate from different collections, different years. For example I may buy items for 2007 summer at the end of 2006 summer when items have had significant markdowns. Of course that means if I don't use them next year, I can't return them due to 90 day return policy. This has not been a problem.
3) Adjustable waist key for my slim son.
4) Two stores close to me, so I can usually find what I need.
5) Durability excellent.
6) I really like some of the designs: train collections, airplane collections, etc. I don't care for most of them. I have only been infatuated with one collection so far--this years trains, in that I bought clothes we didn't need because of the trains.
7) LOVE the blankets.

Carters for onesies, and infant clothing when sizes change on a month to month basis.

Gap--not much selection at the one store near me, and poor sale selection. Not much sale boy's selection online either.

Hate the clothes from Meijer with Thomas (for example), poor design (neckhole tiny), poor fit (boxy), and poor durability (pills, run potential in wash) and invariably DS's favorite because of the logo.

LL Bean/Lands End for outerwear.

Nupe

[lizajane]

our best bets are:

baby gap-good sales end of season. love their jeans and t shirts. don't care for the "trendy" stuff. i like them for basic, solid color things.

talbots- great sales end of season where you can get all your staples for super cheap. polos for summer and turtlenecks for winter are a must have around here. get them for $5 end of season. same with cord pull on pants.

ll bean: new to the brand, but love the solids, classics, soft cotton for a reasonable price

good but not great:

i guess the quality is pretty good at gymboree, but i think the boy selection is AWFUL and insulting when compared to the girl section. same old stuff every season in ugly colors.

target- great cheap basics, but not always durable

carters- good for infants, but they outgrow the styles really fast. plus everything has some goofy "thing" on it, like a race car. yuck.

skip it:
children's place. i have NEVER made a purchase there when at least one item fell apart. the customer service is HORRIBLE. i think the quality is horrible horrible horrible.


boutique brands that are pricey but lovely, in my opinion:
kelly's kids
orient expressed
ragsland
just ducky
vive la fete

and i think hanna andersson is super duper fab-o, i just can't afford it. so i try to get a thing here and there on sale when i can.