Reader Poll: Tell us your favorite baby clothing brands!

[BeachBum]

Best Bets: To me this means, really cute, comfortable, and long lasting. Stuff that you will want to save for your next kid. I'm willing to spend more for stuff that meets all the criteria.

Hanna anderssen--wears so well, last so long because of the sizing, many gender neutral items that can be handed down, just great cotton basics.

Le Top--Very cute stuff, wears great. Boutique styles, but still comfy cotton.

Mulberry Street--Adorable long and shortalls for boys, some are reversible, nice elastic cinch waist,very consistant and true sizing

Mulberribush-nice quality t-shirts that wear well

Bailey boys- generous sizing, easy to move the buttons for growth, wear well



Ok:
Carter's--works best for plump short kids, not so much for skinny tall ones. some of the stuff can be too thin. designs are really uninspired

Oakie Doakie-JC Penny brand. Nice cotton basics, very inexpensive. Not stuff you will bother to save for another child.

Old Navy Jeans: can get good prices, seem to hold up just find for "trendy" type wear. not stuff you'll be using for the next baby

Circo-good for fill in pieces. Triple roll socks hold up well (better than gap). Quality isnt great, but some cute "trendy" type things to mix in with basics. Can pick up things you don't need to last for good prices.

Skip it:
Old Navy onesies--they stretch all out and have wonky sizing
Children's place-totally disposable. unless you need something for one or two wears, skip it.

[SnuggleBuggles]

BEST BETS

Gap for basics

Carters' play clothes (prices at Kohls are really good a lot of the time)

Just One Year (Carters' spin off sold at Target) for PJs (great price, 4pc sets for $13, and they are soft, comfortable and true to size)

Nike tennis shoes- soft, flexible soles make these great 1st shoes and they are only $28!

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT

Lands' End- comfy and well made but sizing has been weird. Shirts seem to be cut short and wide which doesn't work for a tall, skinny kid.

Some Old Navy things are better than others. Brushed twill shirts are very nice. Always worth a look b/c of their prices.

SKIP IT

Lands' End comfort mocs. Terrible especially when compared with Merrils.

Circo shirts at Target (though handy to have around as extras for preschool, in the diaper bag or to be used as play clothes) becuase they shrink too much.

Beth (who has very little knowledge of kids' clothes outside of B&M stores)

[Radosti]

Cool, good to know. Thanks!

[racerl1]

BEST BETS - I love Le Top. Le Top clothes are mostly play clothes. They are made from super soft cotton; they wash and wear well; and they are super cute. Most of the clothes are very colorful and fun. They tend to run big, to allow for shrinkage, but I've found they are still a little big after washing and drying. Le Top is a little pricey, and hard to find in most stores, but the clothes are great quality. You can find Le Top at many boutiques, Nordstroms, Dillard's online, and at many online stores.

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT - Little Me. Many of their clothes are really cute and feel good, but they run really small. I've even bought some outfits one size big, but the head hole was too small for DS's head to fit through. They also don't wash well. Also, Ralph Lauren runs extremely small, and are really expensive, but are otherwise very nice.

[supersparkee]

I have a 3-year-old DD so I can only speak to girls clothes. But she is in daycare so I have lots of experience with clothing in a stain-prone environment! I focus on finding more expensive brands on sale, rather than buying less expensive brands full price.

BEST BETS
Overall:
Hanna Andersson - I have to add to the raves of all the PP's. Their basics and sleepwear are durable and soft. The styling and cut of their items are such that they fit for a long time. They fade very little and stains come out with ease! And their outlets take phone orders.

Janie and Jack - Their twill pants and shorts have some of the best wash and wear I have seen. This past summer, I reached for these outfits over and over.

Gymboree - I know that others have experienced quality issues but I've had a good experience with Gymboree clothing. Once you figure out their riduculous promotions approach, it is easy to find cute outfits in the $25-$30 range - perfect for daycare! I wish they would make their slim-fit pants in smaller sizes (start at size 5). I don't feel the need to "collect" this brand so I don't get sucked into buying half a line - only a few outfits each season. There are eight Gymboree stores in my metro area so the convenience factor is honestly their biggest plus - it is one of the few brands where I always shop in-store.

Pumpkin Patch - I just started buying this brand but I'm impressed so far. Cute styles that are holding up well. It is only available at Nordstrom and Bloomindale's locally and seems to sell out before the first markdown so it is hard to find on sale! Best time to buy is during Nordie's fall sale in August.

Infants only:
Carter's Onesies, Bodysuits, etc. for Infants - my DD lived in these her first 6 months. No point in spending lots on outfits that are outgrown in a couple of months. Soft and cute.

Baby Gap for Infants - love their infant selection at their regular stores and their outlets. Their fleece pants are great for winter!

Tea Collection - I haven't purchased any Tea items since DD was an infant but the ones we had then were awesome! Still looked new after several wears. Their sizing runs VERY SMALL.

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT
Naartjie - I have a love/hate relationship with this brand. I think they have some of the cutest styles around and the prices are very reasonable, especially on sale. But the sizing and quality issues make me reluctant to pick up the phone and place an order. The quality seems to be getting worse in terms of fading and stain resistance.

Mini Boden - love, love, love the styles but the prices are a bit high. Their styling seems more suited to kids 2 and up. Quality is generally very, very good, although I've had issues with their heat-transfer appliques cracking. Their customer service is *very* disorganized, especially when it comes to processing returns.

Various Target Brands (Circo, Genuine Kids for OshKosh, etc) - the quality is so hit or miss with some of these brands. We have some Circo cord pants that are holding up very well and are amazingly soft. But some knits look horrible after just a couple of washes.

Baby Gap for Toddlers - I find their styles a bit boring for girls but their jeans are some of my favorites. Why o why do they feel the need to put their logo on EVERYTHING???

Baby Lulu - gorgeous styling and prints but the durability doesn't seem to be there, especially for the price.

The Children's Place (pj's only) - for the price (combined with frequent coupons), these are great PJ's. One of the few places you can find footed PJ's in larger sizes.

SKIP IT
Carters for Toddlers - I've had horrible pilling and shrinkage with some of their knits.

Babies R Us brands - I've had horrible fading issues with some pieces from this brand. Plus they make a lot of items that are not 100% cotton - a big minus in my book.

[jendavid]

I have a 7 month old DS that has always been on the smaill side.

BEST BETS
The Childrens Place - Although they have limited selection, I really like their clothes. Their PJs are great and I love the elastic around the feet.
Old Navy - I think for the money, these are great
Osh Kosh - nice and soft, but they do run small


GOOD BUT NOT GREAT
Gymboree - I would say they were a best bet, but it just expensive. I've gotten some good deals on sale and love what we do have
Carters - for a small baby, I've found this brand to be really wide but the quality is good

[rbsmom]

Best Bets:

The Children's Place - you can find AMAZING deals during sales, and the clothes hold up pretty well. The Blanket sleepers are absolutely great!

Pedoodles shoes - I've found they hold up extremely well (still look new after months of use), get TONS of compliments and are excellent for wide & fat feet. I wish they came in more colors/styles for girls.

Hanna Anderssen zippers & long johns - absolutely LOVE them. Nothing fits quite like them. I also love their clothes, but I try to only buy when there is a very good sale going on & stock up.

Columbia winter jackets & fleece jackets - excellent quality, true-to-size & hold up very well. I try to find them at discount stores (Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc.)

Target (lullabye club & circo). Lullabye Club clothes are fantastic for infants - great quality, cute (not babyish) designs. Circo is just plain old cheap (i.e., $2.99 for a turtleneck). I find their clothes tend to stretch out & loose their shape, but for the price, who cares?

Good but not great:

See Kai Run - also great for wide/fat feet, but once your child starts climbing around, the soft leather scuffs and looks terrible pretty quickly. Best for pre-walkers.

Gymboree - agree with most posters. Quality is usually very good with little fade to clothes (sometimes though an item doesn't hold up as well). Pricing is high, so only buy during good sales/coupon opportunities & stock up. Sizing is also very consistent & true-to-size.

Petit Patapon - I love their clothes, but sizing isn't consistent - tops tend to run small, pants too large, although they incorporate elastic into the inside of the waist that you can size. Pricing is high, so buy at outlet stores. The clothes are stylish without being trendy or too old for your toddler.

Carters - cute, reasonable clothes for the infants (younger than one), but clothes tend to pill/fade over time. I've found their blanket sleepers only accomodate thin/narrow feet, so we've been unable to use them since my daughters feet are like stuffed sausages in their sleepers.

Skip it:

Osh Kosh - never liked the quality of their clothes, and they run pricey compared to others, even during sales.

[shishamo]

BEST BETS

Hanna Andersson: after 5 years of buying from them, I now only buy their CLASSICS-zippers, boxy tees, underwears, and of course playdress/daydress. Long Johns are soft but not as long wearing as others.

Mini Boden: super cute style, expensive, great resale value, most of our clothes come from here now

Childrens Place: I love socks, long johns, AND jeans from them. Long Johns are 1/3 of the price of Hanna, and they hold up just as well of not better.

Zutano: LOVE their baby basics line, overalls run super short so size up!


Target: great playclothes, some very cute styles there. We always get some stuff from there. Quality is hit or miss.

GOOD BUT NOT GREAT


Baby Gap: I like them but it's not as cute and unique as Boden, etc.

SKIP IT

Gymboree: overpriced, and I hate their pricing game they play.

[latenac]

I also only have a girl so my picks are from that perspective -

Best Bets -
Hanna Andersson on sale or at outlet. The quality is great, holds up well and is unique in its styles. A little pricey at full price but almost worth it.

Zutano - bought stuff for cheap through Kidsurplus.com. Great quality fun design. I wish the basic stuff came in toddler sizes.

Old Navy - Good for basics, love Old Navy's socks and for cheap trendy stuff that's fun. Quality pretty good for what it is.

Boden - Love quality and fun designs. Pricey so wait for sale or look for discount coupon.

LL Bean - perfect winter coats for New England winters. Love their boots too. Stuff often goes on sale before weather hits. I also like their flannel pants for kids and interesting pj designs and moose rollneck sweaters.

Good but not great -

Carter's - I like some of their stuff but we only go to the outlets for it. So when it's on sale it's worth the price and you can get some good stuff.

Gap - rich person's Old Navy. Look for sale or go to Old Navy.

Land's End - I will never, ever, ever forgive Land's End for not putting in crotch snaps in their overalls in sizes above 12 months. Quality ok but you can get almost the same thing at Old Navy for much cheaper.

Children's Place - good summer stuff for cheap. But colors too neony for me and girls stuff tends to verge on Diva which I'm not big on.

Skip it -

Babystyle - way overpriced for quality. Maybe on sale but the almost discontinuation of their Our Softest line and the jacking up of prices makes it worth avoiding at all costs.

Gymboree - If you enjoy playing the bargaining waiting game this store will give you a run for your money. I find the clothes too matchy matchy. Quality ok but I can't buy anything from there anymore b/c I immediately realize if I had waited 2 days I could have gotten it for 20% off. Too much thinking involved to get the clothes at the best price.

[squimp]

NM