Ugly baby clothes

caffeinenut

Ok, I just have to talk this out and most everyone I know is at work.  I was going through some of our recent baby clothes gifts and we basically have some really cute stuff.  Unfortunately, I found 2 outfits that are pretty hideous, at least to my tastes.  One reminds me of great grandma's nightgown, and the other looks like a giant fern.  Both outfits have come from my FI's side of the family.  Now, what do I do with them?  I doubt I will ever dress my daughter in them.  I am going to wash and hold onto the great grandma nightgown in case I need something in a pinch and get behind in laundry.  She will never wear that outside in public.  But the other one?  Not only does it look like a giant fern with a short white sweater, it is newborn size, and much more suited to spring or summer weather.  What do I do with it?  Should I even tell my FI about the horrible clothes?  I don't think he's seen either outfit yet.  What if they ask me about the outfits and want pictures or to see her in them?  I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I just can't put my daughter in those outfits.  

slartybartfast

can you return it? I literally returned every new baby clothes item I could. If I knew where it came from, I'd just get store credit without the receipt. I get hand-me-downs and 2nd hand clothes. I currently have $120 in credit from carters and I'm going to buy a bunch of kids coats to donate for the winter with it.

tinattt23

I think we've probably all been gifted some things that we don't really care for. We exchanged what we could. At least no one I know expects proof baby wore what they got them. The rest I just washed and put away. He can wear them around the house on laundry day. Or something to keep in the car in case of emergencies. 

yellingbanana

Seriously do what @slartybartfast did. In fact, I just went to target to do that. I felt bad, but DH's cousin gave us a present this weekend and it was all stuff I don't need, or wouldn't use. There was no receipt, but I could tell from the brands and gift bag that it was from target. I returned it all for store credit and got things that we actually need. 
If you aren't sure where it came from, look up the brand online to see which stores carry it. Store credit baby, yes! 

Mamax2

I too have been gifted a few ugly outfits. My step mom loves to yard sale, and she bought us a bag of clothes for $1. Inside was some decent clothes, but there was a red tank top and shorts outfit size newborn. It had fish and coral patches sewn on, and yellow tassles attached to the legs of the shorts. I immediately threw that thing away. Ugh. I'd be returning some stuff if I could.

penelope4612

Agree with returning it if you can, and donating it (or trying to bring it to a consignment store) if you can't figure out how/where to return it.  If your FI's family asks about it, you can just say that it got stained from baby poop (or whatever) and you had to throw it out.  

maamawaabangi

My policy is that if it isn't cute and I don't love it time passes too quickly and it isn't worth using... they find a new home, get returned or even taken to consignment. I will literally do more wash just to use the stuff I like than put on something I don't. 

caffeinenut

Thanks for all the suggestions.  I'll see if I can figure out where it came from and get store credit.  If not, I'll donate it.  I've been lucky to get mostly cute things, but this fern outfit takes the cake on hideous.  I never thought to say they got soiled from poop.  That is a very believable excuse.  I'll use that one if I have to. 

ajstevenson

I had a few that I couldnt return. I took some stuff to Once Upon a Child and what they didn't buy I donated to Good Will. 

maamawaabangi

We've got to see the fern outfit now... I can't even imagine it! 

MissLeighAndBabyG

I second seeing the fern outfit! I'm so curious to see how bad it is! 

Stuff I don't like I wash and put in the back of the drawer as back up (unless its seriously awful). If I never use it I put it on the local garage sale sites and sell it in lots (love the family but we have totally different tastes) of stuff I'm done with. I use whatever cash I get to buy my kids new stuff or stuff they need.

mimi603107

Honestly, I don't think I've ever had anyone ask me if I actually put either of my boys in an outfit that they've bought them and I've never asked that about anything I've bought for other people either. If someone asks, I'd just use the poop stain excuse or that she wore it but not a ton because she grew out of it quickly. People have to know that you're not going to take a picture of her wearing every single outfit she owns or I'd hope people would realize that lol. With my boys I got a few outfits that weren't my style, more dressy than casual and a pain to dress them in if I'm being honest, so I just left them in the closet because I didn't know where they came from and eventually just donated them when they out grew that size. 

maamawaabangi

You could also save it, put baby in it one time, take a photo and have proof you used it and then get rid of it.  You could also have a page in your baby book of all the ugly clothes just for kicks! 

AbriannaO

We got a ton of second hand clothes as gifts from family members at our shower. Since we haven't disclosed the gender (besides to two people), it was all yellow items that were just hideous. My best friend gave me all of her hand me downs from her child so that we wouldn't have to worry about getting clothes, so when we sorted through everything she gave us and decided what we liked and didn't like, the clothes from our shower went into the tub with the other things we didn't like. They're all washed and ready to go, but they'll stay packaged up. I refer to them as the clothes that we will use in case LO has a day that they just can't keep anything inside of them. Otherwise, they'll remain packaged up and stored until we decide to donate, hand down, or have subsequent children.

Gizmo1231

I guess I'm too "old school snarky Bump" because this thread makes me 
take a photo of your baby wearing the outfit, send to said person who got the outfit, be grateful that you received an outfit, and then get rid of the outfit if you don't really want to keep it. Someone somewhere spent their money on an ugly outfit they enjoyed or liked enough to give you for your LO. Unless they have other intentions I'm sure they didn't spend their money on something they thought wasn't something you would want or use. 

atcwag

Gizmo1231 said:

I guess I'm too "old school snarky Bump" because this thread makes me 
take a photo of your baby wearing the outfit, send to said person who got the outfit, be grateful that you received an outfit, and then get rid of the outfit if you don't really want to keep it. Someone somewhere spent their money on an ugly outfit they enjoyed or liked enough to give you for your LO. Unless they have other intentions I'm sure they didn't spend their money on something they thought wasn't something you would want or use. 

*lurking from 11/16*

ErikandAfton

We got a few random things that I'll honestly put him in once, snap a picture for the person who gave it to us and then move on.

My husband is a former Marine and has a friend who is obsessed with that fact. Dh could care less about the baby Dress Blues she bought L but it made her happy so I'll take a picture and then put them away.  We also got a pilot outfit because we did a plane theme for his room. Same thing will happen with that one, but that one could also be used a jammies so it will probably not make its way into the box as fast.