Baby Boy Clothes- Small, Big, or Spot on?

Lferr417 · September 2012

So i have been doing quite a bit of clearance shopping when the deals are hot-

We live in New England so we have very specific seasons; and I am due in January.

The months that I am struggling with are around 6 and 12 months (So summer clothes and winter clothes) Summer I figure 6-9 month's would be safe- but then winter I get concerned with...

I have heard that Carters runs small sometimes- so normally always go up three months? And then my mom told me that for all baby clothes you double there age for the right fit (THAT DOESNT MAKE SENSE TO ME)

So ladies- in your experience- What size should i be buying for Summer and Winter - by brand... Assuming I have an average baby...

mben1119 · September 2012

DS is almost 10 months old, and has been in 9-12 month stuff for about a month now. He wears mostly Carter's, some Gap and some other brands as well. He'll probably be in it for another month or 2, then we'll go up to 12-18 month. Most brands list heights and weights on their tags for sizing, as my 10 month old is bigger than some babies, and smaller than others. Kids hit growth spurts at different times too, so it is really hard for anyone to gauge what size your kid will be in and when. And I have NO IDEA what your mom is talking about doubling age for fit...I've never heard that before. Pick some stuff up, and hang on to the receipts so you can exchange it if he outgrows it before it is time. I never wash stuff until I know for sure DS is going to fit in it.

Lferr417 · September 2012

Yea- I thought she was crazy... haha i guess some sales woman told her when she asked once... Ugh! so I have short sets in 12 month's..... I can almost guarentee i'll get no use of those- and it sucks cuz there cute- and she cant return or exchange bc they were clearance @ carters...

Thank you for the advice- i figure most are spot on with maybe 3 month wiggle room (9 months ok for 6 months etc)

Thanks for the quick response!

DarthNBJenni · September 2012

I did a bunch of clearance shopping for Corbin when I was pregnant. I bought the size based on the season he'd be that size, because his sisters ran that way. Um, boy was I wrong! Instead of wearing 6 months this during the summer, he was already at 9 or 12 months. So...I gave away a lot of new clothes. The good thing was I didn't spend a ton on them.

mben1119 · September 2012

Lferr417:

Yea- I thought she was crazy... haha i guess some sales woman told her when she asked once... Ugh! so I have short sets in 12 month's..... I can almost guarentee i'll get no use of those- and it sucks cuz there cute- and she cant return or exchange bc they were clearance @ carters...

Thank you for the advice- i figure most are spot on with maybe 3 month wiggle room (9 months ok for 6 months etc)

Thanks for the quick response!

'

Sure thing! And keep in mind, too, you could have a tall skinny baby or a short fat one lol. I know I put DS in 18 month stuff sometimes in a laundry pinch, and my mom always has clothes in the next size up at her house so on occasion I've changed him into a 2T t-shirt that he swims in! Also, at home, DS is usually in a t-shirt onesie and shorts, even when it is cooler out because that boy is a sweaty beast. I save pants and sweaters for when we venture out.

beautiflaw · September 2012

I buy boys clothes for DD sometimes (like the more unisex looking stuff) so I am just gonna go ahead and answer even tho I don't have a little boy.

DD was huge at birth so at first I did have to double her age for the right fit. She's in the 97th percentile in height and weight. We hang everything up to dry now and its definitely helped us keep her clothes a lot longer. If we buy any thrift store or consignment clothing I double her age, but it definitely differs by brand. She'll be 1 on friday and she wears 2T in almost everything, and 3T in some things. She has some pants and shorts that fit her perfectly at 3T and her birthday dress is 3T. At the same time, she has some onesies that fit her just fine that are 18M.

Assuming you have an 'average sized' baby I think it would be best to guestimate at least 6 months ahead, but for brands you know run small probably it would be best to double the age for the right size. Its better to get something a bit too big and let it shrink in the dryer if you need to. And you never know, growth spurts can come on fast before you know it. DD had a growth spurt around 4 months old and she almost completely skipped the 6/9 M size and went straight from 3-6M to 9/12M! So you just never know.

Also getting pieces you can layer and use for more than one season is always a good idea. One thing that me and a lot of my friends use are the onesie extenders you can buy. They are awesome!

Gerber runs SUPER small across the board. Carter's I think is actually closer to true size than a lot of brands we've used. The good thing about Carter's is that on the tag they show the weight of baby each size is intended for. A lot of brands don't tell you that after NB sizes. That can be really helpful later on when friends and family are asking you what sizes to buy for like Christmas and birthdays and stuff. Gymboree and Baby Gap are very close to being true in size. We love Gymboree. You can wash their clothes a hundred times and they barely show any wear. Circo and Cherokee run really small and Babies R Us brand is about the same as Gerber. Old Navy baby clothes run fairly true to size I think. Faded Glory run kinda big in my opinion. Its best to pretty much assume that everything runs small.

beautiflaw · September 2012

mabenner1:
Pick some stuff up, and hang on to the receipts so you can exchange it if he outgrows it before it is time. I never wash stuff until I know for sure DS is going to fit in it.

THIS! Keep the tags on too in case you can't return it and sell it on ebay (or regift to next person you know who is preggers. lol)

Lferr417 · September 2012

beautiflaw:

Also getting pieces you can layer and use for more than one season is always a good idea. One thing that me and a lot of my friends use are the onesie extenders you can buy. They are awesome!

Never knew they had these! I am loving the bra ones right now lol

Ok so I am still pretty much in the fingers crossed and hope and see for the true seasonal clothes (bathing suit; wicked cute fleece pants and vest outfits (though good for fall))

You ladies have some awesome tips Is it January yet...??

blu-eyedwife · September 2012

I would wait and buy later. There will be other clearance sales, usually about every 3 months.

On my BMB board we have babies ranging from 10-12 months (some came late, some came early). However, size-wise there is a HUGE variety. Some of the babies are still in 6-9 month clothing, some are in 2T. I received as 6-12 month winter vest for my October baby and he will never be able to wear it. He's always been small, so I figured he'd fit into it around 12 months, but for some reason around 9 months he started crazy growing and now he's already moving into 12-18 month clothing and he's only 11 months.

(Point being, even if you think you can estimate ahead of time, you can't. Up until recently he's been behind in all the sizes - couldn't wear 0-3/3 months until he was 2 months old, was wearing 3-6/6 month clothing at 7 months, etc.)

jenb_99 · September 2012

Lferr417:
So i have been doing quite a bit of clearance shopping when the deals are hot-
We live in New England so we have very specific seasons; and I am due in January.
The months that I am struggling with are around 6 and 12 months (So summer clothes and winter clothes) Summer I figure 6-9 month's would be safe- but then winter I get concerned with...
I have heard that Carters runs small sometimes- so normally always go up three months? And then my mom told me that for all baby clothes you double there age for the right fit (THAT DOESNT MAKE SENSE TO ME)
So ladies- in your experience- What size should i be buying for Summer and Winter - by brand... Assuming I have an average baby...

Your mom is probably remembering how she shopped for you. Sizing hasn't always been the same as it is now. My DS is my parents' first grandbaby, and my mom has a hard time shopping for him because she says when she shopped for me and my brother (in the early 80s), she always had to buy the size that was double our age.

DS was 9 lb 7 oz when he was born last November, and he wore NB onesies and pants for an entire month, even though he was huge. He wore 0-3 mo sleepers though. He's long and skinny, so he outgrows everything lengthwise. I know it's time to put the sleepers away when they start pulling at the shoulders, and onesies and rompers go into storage when the crotch snaps get tight and they give him diaper wedgies.

DS has stayed slightly above the curve all year, usually in the 75th percentile, and Carter's has always run true to size for us. Gerber runs SUPER small, except in their Old Navy licensed sleep 'n' plays for some reason. Babies R Us house brand runs slightly smaller than Carter's, especially in sleepers. Gap runs pretty accurate for us. Old Navy runs large. Crazy 8 runs crazy small. Children's Place is on the smallish side. Walmart's Faded Glory brand runs large. The neck holes in their onesies are huge, which has always driven me crazy. But their Garanimals line runs true to size.

So...once you know how the sizing works, you can figure out when LO will graduate out of each size for each brand. DS could wear the larger brands' NB clothes for an entire month, their 0-3 mo stuff till 3 months, the 3-6 mo stuff till about 5 months, and he's still wearing a few of his 6-9 mo outfits now at 10 months. I just put his last two 6-9 mo Old Navy by Gerber sleep n plays away last week. He outgrows small boutique brands super early. If I buy him a Crazy 8 or nice designer outfit, he has to wear it right away, whereas I can keep a Faded Glory or Old Navy outfit in the drawer and know it's gonna fit him even a month after he's passed that size.

I like to have a good mix of brands. That way LO can wear the smaller stuff right away and we can keep the bigger brands for later, when he's between sizes in the smaller brands.

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