My mum has bought DD a dress knowing we won’t like it.

Your baby is one with zero sense of style.
A frilly dress for a day is really not worth getting worked up about.

I wish this was the only worry I had in life.

I wouldn't have put my DDs in that either, and not really practical for a crawling baby either.
But can't you put her in it for the beginning of the day then change her?

But it is a problem - she deliberately bought an outfit OP said she did not like? And expected to override OP by insisting it be worn on her birthday? Of course it’s a problem - it’s passive aggressive, controlling and disrespectful.

No issue with GPs buying gifts for children, clothing or otherwise, but my MiL chose stuff she believed I would like, that were practical as well as pretty/cute and always gave me the receipts so that I could exchange it if by chance she got it wrong. And she never presumed that she could dictate what either of my kids wore at any stage, especially a birthday.

Am bemused that no one can see how out of order OP’s mother is being.

Do dress her in it and take a few photos (for embarrassing your DD when she's a teenager if nothing else).

Then if you don't want to reward your mother in the way she would probably want, why not refashion the outfit into a fetching Halloween one? A bit of zombie-style facepaint, or a fake 'bolt' through your DD's head, or similar - take photos of that version to send to her... This might prevent a reoccurence of her weird behavioural choices next year...

That's hideous! I would just put her in it take a photo and take it back off, never to be seen again. One of my friends bought my dd a baby grow with a tutu attached when she was born so I did the photos then charity shopped it.

Doesn't matter if your Mum thinks it's cute or not if she knows it's not to your taste then she shouldn't have bought it.

Why would it bring you pleasure to buy a gift for someone that you know full well they won't like? (Bearing in mind here that the gift is not for the child, as a one year-old neither knows nor cares what they are wearing, so any clothes you buy for the child are actually a gift for the parents). I think some boomers just have an addiction to buying stuff for the sake of stuff, that they really need to work through.

She'll look cute in it. At 1 she'll probably have a few changes of clothes after poonami or spilling food or drink. I'd put her in it for a bit when DM is there, take a couple.of photos, change her out of it into something I preferred at next nappy change.

I agree with the waste of money and environmental impact concerns, but it's her money and her impact. It sounds as though she knows your thoughts on it so you are not "encouraging" her.

It looks like there’s a skirt and a top - two separate items. It’s not to my taste but the T-shirt isn’t horrendous and is good for a year, the socks are cute and the headband would go nicely around the neck of a soft toy (or the dog if they’re cooperative!) I’d say the skirt is a fire hazard near birthday candles because that’s politer than BURN IT WITH FIRE

My mum buys crap like this all the time for my DD. It’s as if she never looks at what we dress her in it drives me mental.

All of its off terrible tacky sites like Temu. All of it goes straight on vinted and I use the money to buy her something we actually like.

Put her in it for pictures to pretend she wore it and then flog it.

I wouldn't make a big deal out of it because it might spur her on to keep doing this. Take some photos for her (that aren't worthy of printing on a massive canvas etc) so you can't be called ungrateful and then take it off. It looks like some sort of hazard anyway.

I certainly wouldn't collect an outfit I wouldn't put my child in. How strange of her to suggest that.

My mum used to buy all sorts of shit for my son and his cousins. My sister and I recycled them as appropriate. She was a bit like your mum OP, for some reason couldn't resist buying crappy tat. She still did it despite us telling her that they got put in the charity bag immediately. She said she didn't care and that buying it makes her happy. Her money, her choice.

(edited to correct typo)

You’re fuming because your mum has spent her own money on something she thought would be nice for your daughter? Totally fine if it’s not to your taste, just say thanks and put her in something else on the day.

No need for the total overreaction though, she’s bought her a dress not strapped her to the roof racks of a car and driven down the M25.

I wouldn't even humour the grandmother by putting the little girl in the dress for photos.

So you're suggesting she says one thing (please consult me before buying baby's clothes) but does the other (puts daughter in mum's chosen outfit).

Actions speak louder than words, it will just give her licence to do the same again, especially given mum is the sort of person who knew the outfit wouldn't be to her taste but went ahead and bought it anyway.

PS yes teenagers wear clothes we don't like, 5 year olds want tacky princess dresses etc. All the more reason for the child's own mother to dress her daughter in clothes that SHE chooses while she has the chance!

Why would people laugh at it? It's a perfectly reasonable outfit.

If my mum had gone to the trouble, I would put her in it in the morning to take some cute photos for her, but then change her into something I had picked myself for the party, if questioned I'd just say "she wore it for a bit earlier, I'd already bought her an outfit I wanted her to wear today".

Why do people have to make every little thing into a drama...

I think this really depends on what your mother is like generally and if she expects this outfit to be an “official” birthday outfit or just something for a couple of pictures. If she tends to be controlling, I can see the issue. If you have a good relationship in general and she’s just a little giddy over your daughter’s first birthday, I’d take a few pictures and then move on.

As to the outfit by itself - I get that it’s not everyone’s taste, but some people are being just nasty about it. “Hideous,” “awful,” “vile tat”…I hope that in real life your sneering attitude doesn’t come across to people who dress their little girls like that.

I wouldn't even bother taking a photo in that monstrosity, what child deserves to have such a photo in existence? The mother definitely wouldn't keep the photo to herself!

What's right with it? 🤣

This

Just don't collect it and don't put her in it. 🤷🏻‍♀️
You get to choose what to dress your own child in for a while yet.

I don't like it either.

This is pretty much the point of these dresses.

YABU - much ado about nothing really.

It would be different if Granny had planned the whole day.

I'm with you, it's hideous. But even if it was nice that's not the point is it, she bought it even though it's not something you'd like. Just why?!

The first birthday is more about the parents than the child really. I spent ages picking a lovely outfit for my children to wear on theirs, something meaningful, no way would I put them in something I didn't choose or like.

If you want to be nice then do a photoshoot with it the day before and send "birthday eve" pics to your mum, then stick it on vinted.

If the onesie is separable then I’d do this.

I hate the fact that people start impeding little girls’ movement when they’re only one.