Mums of girls, please talk to me about baby tights

[AKMD]

Is there any insider knowledge I should have before going shopping?

Is it even possible to roll tights onto newborn legs?

Any materials I should steer clear of?

Any amazing tights I should buy dozens of?

Very boring thread I know but please humour me :o

It seemed a bit wrong to me to stuff skinny little newborn legs into tights. I didn't put DD in them until she was about 3 months. She pretty much lived in sleep suits and those little soft trousers with feet in. She wore all the hand me downs from DS1 and DS2 is wearing the same kit!

I fully plan for DD to be living in sleepsuits for the first 6 months, however if I know my ILs she will get given dozens of entirely unsuitable dresses that I will need tp photo her in and bring her out in occasionally.

I found sizing down best option. 0-3mo tights just dont fit until 3mo.

If you want newborn in tights, only teeny tiny baby ones will do.

I dressed dd in a long sleeved vest over tights every day from 3-6mo as a 'daytime alternative' to sleepsuits. she looked like a little ballerina.

Socks! Very cute with little newborn legs.
And it will be summer soon, won't it?

They are the work of the devil

Actually, tights are ok to get on a newborn because they don't move too much, though when the inevitable poo explosion comes you generally end up having to change vest, tights and sometimes the dress too... Then they start to move and tights just seem so much harder to put on than trousers! Personally I always go for leggings if DD has to wear a dress, and at least with leggings you get more use out of them, you can put them with other tops and tunics.

Yes you will get given A LOT of dresses. And some of them will be very cute and you'll want to put her in them. I swore after DS that I wouldn't do anything other than sleepsuits for 6 months with DC2, but when she turned out to be a DD this went a little out of the window . From 3mo on she was in dresses most of the time, so tights were essential and actually I quite like them as (unlike DS's socks) they don't fall off all the bleeding time. In fact I know quite a few people with boys who put them in tights in winter for this reason...

Tips:
many many dresses that you'll get given as gifts will come with tights, although the sizes may appear random and not connected in anyway with the sizes of the attached dress. So 3-6 mo dress comes with ginormous tights. 12 mo dress with weeny ones. So detach tights from the dress when you get the outfit and treat them as a separate item to be matched only if it makes sense size wise.

sizes in general are random so far as I can tell. I bought some 6-12 mo tights which I swear my DD won't be able to wear til she's 4 or 5. IME this randomness is not connected with the shop. So I have several John Lewis outfits, some with sizes that are about right, but others where they are not. Gorgeous 3-6mo dress which fit my DD at the right age. But the tights are still mahusive and she's now 9 months.

quality wise the ones I've liked have been: John Lewis, Vertbaudet, Next. I got a couple of good pairs from Poundstretcher, randomly.

Lots of places sell 2 or 3 packs. One pair is ALWAYS very very pink / with hearts etc. If this isn't your thing (it is not mine) look in mothercare, Debenhams, Vertbaudet and you might find some packs without any pink. Mothercare tights have a bit of a Nora Batty effect I have found.

its fine actually, having a dd after 4 boys i actually quite liked dresses and tights, tbf for hte first few months she was mainly in babygrows but say 4mths ish i put her in more dresses ie soft cord pinafores and tights, i didnt find them hard to get on at all. just roll them up, put the feet in and pull up. i bought stretchy cotton ones, no shiny ones or anything like that.

my dd actually now at 19mths has an embarrassing no of tights really you can get so many funky patterns and colours and they are great with pinafores etc. ditto leggings with dresses, actually for a little baby leggins ARE a bit easier than tights!

and summer is great, dresses with matching knickers!

iagree with gnocchi unless your baby is huge that you need to size down, next to newborn size tights i think, and also funky colours etc, also john lewis, boots, mackays, debenhams are all good for funky tights! have fun!

Oh and as per PP, actually leggings are a great alternative (particularly in 'summer'). And you don't get the wrinkle effect.

And unless you have a monster-big baby (my DD was 6lb something) all leggings will look silly until 3mo.

I love tights and dresses/skirts so very cute but I find them a bit lethal for DD now she is walking and we have laminate floors, I guess that will be a phase until she is around 2yrs and is more aware of these kinds of things! At the moment we do lots of leggings and dresses as once her shoes are off she can totter around and not end up in a heap of tears after slip sliding on the laminate!

I thought tights would be silly but unlike adult ones I find tights on babies are brill. Can't kick or pull them off unlike socks.

As others have said the sizing is random

Tights are great when their legs have chunked up a bit as unlike socks they don't keep falling off. I put dd in tights a few times as a newborn (same as you, had been bought cute dresses by relatives) and thought she looked cute at the time but looking back at photos now they were ridiculously baggy on her skinny little legs. Just get something cheap and cheerful for now, will be mostly hidden under the dress anyway.

Ah - socks don't ever fall off if you use Sock Ons!

(I'm not advertising, I just think they are possibly the best invention since sliced bread

Primark tights have been brilliant for us - £2.50 for 3 pairs (£1 in the January sale), usually nice colours/patterns. I put them under everything DD wears in winter.

Tights are easier to get on a baby than you'd think.

Funky tights are the best thing about baby girls! DD was born in October and I bought some tights for her to wear under all the newborn shorts I had from DS. She now mostly wears leggings though, as we've been given loads and they keep her feet bare for less slippy cruising.

Baby tights often come with such a huge arse section that your baby will end up looking like Simon Cowell with the waistband under her armpits.

Tights are better than leggings in the winter as they cover the feet, so no need for socks.

Some brands seem to go a bit saggy after they have been tumble dried, so I try and dry them on the line when possible.

Any tips on where to get nice leggings while we are still (vaguely) in summer?

DD is nearly 3 months and mainly in babygros or trousers/vests, but I would like to put her in a dress at some point this summer even if it's just for a photo opportunity. I've put her in a dress with a sleeveless vest underneath on a really hot day, but based on current weather I think she'd need her legs covered too.

And yes, another fan of Sock Ons here. Just need to find them online somewhere as they are v expensive in the shops!

all babies are happiest in onesies, I think, with popper buttons for easy diaper changing.

I think I got my Socks Ons from Amazon at an ok price - but you're right, they are pricey, you do have to make sure you put them somewhere sensible when you take them off and DON'T put them in the washing machine!

Primark are good for leggings, also Peacocks if there is still one open near you.

Thanks for the tips everyone - will bear in mind the random sizing! Good point about leggings being better for slippy floors.

H&m do great leggings too. dd has had their plain black leggings in every size so far

i get mine from tesco or sainsburys. tesco being my fave they wash reallwell and have cute frilly bums if you want them.

i didnt put dd in any till about 4 months though. sleep suits all the way.

yes tesco and sainsbury also goof for tights!

re slippy feet with tights, my dd wore those little leather slipper type shoes from inch blue or any other make (there are a few that do them) and that stopped the slipping, esp as we have laminate flooring!

leggins h&m and zara are good, also mackays :)

GAP tights were the best I tried. Although I prefer putting leggings on DD, as I always think tights are a bit, well, tight. And thus uncomfortable.

Mother are used to do nice tights, long time since mine were little.

Gap baby socks are the only ones that stay on.

For summer photos, and apart occasions I had a pair of white border anglaise (sp) pants (mothercare I think) that neatly disguised disposable nappies and went with all summer dresses