Baby clothes - where to shop?!

[glueandstick]

It's time to sort out some clothes (due in a few weeks) and I'm at a loss as where to shop. Plain baby grows are fine but struggling to find nice cardigans and 'baby' things that aren't terribly gender specific (the sheer vileness of the pinks out there make me feel sick and the blues are all a bit 'oh look I'm such a real man') or just awful. I have a real hatred of Next and Mothercare but don't know where to go for nicer things. Petit Bateau will be visited in the week but apart from that- help!

I'm not a massive snob I promise, I just can't find anything I really like online (that is easy to get! There are some lovely European bits but they'll wait until it is older) or in real life. There must be lots of hidden gems out there but having had no children or contact with people with kids I've not been let into the inner circle of knowledge. Help!!

Glue I was exactly the same when I was pregnant and DD arrived. Hearing myself being called 'mummy' made me inwardly cringe and I really struggled with the whole 'being a mum' thing. You feel like you lose your own identity for a while, and it can be really hard to find people who feel the same way. I did make myself go to playgroups just to get out of the house and whilst everyone was pleasant, there weren't any people who were my kind of people. Everyone was the pink fluffy yummy mummy type, which I have no problem with if that's what makes people happy but it really isn't me. Now my DD is a bit older (just turned 2) and more independent, I feel like I'm starting to get back to my old self again. I still go to playgroups and get on with everyone but I am just not maternal like they all are. I don't think I'll ever gush over people's new babies etc but it doesn't bother me any more.

Sorry I rambled a bit there but I hope you get what I mean

Maybe were already mentioned
www.loveitloveitloveit.co.uk/
www.lindex.com/eu/kids/baby-0-1-year/newborn-(0-6-months)/
juicytots.co.uk/

If buying Petit Bateau - the sizes come up really, really small. My 6-month old can barely fit into their 18-month vests.

Shantotto, h&m do really cool tights in lots of non-girlie colours and patterns. Both my son and my niece like their car ones

I hate slogans and wall to wall pinkness too. Here's where I buy:

H&M (baby stuff good; toddler and girl stuff you have to sift past some Disney, slogans and leopard print but there are nice things in there if you look and they are cheap!)

Zara (baby range is small but nice, great range for toddlers and up.)

Next (there is a LOT of slogany/naff stuff to ignore but there are also lots of good plain basics - leggings, t shirts etc - and they do good UV clothing, swimwear etc. Also good shape trousers for leggy DD. So I continue to trawl through.)

Vertbaudet (particularly good for subtle colours - a fair few slogans but at least they are in french . Excellent winter jackets for girls).

And occasionally from John Lewis (good for babygros and vests), M&S (ditto), Boden (hate most of the patterns though), Jojomaman (but the Jojo colours are AWFUL - girls mostly get lurid bright pink or purple), Little White Company (ludicrously priced IMO but lots of discount codes around).

As regards not loving being a mummy and chatting about babies all day - join the club! There are plenty of similar folk out there. Just say "If I have one more conversation about nappies I will scream" at a baby group and you will soon find likeminded mothers. That's if you want to find people - if you don't then that's fine too!

I recently bought a load of stuff from Carters in the US. Shipping / tax was about £20 on an order that cost £130, but nearly everything I bought was 60-70% off. I got loads for that price. We are having a boy and I liked the designs a lot. Quality is good and you get lots of variations on the sleepsuit, like ones in fleece and terry aswell as cotton. They do a sort of all in one called a Sleep n Play. I just want to avoid pastels with a boy and a cute but not rock star look with no slogans. Comfort is everything for me and washability. I cared more about 'fashion' with my girls :)

I was given lots of carters stuff for dd and I was very impressed with it.very unusual designs and excellent quality. I'm not in the UK but somebody told me they sometimes sell it in toys r us and tkmaxx. I've never looked though. My inlaws couldn't find it on their last trip to the states and got bits from old navy stores but it was nowhere near as lovely.

I like things from different countries too. Dd has some bits from okaidi/obaibi which I think is French and I bought some very cute starter sets for the next one (due in 7 weeks) from a shop called fox which I think might be from Israel.

Totally sympathise with not wanting to be solely defined as 'mummy'. But I would echo this: Just say "If I have one more conversation about nappies I will scream" at a baby group and say don't let it put you off baby groups if you are looking to meet people. It is very possible to find friends who want to talk about current affairs/books/films/politics/whatever, and at baby groups you have all the people who have similar needs to you in terms of needing to find coffee shops with good changing facilities or who in a few months will be wanting to schedule get-togethers around nap time. You might need a bit more luck and time to find "your people", but not everyone at a baby group only wants to talk babies.

Oh and DD was born during a really cold winter and we'd been given a lovely ice blue snowsuit second hand, still with the tags on, from my cousin who hadn't needed it for her DC. We still never used it- layers were easier and she was in a sling, so we wrapped the exposed bits of her and then had thinner layers where she was next to me. I've come to the conclusion that those thick suits are overrated!

I have always found johnlewis for best fit (I have long babies) and quality, Mamajobebe for colourful and frugi for vests that were soft for early weeks.