Recommendations for baby clothes etc

[Laurajanke]

Where do people recommend for baby clothes and other essentials? Will I save loads online bargain hunting? Tempted to get everything in one big shop at the local mothercare superstore (5 mins from my house!) but will that cost me lots more than it needs to? Also am I best getting baby clothes from a supermarket or is the quality better at say mothercare/next/m&s?

Hi op is this for a new arrival? I am bumping this up for you. I think it depends on what style you like, I have recently had dd and I hate pink so the supermarket clothes near me were out. I would recommend getting vests etc from a sm though. For sleepsuits I found the ones with a built in scratch mitten was the best (asda and next did these). The majority of the first few months you will be using sleep suits but I found online, debenhams, next and m&s had clothes that I liked. I also used eBay to save some money.

Hello yes first time, choice of baby stuff is pretty overwhelming! Thanks for the tips

All depends on what you're looking for really! I mean if you want quantity over quality then the supermarkets are fine, but personally I'm a bit obsessed with organic, natural stuff as I'm one of those mums that panics about sensitive skin!

I have really sensitive skin and I can't wear anything that's not mega mega soft, so I think my boy has the same (obviously he can't tell me yet!). I really love a place called MORI (babymori.com). They're online and a bit in the higher price bracket, but the quality shines through. They do bundles for new arrivals where you can buy everything in one go too! All made from bamboo so it's honestly the softest thing in the world. Hope this helps :)

Mothercare is pretty expensive, and the quality isn't always that fantastic tbh.

I would buy sleepsuits, vests etc from supermarkets. Sainsbury's seem very soft.

I wouldn't buy everything from the one store either, just as not all brands fit you well, not all will fit baby well e.g. Some babies tall and slim, some more chubby, some have longer legs than torso etc. So I would buy from quite a few places at first till you find out what brands fit best.

I like H&M because their basics are organic cotton (look for stuff that says Conscious Collection). John Lewis very nice too but pricier.

I like Sainsbury's. Haven't looked this year as I no longer have a baby to dress but in the past they've had a good range of colourful clothing that wasn't pink or blue. Wait until they've got one of their 25% off weeks though ( they come up pretty regularly - Easter will probably be the next one).

If you can afford it, John Lewis is fantastic quality and washes well. We live overseas and when DD grows out of her current things we buy a job lot of the next size up from their website - haven't found anything else quite as good. Having said that, a relative sent us some Tesco clothes and they are also fab!

Mothercare is pricey for fairly basic stuff. There's very little it sells (prams and car seats excepted) that you can't get cheaper in supermarkets. Some of the smaller size clothes will only fit your baby for a few weeks, no need to spend more than supermarket prices.

Frugi. It's quite costly initially, but the clothes wash and wear like you wouldn't believe. They're also very cute. If you only get one thing, get the parsnip pants. My two year old loves them more than any of her other clothes and they're great for travel, play, vaccinations, the whole lot. Also, sizes are huge - she can still wear the 6-12 month ones (around the house!).

This isn't an ad or anything, I just wish I'd known about them sooner.

Unless you're planning to have loads of kids and hand things down you don't need to worry to much about how well things wash in the first few sizes as they wear them for such a short time. So Tesco/Asda etc fine.
For 6m+ I like boden, m&s, John Lewis, Frugi, Pigeon and JoJo Maman Bebe. You can often find them second hand and sell on when you are done.

Hi
We have a great range available online of designer childrenswear as well as all the usual essentials for a little one. You can sign up online for great discounts and deals and we also take payment via paypal and offer free delivery over £45.00!! :) www.childrensoutlet.co.uk

Frugi does wash very well, also resells well, and as mentioned lasts ages.

eBay is also your friend. They grow so quickly in the first year, don't get too much stuff. Friends/family will also give you new clothes and you may find those with slightly older kids give you hand-me-downs.

And certainly worth waiting for sales!

Seconding what others have said about sizes too though. The variation in sizing between brands is ridiculous, I eventually lined all the newborn / 0-3 stuff up in size order ignoring what was on the label, and hung it up in size order!
We also had a baby with big feet so anything footed was potentially problematic.