There’s a plethora of cute baby stuff out there. A whole Pinterest-worthy industry full of it. It’s not uncommon for first-time parents-to-be to fill drawers with detailed little outfits in fancy fabrics, only to have the baby arrive and realise that dressing a tiny, fresh human is hard, and all you really want to put them in is the easiest, softest and quickest options. Those cute little “hand wash only” outfits never come out of the drawer. Sad but true. Don’t let that discourage you (or the Instagram account you may or may not be planning to open in your child’s name), there will be plenty of time for bows and braces and asymmetrical cuts down the track, but for those first months you want to keep it simple.
We’ve curated the the best babywear essentials — the ones that will get worn, washed and worn again — so that you fill those drawers with outfits you’ll use and nothing you won’t. Here’s what you actually need to dress your newborn.
Growsuits cover feet and have features like fold-over mitt-sleeves to protect from scratching with a two-way zips for speedy nappy changes, or in the case of Susukoshi Kimono Gowns, a long gown bottom that can be knotted into a swaddle. They are also super easy to get on, just unzip, lay open on the change table, lay your baby on top, put arms and legs in their holes and zip up. Easy.