A guide for parents
How many baby clothes do you actually need?
The honest answer is fewer than you think, and the reason is that the early sizes are worn for weeks rather than months.
Every list of what to buy for a new baby is written by a shop, which is exactly why they're so long.
Here's the honest version, from someone who then had to work out what to do with everything that never got worn.
How many of each size you need
| Size | Sleepsuits | Vests | Worn for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 4 | 4 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| 0-3 months | 6 | 6 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| 3-6 months | 6 | 6 | 2 to 3 months |
| 6-12 months | 6-8 | 6 | 3 months per size |
| 12 months and up | a normal wardrobe | — | 6 months to a year |
Plus a couple of cardigans, a pram suit if it's winter, hats, and socks you'll lose. That's genuinely it for the first three months.
Why you need fewer than the lists say
Newborn gets two to four weeks. 0-3 months gets six to eight. That's genuinely it, and here's the full chart of how long each size lasts.
Twelve newborn sleepsuits feels completely sensible standing in the shop. A month later nine of them have been worn twice and you're wondering what on earth you were thinking.
Babies go through six sizes before their first birthday, then one whole size between three and four. Nearly all the waste happens in that first year, and nearly all of it's avoidable if you buy for the size rather than for the baby.
The rule that saves the most money
Buy the minimum for newborn and 0-3 months, then buy again when you know how fast your baby is growing. A baby who arrives at 9lb may skip newborn entirely, and a drawer of unworn newborn clothes can't be returned once the tags are off.
What other people will give you
People give newborn and 0-3 month clothes, because that's what looks like a baby. Almost nobody gives 9-12 month clothes.
So buy very little for the first two sizes and more for the second half of the first year. Which is the opposite of what most checklists tell you.
How often you wash changes the number
Honestly this comes down to how often you put a wash on more than anything about the baby. Two loads a week and you need roughly double what someone washing daily does.
Newborns get through more than expected in the early weeks, then it settles. Weaning at around six months produces a second spike, and crawling produces a third.
The seasonal trap with a first baby
This one catches nearly everyone with a first baby, and winter clothes are the worst offenders. A child born in October is a different size by the following October, so the winter clothes bought in advance for the first winter are useless for the second.
Which means buying ahead for a season is usually a mistake unless you know the size, and it's a large part of why lofts fill up with barely-worn coats.
What it all adds up to
Around 300 garments between birth and starting school, most of them outgrown rather than worn out. At typical high street prices that's somewhere near £2,500, and the first year is by far the most expensive per wear because the sizes turn over so fast.
Buy half of what the list says and top up once they arrive. You will be given so much anyway, and always in newborn.
🌱 Which is why we built a swap
The first year produces six sizes of barely-worn clothes with nowhere sensible to go. So: photograph what your children have outgrown, we check and value each piece, and that becomes credits you spend on the next size up from another family.
Every piece is checked and graded before it lists, and the condition is shown before you claim it. You choose every item yourself, and the only money that changes hands is the delivery or collection, from £1.99.
We're opening in small batches and it's invitation only for now.
Common questions
How many sleepsuits does a newborn need?
Four to six is enough for the newborn size, which is only worn for two to four weeks. Six for 0-3 months. Buy sparingly until you know how fast your baby is growing, since a baby born at 9lb may skip newborn sizes entirely.
How many vests does a newborn need?
Six is plenty per size in the first months. Vests are worn under sleepsuits rather than instead of them, so you need roughly the same number of each, and both sizes are outgrown within weeks.
What do you actually need for a newborn?
Four to six sleepsuits, six vests, a couple of cardigans, hats, socks, and a pram suit if it is winter. Everything else can wait until the baby arrives and you know their size. Most newborn checklists are written by shops and are considerably longer than necessary.
Should I buy clothes before the baby is born?
A little, not a lot. You cannot know your baby's size in advance, and newborn clothes with the tags off cannot be returned. Buying the minimum and topping up in the first fortnight wastes far less.
How much do baby clothes cost in the first year?
The first year is the most expensive per wear, because a baby goes through around six sizes before their first birthday and each is worn for weeks. Across birth to school it is roughly 300 garments and somewhere near £2,500 at high street prices, with most items outgrown rather than worn out.