Are you weighing up your options for baby clothes and wondering what the best choice is for you? It doesn’t matter if you’re finding out the sex or not, there are loads of reasons to choose unisex newborn baby clothes. It’s a great way to ensure you get maximum re-use value for future brothers and sisters and the clothes do NOT have to be boring.
Even if you know the gender of your baby, you don’t have to exclusively dress your little one in pink or blue – neutrals, monochrome, yellow and green all look great on baby! And who said boys can’t wear some pink and girls can’t wear some blue?!
Why Choose Unisex Newborn Baby Clothes?
If you’ve found out whether you’re having a boy or a girl, you might think that unisex clothes are just too plain.
But, there are loads of reasons to go unisex! It’s:
- Practical – if this is your first baby and you plan to have another (or more than one!) spending your baby clothes budget on sturdy, well-made unisex clothes that will see you through multiple babies just makes sense.
- Trendy – have you noticed more and more moms dressing their babies like little adults and the huge increase in baby clothes in black and grey? My mom does NOT approve… but I love black and grey for babies! It’s very stylish and works well with whatever accessories or outerwear you want to add to your baby’s outfit.
- Perfect for Team Green – if you aren’t finding out the gender of your baby, buying unisex is the only way to go… at least for the newborn stage. You can buy boy or girl specific outfits once your baby is born in the larger sizes.
What Do You Need for Your Newborn’s Unisex Closet?
Every item you need for a newborn can be bought unisex. Obviously, you won’t be choosing any dresses and hair bows… but focusing on the core baby clothes needs.
A newborn doesn’t need much in the way of clothes or styles.
For my first baby, I found it easiest to put him in simple long sleeved (preferably with inbuilt mittens), footed one piece sleepers/onesies. There’s no real need to ‘get baby dressed for the day’, because newborns keep odd hours and will spend much of the day sleeping.
Your mileage may vary! You may have a baby who spits up a lot – in that case you might find it easier to put your newborn in separate tops and bottoms so you can just change the top if it gets messed on.
7-12 One Piece Outfits
One piece outfits are the absolute staple for newborn clothes – so make sure you have plenty! 7 would be the bare minimum I recommend getting, however, it depends on how often you intend to do laundry.
Smart Buying Tips:
Choose zip up outfits for convenience and ease of use. And if you can (and the weather is cool enough), get the ones with fold over cuffs (in-built mittens!) and foot covers so you won’t need to worry about separate mittens and socks (which often come off).
Here are some cute examples:
Check it out here! (Iconic Aussie brand 🙂 )
5-7 T-Shirts (Long or Short Sleeve) or Sleeveless Vests with Snap Crotch
The second most important newborn clothes staple is the snap crotch t-shirt (also known as a bodysuit… among other things).
In warm weather you can dress baby in these alone or with shorts or leggings. In cool weather, these work well under your one piece outfits for added warmth. The snap crotch is a must to keep the shirts from riding up.
Newborns tend to not like having anything pulled over their heads, so consider getting a kimono-style wrap front version. Though keep in mind that increases the number of snaps you’ll have to do up!
Some unisex examples:
1-2 Sweaters or Jackets
For cold weather, add a sweater or jacket to your list.
Here are some incredibly cute examples (that make me want to have a winter baby!!!):
5-7 pairs of baby socks
Newborn babies don’t do much with their feet, but socks are great to keep those tootsies warm. Even if you’re using mostly footed clothes, there’s still going to be times when you need socks.
Hot tip: pick up a mesh laundry bag to contain those itty bitt socks in the wash so they don’t go missing.
Here are some cute examples:
2-3 Wearable Blankets or Swaddle/Sleeping Bags
If you’re in a colder climate, make sure you include some wearable blankets. And even if you’re in a warmer climate, make sure you have 2-3 swaddles or swaddle bags ready to go.
My favorite are the Love to Dream Swaddle Up bags. They worked wonders with my son and getting him to sleep longer at night. However, I recently realised that other babies might NOT love them as much as mine… all babies are different after all. So here are some options for you:
1-2 Hats (Mostly for Cold Weather Babies)
For cold weather babies you’ll need warm hats to keep baby warm outdoors. For a summer baby, hats aren’t necessary to stay warm. You may want to get a sunhat if you intend to wear your baby in a baby carrier outdoors in the summer.
Optional Items
- 5-7 leggings – if you prefer to use separate tops and bottoms for your baby, soft stretchy leggings are a must. I would avoid all fashionable and non-stretchy fabrics (like denim, or even cotton) because it’s just so much easier to get stretchy leggings on and off. My little one (he’s 3) still wears leggings in the winter.
- 1 fleece suit – for very cold weather babies
- 1 baby bunting – for very cold weather babies
- crib shoes – if your baby is always wriggling out of his socks, try popping some soft crib shoes over the top.
More On Baby Clothes
- Cute Clothes for Baby – Boys, Girls and Unisex Inspo
- Baby Clothes: Everything a First Time Mom Needs to Know
- Baby Clothes Organizer Ideas – 19 Little Known Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner
- 10 Shops Killing It With Unisex Clothes for Babies and Kids
