For the first six months of your baby boy’s life, he’ll gain 5 to 7 ounces every week.
That means around four or five months old, he’ll be double his birth weight!
The fact that babies grow so fast means that buying baby boy outfits can take some strategic planning.
Let’s take a look at how to buy clothes for a baby boy when you’re a first-time parent.
Understanding Baby Boy Clothing Sizes
When you start shopping for baby boy clothes, you’ll find that all baby clothes are sized by months. Because babies can vary so much in size, though, it’s more accurate to take his weight, length, and developmental stage into account.
Phases of Baby Growth
As your little one grows, he’ll exit and enter a series of different growth phases.
Understanding these phases can give you better insight into when you should start shopping for cute baby boy clothing. You can always buy more clothes, but this is a list of basic essentials for each stage.
Newborns (or the Layette Phase)
Babies are generally considered newborns when they are between 0 and 3 months old.
During this time, you’ll want to have about a dozen onesies, some with short sleeves and some with long sleeves. Even if you’re baby is a newborn during the summer, it’s good to have some long-sleeved options on cooler days.
You’ll also want about a dozen sleepers and gowns, as your little boy will probably spend most of his time donning these. Gowns make for easy diaper changing, as they are open on the bottom. Sleepers tend to either zip up or snap up in the front.
You’ll also want about two or three pairs of knit pants, one sweater, five or six pairs of socks, and a couple of bibs. Also, don’t forget a couple of hats to make sure his head stays warm!
Older Babies (Infants to Walkers)
Now that your baby is a little older, he’ll be playing more and sleeping less. Once he starts walking, it becomes more important for his clothes to fit well and be durable. You’ll need to get clothes in each infant size (usually 3-6 months, 6-9 months, and 9-12 months) for this phase.
Your little guy will still need some onesies, but not quite as many. Ten is a good number, with a combination of both long and short-sleeved options.
He also won’t need quite as many pajamas as he won’t spend as much time sleeping. He’ll still wear them at night, though, so you’ll need about eight of these.
You’ll want about six to eight pairs of either pants or shorts, depending on the climate and the season. He’ll also need at least eight pairs of socks, three or four sweaters, and about twelve bibs.
If you live in a cold climate, you’ll want to get him a snowsuit or a combination of snow pants and a winter coat. If you live in a place with warmer winters, you’ll need a light jacket.
Don’t forget the accessories! A winter hat and mittens will be needed for cold weather, and you’ll want a sun hat for the summer.
Toddlers and Early Walkers
For this stage, you’ll want to have about eight to ten onesies as well as eight pairs of PJs.
As far as pants and shorts go, you’ll need roughly six to eight pairs. This can be a messy stage of baby-hood, so this amount should get you through the week.
Since your little boy is walking around now, he’s going to need more socks and also shoes. Be sure to have at least ten pairs of socks and climate-appropriate shoes.
You might need a sweater or a sweatshirt for your little boy for each day of the week. You’ll also want a jacket or winter coat, as well as a light windbreaker. A sun hat, winter hat, and mittens will still be necessary.
The bibs from last year should still be suitable for your little boy. It might be worth it to scale up and invest in some larger ones, though, as he starts eating more.
How to Save Money on New Baby Boy Clothing
Since your little boy is growing so fast, the cost of having adequate clothing for him can really add up. Follow these tips to avoid spending more money than you intended.
Keep an Eye Out for Deals
Sign up for mailing lists and coupons from stores that you love. You might be able to save quite a bit!
Buy Ahead of Time
It can be a real cost-savings to buy clothes off-season. It can feel strange to buy a winter coat in the heat of summer, but you’ll get a much better deal!
Look at What You Already Have First
Make a list of what you already have at home before going to the store. This is a great way of avoiding buying more of something you already have too many of.
Don’t Stray From Your List
Once you’ve made a list, stick to it. Don’t get tempted by something cute that you definitely don’t need while you’re out at the store.
Shop Second-Hand
Since babies grow so quickly, second-hand clothes can be practically brand new. Check out local thrift stores and used baby clothes retailers to pay quite a bit less for perfectly good clothes.
You’ll Have a Great Time Shopping for Clothes for a Baby Boy!
When you’re first-time parents, it can feel like there’s an infinite number of things to get and take care of. Getting clothes for a baby boy doesn’t need to be a hassle, though, and doesn’t have to be terribly expensive. Focus on getting the essentials first and you’ll sleep easy knowing he’ll be well dressed through his first few years.
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