More Thoughts on Baby Clothes! A List of Brands and Retailers I Love
File them away for the next growth spurt.
Last spring I wrote a newsletter about how I shop for baby clothes, which included a rundown of what I think about/prioritize, along with an extensive list of my favorite Etsy shops and helpful keyword searches. Today’s send is a follow-up that focuses on the more mainstream baby clothing brands and retailers I love.
I’m sure there are many more that should be on my radar but aren’t yet, so please share in the comments if you have favorites of your own.
Brands
Binibamba. My friend
told me about this British brand when I was pregnant and I ended up registering for one of their 100% merino wool snuggle suits. My son wore it pretty much daily last winter and I never worried about whether he was warm enough.Coco and Wolf. Liberty crib sheets! I received the Betsy Grey sheets as a baby shower gift and I wish I had one in every pattern. If you live in the U.K. and don’t have to pay for shipping I am extremely jealous.
Hanna Andersson. A classic since my own childhood, when I waited (im)patiently for the catalogue to arrive every month. I especially love their footless two-way-zip pajamas now that my son needs barefoot traction for walking. We also have and love this cotton sweater, plus their bodysuits which won me over when I realized they have two sets of snaps for a longer-lasting fit.
Kenana Knitters. The cutest stuffed animals, hand-knit by women in Kenya using hand-spun wool and cotton fibers. We have a giraffe, a bear, and — my personal favorite — a guinea fowl. Their online stockists are listed if you scroll down here.
Kissy Kissy. If you’re a parent you’ve probably already heard of this brand, but if you’re new to the game I’m here to vouch for the quality of their pima cotton pajamas. So soft! I never buy these full-price, though — if you keep an eye out, you can almost always find them on sale.
Konges Sløjd. A Danish brand that I love to browse when I’m looking for gifts for friends with baby girls. I bought my niece one of their snowsuits when it went on sale last spring, and I’ve recently been keeping tabs on their sweet microfloral onesies.
LouLou Baker. A thoughtful selection of baby goods that feel like something you’d find at a charming local shop (like these sweet customizable quilts), perfect if you’re looking for a baby gift for a friend whose taste leans a bit preppy.
LouLou Lollipop. Specifically for cute pacifier clips. I love this one that we registered for, despite the fact that my baby never took a pacifier.
Mabli. A small brand based in Wales that specializes in knitwear made from merino wool. It’s pricey at retail which is why I like to keep an eye out for good sales (like this sweater, which ships for free in the U.S.!) or secondhand finds on Kidizen. If you live in the U.K. you should check out their discounted archive since shipping will be much less expensive for you.
Mabo. An absolute gem of a small brand, albeit with a very small selection. I initially flocked here for their line of organic cotton basics, which come in an array of perfect colors. They sadly seem to be phasing out the line so everything is drastically reduced (50% off with the code “goodbyeocb50”) with limited sizing left. I cleaned up during their Black Friday warehouse sale last year, scoring two pairs of corduroy overalls for $10 a pop. Worth keeping an eye on to see if they do one again this November.
Makie. Their iconic terrycloth hadagi is a very worth-it baby clothing splurge. They also come up on The RealReal every now and then, which is how I found the one we have.
Minicoton. I discovered this Barcelona-based brand through a few online friends (
and Blanca Miro are both fans). It’s the only one I’ve ever come across that makes genuinely cool stroller bags. The founder Natalia sent me a couple over the summer and I can’t express how much I love them. The quality is excellent, and they’re really functional in addition to chic.Misha & Puff. Makers of the famous popcorn sweater, which we received as a gift from one of Austin’s aunts shortly after I gave birth. It still fits my son, but not for much longer — I’m already sad thinking about him growing out of it. Incredible quality. Soft merino wool. The lushest color. Everything they make is so nice. We have a bunch of their pima cotton bodysuits, too. They have a lot of sales throughout the year, as do their various online stockists.
Mmoody One-of-a-kind pants handmade with vintage, scrap, surplus or dead stock fabrics, by a mom named Justine in the Hudson Valley. She aims to have zero fabric waste in production.
Oso & Me. My go-to stylish but not-too-fussy baby brand. I love their crossbody one-pieces and corduroy pants. Everything I’ve bought has held up so nicely over time. They gave me a code a while ago that never expires: HARLING15. I don’t get any kickbacks from it, just passing along in case anyone wants to use. I use it myself every time I shop there 😂.
Petit Bateau. I tagged along on one of Austin’s work trips to London toward the end of my pregnancy and the store near our hotel was having a sale so went on a little mini PB spree. It’s so sad they don’t have stores in the U.S. anymore! I’m addicted to dressing my baby in stripes.
Petite Plume. The MOST luxurious, buttery pima cotton sleepwear. I received a pair of baby pajamas as a gift right before I have birth along with one of their adult-sized robes and I don’t think I’ve ever felt softer cotton in my life. The perfect gesture if you want to make someone feel extra cocooned postpartum. They usually have a sale around Black Friday.
Primary. For well-priced, colorful footie pajamas, onesies, and leggings. We have multiple pairs of their pajamas and I’ve found that the pointelle ones (which are on insane clearance sale right now) have the nicest fit. I bought a newborn-sized pair in the ivory color when I was pregnant and repurchased subsequently in larger sizes. I also love the cotton beanie we have from them.
Reima. I’ve been researching winter outerwear brands since we need to invest in a bigger and more play-proof snowsuit for my son that will ideally last a couple of winters. All the Reddit forums say that Reima, a Finnish children’s outerwear brand, is the place to go. I really like the color options and simple design of their basic waterproof snowsuit (the faux fur hood trim isn’t my fave, but it’s detachable).
Roberta Roller Rabbit. I’ve always been a fan of their pajamas — I had them when I was a kid so the prints are very nostalgic for me. You can usually find them on sale if you sleuth around across different retailers.
Pehr. High-quality organic cotton pieces with cute prints. The fit of the pajamas is a little too skinny for my son, but we have and love a variety of their bodysuits, rompers, bucket hats, and joggers.
Robeez. The first pair of shoes I bought for my son were these leather fisherman sandals. I’m in the market for more shoe brands that fit babies with wide, chubby feet, if anyone has recommendations…
Silly Silas. Gnomecore at its finest. We have a dark green pair and a brown pair of their knit suspender tights, which have lasted us for over a year.
Woolino. My favorite sleep sack brand. Super soft merino wool on the inside and cotton on the outside. Merino wool regulates body temperature and is naturally antimicrobial so you don’t have to wash them every wear (unless of course you’re dealing with a blowout). I have two of their “ultimate baby sleep sacks,” which fit all the way until age two. I also got a couple of the Ecolino 100% cotton ones during the heat wave over the summer.
Victoria. They’ve been making shoes in Spain since 1915, using their own organic cotton for their shoes and natural rubber. I just ordered a pair in this nice red color since Ponseti’s is running such a great sale.
Retailers
CouCou Studio. A Boston-based boutique with a well-stocked website. This is where I bought the Konges Sløjd snowsuit for my niece, during one of their sales last spring! They run a lot of good sales throughout the year.
Kidizen. An amazing secondhand marketplace for baby and kids’ clothing. I browse here all the time for brands that are typically outside my budget for baby clothes. I just bought a yellow Mabli top for pennies on the dollar, and it was unworn.
Maisonette. Basically Farfetch for kids’ clothing — items ship directly from hundreds of different brands and independent boutiques.
Mama Owl. Last winter I drove myself crazy looking for merino wool separates in nice silhouettes and colors and finally found a trove of them here.
Manymoons. A circular retailer that “rescues” brand new items with tags from aging collections and offers them at a discount. They also have a baby clothing rental program.
Marigold Modern Kids. A children’s store based in Columbia, SC with a great, well-inventoried website.
Milk Teeth. Home to a selection of niche, colorful pieces from a variety of small brands, like cotton striped PJ sets and ribbed cotton beanies.
Parachute Brooklyn. A buy-sell-trade children’s clothing store that offers gently used contemporary and vintage clothing for ages 0-12 years. You can cash in on your kids’ lightly worn, outgrown clothing or trade them for something else.
The Little Red Planet. A small children’s boutique in Sag Harbor with over 30 brands and a robust sale section.
Smallable. The ultimate luxury baby clothing retailer, featuring over 900 brands from all over the world.
Willkie’s. A beautiful curation of small brands, some of which are hard to find in the U.S. The founder Alex happens to be Austin’s first cousin’s wife, so all the baby gifts I received from that side of the family were purchased from here. I felt very lucky to be the indirect beneficiary of her perfect taste.
xo Harling
Graphic design by Paige Stewart Enslow.
Faire child for sustainable, waterproof outwear ☔️
Yes I have found the quality in the last few years to be great. I have four kids and have been able to pass them down. And I love the sweats. They just posted they will be launching new items in the next month