Choosing the right-size baby clothes for your lilliputian one seems like it should exist simple enough — in theory. Baby dress are typically sized by age, so yous'd think you lot would just buy pieces that correspond to your infant's age and that would exist it.

Unfortunately, that's not always how it works. Like adults, infants come in all shapes and sizes. And different brands of babe clothes are non consistently sized the aforementioned way.

So if yous're feeling lost when it comes to baby's wearable sizes, you're not alone. Hither are a few tips to keep in listen when shopping or organizing baby'southward closet.

Babe clothes size chart

Depending on the baby clothing brand, some styles tin run big, small or just right.

This baby clothes size chart (made using tips from existent parents, countless online reviews and intel from What to Expect editors who've road-tested the brands at home with their little ones) tin can help yous effigy out how unlike baby clothing brands volition actually fit your child, regardless of how large or small she is for her age.

baby clothes fit chart

How practise babe dress sizes work?

Infant vesture sizes can exist based on a diverseness of factors, including:

  • Age

  • Weight

  • Length

That said, nigh infant clothing sizes are broken out based on averages. And considering babies grow at unlike rates, not all 5-month-olds volition fit into size iii-6-month wear, for example.

So how do y'all know which size will fit your baby best? When it's fourth dimension to create or update your little one's wardrobe, these strategies tin can help:

  • Practice your research. As our baby clothing sizes nautical chart demostrates, different brands of baby vesture is sized differently. Certain brands run smaller or larger, longer or shorter. Be sure to bank check each make's website for their specific size nautical chart to double-check where your baby's measurements fall on their sizing chart before you buy.

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  • Know what the labels mean. Many parents volition tell you (after experiencing this first-paw) a good dominion of thumb is that the size on the label is frequently the max size. For instance, size iii months often means that it fits babies up to 3 months of age. Most 6-calendar month-old babies wear ix- or 12-month-size clothing.

  • Consider material type. From spit-ups to blowouts, your baby may become through multiple outfits a day — which means more than laundry. Keep in mind that fabrics like cotton, while comfortable, are prone to shrinkage, so information technology may be wise to go up a size.

  • Shop in person. That way you can eyeball the outfit to come across if yous think it might fit your lilliputian 1, regardless of what the tag says, and go with your gut. When in uncertainty, size up — babies grow quickly, so it'southward meliorate to buy wear they'll accept room to grow into.

  • Don't be agape of trial and mistake. Because of the aforementioned size discrepancies from brand to make, you may want to bite the bullet and attempt out a variety of different clothing brands to meet which ones fit your baby'southward body best. Once you've established which brands fit your baby well, moving up to the next size every bit they grow can get a piffling easier.

Baby clothes sizes by weight

Most U.S. clothing brands base their sizing on average baby weight at a given age. While verbal measurements can vary by brand, here's a general guide for infant vesture sizes by weight:

  • P (Preemie): Up to 5 pounds

  • NB (Newborn): 5 to 8 pounds

  • 3 months: 8 to 12 pounds

  • 6 months: 12 to 16 pounds

  • 9 months: sixteen to 20 pounds

  • 12 months: xx to 24 pounds

  • 18 months: 24 to 28 pounds

  • 24 months: 28 to 30 pounds

  • 2T: 29 to 32 pounds

  • 3T: 32 to 35 pounds

  • 4T: 35 to 39 pounds

  • 5T: 39 to 43 pounds

How many baby wearing apparel do I need in each size?

Babies need a lot of stuff — with clothing at the top of the list. To avoid overwhelming yourself (and overspending), store for baby in babe steps. Commencement by putting together a layette, or a set of clothing essentials, for the newborn days, which oftentimes consists of:

  • iv to 8 shirts

  • 4 to eight onesies

  • 7 jumpsuit footed pajamas

  • iii to half-dozen jumpsuit rompers

  • two to 4 ii-piece outfits (shirt and shorts/pants combinations)

  • one to 3 seasonal dress-up outfits

  • 4 to 8 pairs of socks or booties

  • i to 2 sweaters (for cold-conditions babies)

  • 1 snowsuit or bunting (for winter babies)

  • 1 to 3 hats (knit hats for winter babies; sunday hats for summertime babies)

  • 1 to two swimsuits (for summer babies)

While that'south a proficient place to start, y'all can cull to buy more than or less depending on your state of affairs — babies tend to need more layers in colder weather, for example, and how often y'all program to do laundry should also gene into the equation.

Newborn baby apparel sizes

Whether you're looking for the perfect outfit to bring your babe dwelling in, or only filling upwardly little one'southward closet with an ambrosial wardrobe, it's of import to remember about which size to stock up on for the newborn days.

It may seem similar common sense to buy the "Newborn" size for your newborn, but it'southward actually smarter to size upwardly (slightly). On boilerplate, "Newborn" clothes simply fit babies up to 8 pounds — which for nearly babies, doesn't terminal that long (and some babies even enter the world larger than that!).

Whereas size 0-iii months should fit your baby up to 12 pounds, and you can always scroll up sleeves and pant legs for a few weeks while babe grows into the larger size.

If your babe is predicted to exist petite, or you lot take a preemie, Newborn or Preemie sizes make a little more sense. Just consider keeping the tags on tiny outfits and hanging on to receipts in example baby arrives larger than expected or grows super quickly.

European babe apparel sizes

Picture show this: You get an adorable babe outfit gifted to you, and you check the tag to run across what size it is, only information technology but says "70." Merely when you remember you understood infant vesture sizes, you're hit with the European sizing organisation.

European babe wearable sizes are labeled based on maximum centimeters in height — meaning a size 70 should fit a baby up to 70 centimeters, or effectually 27.v inches long (though at that place's a range). As with U.S. sizes, when shopping European baby clothing, information technology'due south important to review the exact brand'south size chart.

Here'south a general guide for what European baby wearing apparel sizes typically translate to in the U.S.:

Size 60 in baby clothes

A good rule of pollex is that a European size threescore is equivalent to U.South. size three-6 months. This size will typically fit a infant who is 12 to 16 pounds, or 22 to 26 inches long.

Size seventy in baby wearing apparel

Size 70 in Europe is similar to a 6-12 month size in the U.S. It should fit babies who are xvi to 20 pounds, or 26 to 28 inches long.

Size 80 in infant clothes

A European size eighty is about the aforementioned size equally 12-24 months in the U.S. It likely fits babies ranging from 20 to 27 pounds, or 28 to 32 inches long.

Size xc in baby clothes

Size 90 in Europe ranges is about a size 2T in the U.Southward. It should fit a toddler who weighs between 26 and 33 pounds or up to a height of 36 inches.

Size 100 in infant clothes

A European size 100 is almost a 3T (and up to 4T) in the U.S. It'll probable fit a toddler weighing between 31 and 38 pounds, or up to a meridian up to around 40 inches.

Cracking the baby clothing sizes code tin be catchy. A adept rule of pollex: When in doubt, size up. And call up, within no time (and subsequently a little trial and error), you'll be a pro at discovering which article of clothing sizes and brands work best for your lilliputian one.