I didn't really think about baby clothes during my pregnancy. In fact I only bought a couple of pieces and none were for newborns ~ not very practical of me, I know.

It wasn't until she was born that I realised I needed more than what I had thanks to blow outs and mountain weather. By the time I got more she was halfway through the size and only got a couple of weeks use out of them.

Learning that lesson early on I decided to get super organized and have at least the next two sizes ready to go. What I didn't realise was that some brand's sizing is different and some brands are quite surprising in terms of value.

If you're a new mum or find yourself shopping for a mum to be, this mini guide might come in handy.

Brands

In Australia the most common places to buy baby clothes are BigW, Target, Kmart and Best & Less. They also happen to be the cheapest places as well and considering for the first year babies quickly outgrow sizes every 3 to 6 months, it seemed practical to not go too crazy. Most of them (not sure about Kmart) all carry the Bonds brand which is a favourite of ours. Another favourite is Carters, which, due to my location, I can only get online.

Sizing

I used to think baby clothes was baby clothes. Aside from prices and design they were all basically the same especially when it came to sizes and if you look at the size guide it looks like it would be the same but I'm telling you now, it's not.

Exhibit A : Size 00

Left to right:

Target, Best & Less, Kmart & Carters.

What craziness is that all about?! If you look at the size 00 across all the brands it all says up to 8kgs except for Carters at 7.7kgs which happens to be the biggest 00 bodysuit.

She's in the 00s now and just over 7kgs and I swear to you while the others are getting tight, the Carters bodysuits still have plenty of growing space left.

Exhibit B : Size 0

Left to right:

Target, BigW Tradie (front), BigW Underworks (back), BigW Dymples & Bonds.

Another WTAF moment. All size 0, all up to 12 months and all up to 10kgs yet you can clearly see the different brands don't make the sizes the same. Just look at how huge the difference is between BigW Tradie and Bonds.

Value

Value is subjective. It really depends on personal preference.

BigW and Best & Less are the cheapest and often has the thicker material out of them all but they also seem to have the smallest size.

Bonds and Carters are more expensive (unless you shop smart and buy on special then it's not too bad) but their sizes are bigger and it's wear extends over to the next size making them awesome for layering. On the down side Bonds and Carters materials are on the thin side.

Design wise I think there's something cute to be found in all of the different brands but my personal favourites are Bonds and Carters.

Another thing to consider is the built in mittens and footies. BigW built in mittens are rubbish, sorry but they are, they're no where near big enough and it's like a token add on to the romper. Their built in footies, for me, are hit and miss. I like them when Bella fits in the suit perfectly but if she's still a little small then they're just cumbersome. If she's a little bigger then again, its cumbersome. This is where Bonds win hands down. Their built in mitts and footies are on point and why it's worth spending the 💰💰 on them.

Conclusion

Everything considered my favourites Bonds and Carters cemented their positions. Not only do I like the designs, I also like the fact I can get more wear out of them. It is a shame the materials aren't thicker but because their sizes overlaps and are on the stretchy side (especially bonds) it makes it easy to layer them on making up for the thin material.

The downside is the price but like I said, if you shop smart and keep an eye on specials you can save more than 50% and again, because the sizes are generous and overlaps it does give me the sense that I'm getting more value for my money.

Where do you buy your kids clothes from? Are you finding the same size discrepancies? Let me know!