Baby Clothes: Rompers, Sleepers and Sweater Sets by Fit

In 1980, Gun Denhart, who was born in Sweden, went looking in New York for the soft, durable, all-cotton clothes her second son would have worn back home. According to a company profile on Encyclopedia.com, she searched fruitlessly. A few years later, in 1983, she founded a children's clothing company called Hanna in Portland, Oregon, in the garage of her home. I love that. A whole brand began because one mother could not find a good cotton romper.

 

That origin is why I trust Hanna on baby clothes. The brand says over 60% of its products are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, and many pieces use organic cotton. The first catalog even came with tiny cloth swatches, cut and glued in by hand, so parents could feel the fabric. Other makers fill in the rest, from Petite Plume, Pepa London and Jesurum to Konges Sløjd, Quincy Mae and Kyte Baby, with softer, cozier ideas.

 

I begin with the one-pieces, because they are the easiest to dress. The Baby Graphic Romper in navy is French terry with a zipper at the inseam and a big pink cherry on the chest, and it is what I would put on a baby for a long car ride. The Cult Gaia Baby Chrysanthemum Set is a cream knit jumpsuit with hand-crocheted flowers and a matching bucket hat, and the Baby Nissa Jumpsuit is an off-white cotton onesie with swirl embroidery on the front. For the holidays, the Baby Holiday Sweater Romper has a Fair Isle reindeer yoke. The Tartan Bow Baby Romper in ivory sateen is the one for a photo, the Baby Bear Ear Hooded One-Piece is the one for the park, and the Petite Plume Gingham Romper in pink is soft brushed twill with a collar.

 

Check the snaps before you buy anything. Snaps between the legs or a zip at the inseam make a three a.m. change much faster.

Pajamas are the one place where I read the closure before the print. A two-way zip, which opens from the top or the bottom, means you never have to uncover a sleeping baby's chest just to reach a diaper. The Holiday HannaJams Sleeper in red and ecru stripes has a neck-to-cuff two-way zip and green cuffs, and it is organic cotton. The dinosaur HannaJams Sleeper in shadow blue has flatlock seams that are friendly to eczema-prone skin, plus foldable cuffs.

 

The Grinch and Peanuts sleepers are the festive pair. Both are TENCEL Modal rib with four-way stretch and an extended zip, so a squirmy baby is easier to dress. I would pick Snoopy and Woodstock in winter for a light blue, quieter look, and the Cindy Lou stripes in pink if you want a loud holiday photo.

 

The organic cotton Pumpkin Footed Pajama in ivory is an October-to-Halloween layer. The First Christmas Footed Pajama in red pepper has a Santa hat at the chest and My First Christmas embroidered at the back, which is a keepsake in itself. The last two come from Petite Plume, which Emily Hikade launched in 2015 while she was still living abroad, after more than 15 years undercover with the CIA. The Infant Pima Cotton Romper in white is a teddy bear print in Pima cotton, and the French Ticking Cambridge Romper in navy stripes has a round collar and crisp lines.

 

Fitting-room test: zip it up and down once, then check that the feet have room for a stretch.

 

What I would skip: a thick fleece footie in a warm bedroom. Choose the cotton ones for those nights.

Layers are where a baby wardrobe gets ridiculous, so I plan outfits from the outside in. Pick the jacket first, then choose what has to fit under it. The Baby Marshmallow Fleece Sparkle Lined Jacket in navy has a pom-pom hood and soft faux shearling lining with metallic rainbow flecks. The Baby Bear Faux Fur Hooded Jacket in toasted cream has little bear ears and a zip. The Pepa London cardigan in brown is a classic cable knit with buttons, the easiest layer over a romper.

 

Under the jackets I like the knits. The Baby Fair Isle Sweater is made to match the whole family, so it is the one I would reach for at a holiday gathering. The Collared Sweater Set in pink cherry stripes brings a ruffled collar and pants. The Scalloped Trim Matching Sweater Set in grape harvest has a burgundy cardigan with pockets and matching bloomers.

 

Then the two Cult Gaia sets. Jasmin Larian has said she grew up around designers who made miniature clothes for dolls, since her father's toy company started Bratz, and she started Cult Gaia in 2012, straight out of FIT. The Baby Mischa Set in light petal is a cotton crochet cardigan with embroidered flowers and a matching bloomer. The Baby Jana Set in canyon is a crochet top and shorts with 3D flowers, so I would save it for a warm birthday or a beach trip.

 

Buying test: try the neckline over a hat, then press the lining to see how much bulk it adds. A baby in a car seat should not wear a puffy jacket, so I keep the thick ones for the stroller.

I would start with the sleepwear, since that is what a baby wears most. Pick a two-way zip, a soft cotton or modal rib and a print you will not mind seeing on every morning. Then add one romper for the days that matter, and one jacket for stepping outside.

 

Last, think about what you will pass on. Hanna began with one mother's search for a good cotton piece, and the best baby clothes still do the same thing: they get worn, washed and handed down. Buy the pair you are happy to see again. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Smoky Perfumes for Sweater Weather and Purple Sweater.