What to Wear to a Fall Baby Shower

Baby showers as most of us know them took off in the United States after the Second World War, during the baby boom, and they are still usually held in the third trimester, at home or over a long lunch. That means low sofas, a lot of hugging and someone taking photos while you hold a gift. So the baby shower dress I want for fall is one I can sit, bend and laugh in, in a color that will not fight with pastel wrapping paper.

 

The dresses here are mostly long and soft. The Ralph Lauren Eldered is a halterneck linen maxi in warm taupe, and the Marrakshi Life Touareg is a cotton maxi in a soft pink and blue stripe that feels like a party without trying. The Dôen Amarante is a belted printed cotton voile, and the Staud Elyse is a pleated knit midi in rust brown that moves when you walk. For something more polished, the Toteme boatneck jersey dress, the Isabel Marant Jozira draped sweater dress and the Guest in Residence Industry cashmere mini, with its drawstring waist and pockets, all work with boots. The SNDYS Marlowe is a sweater mini dress for tall boots. Newer in the grid, the Hill House Home Scarlett nap dress is a relaxed smocked midi you can sit in all afternoon, the Peixoto Clementine is a dusty rose maxi, the ASTR the Label Quinn is a plum floral midi that works with boots, and the Agua Bendita Zafra Julia is a brown floral maxi.

 

If you would rather keep the dress simple, put a soft cashmere cardigan over it, like the Alex Mill Taylor in taupe or the Eterne Reese in brown.

 

What I would skip: white or ivory head to toe. It reads as bridal, and this is someone else's day.

Fall weather at a shower is unpredictable, and half of these parties move between a warm living room and a cold garden, so I always bring a layer. A cardigan is the one I reach for, because it looks gentle and you can take it off without messing up your hair. The Guest in Residence Cozy cardigan is a deep red cashmere, the Auralee is a pale pink cashmere with a collar, the Alémais Reggie is a lilac mohair blend with a little sequin flower, and the Dôen Peroline is a blue cashmere crewneck.

 

For shoes, flats make the most sense for an afternoon on your feet. The Alaïa La Ballerine comes in red croc-effect mesh and in black suede with shearling, the Jimmy Choo Margot is a shearling-trimmed suede flat, the Birkenstock Naples is a brown leather loafer, and the Sam Edelman Ruthie is the flat I would buy for a shower I need to stand through. If it is cold, the Staud Wally flat ankle boots in suede or the Simkhai Janine burgundy knee boots go with every dress in the first grid. The Alaïa Mina 20 is the bag, a laser-cut leather tote for your phone and a card.

 

A pairing tip: match the cardigan to the darkest color in your dress, not the lightest. It looks deliberate.

 

What I would skip: high heels. You will spend the afternoon on a lawn or a rug.

The best outfit for a baby shower is one you stop thinking about the minute you walk in. Pick one soft, tactile piece, a knit dress or a cashmere cardigan, and pair it with one crisp one, like a cotton shirt or a leather boot. Keep the colors warm and quiet, and let the parents-to-be be the brightest thing in the room.

 

And bring a layer you can carry over your arm. The afternoon always runs longer than the invitation says. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Baby Shower Dress.