Baby clothing is one of those things that once seemed as whimsical and harmless as taking a long drive through the mountains, and is now potentially fraught with worries over dangers as potentially serious as smog or a head-on collision. Nowadays, if you shop for baby clothing, you can’t just buy the cutest thing on the rack. You have to think about things like safety, age-appropriateness, and issues like gender and culture, not to mention typical issues of social responsibility.
But before you decide to give up and just let your baby go naked, take heart: with just a little forethought, shopping for baby clothing can be a rewarding experience.
Baby Clothing: Safety Concerns
Anything that comes within contact of your child has to be exceptionally safe. Baby clothing is no exception; in fact, you might want to be extra careful since clothing is the one thing that will be on the baby for hours on end, even more than that extra-special toy.
What kind of hazards does baby clothing pose? In the past, children have strangled themselves with the drawstrings on hooded sweatshirts, choked on buttons that were too big and came off too easily, caught their hair and skin in zippers, and gotten burnt with clothing that was too flammable. Scared yet? There’s hope. Read on.
Nowadays, safety is a much easier issue to handle when you shop for your baby, whether you’re buying baby clothing or toys or furniture. Manufacturers already have to obey safety standards, those issued by the government and those set by industry groups.
However, you should still be careful. With so many products, and especially clothing, coming in from all over the world, you cannot be 100% sure that the product meets every safety standard for good manufactured in your locality. Look for some kind of assurance on the label or packaging that the baby clothing is safe. Ironically, the standards for truth in advertising are often more stringent than the standards for safety, so a safety promise on the label really is worth something.
Naturally, you should use your own common sense as well. Are there buttons or other things that can be pulled off the baby clothing to pose a choking hazard? How tightly are they sewed on? Does the clothing fit the baby well, or is there loose fabric that could easily catch on a door or furniture?
Age Appropriate Baby Clothing
As with most baby purchases, the best safety precaution you can take is to buy baby clothing that is age appropriate. The label, tag, or packaging might well have age guidelines. Barring that, you make sure only to buy baby clothing that fits your child perfectly. Don’t tailor down bigger clothing; there is always the chance that is not intended for a younger child in terms of safety.
Gender Issues in Baby Clothing
Do you want your little girl to grow up to be a strong, confident woman who isn’t held down by old-fashioned ideas about a woman’s “place”? Then perhaps you should avoid the pink dress with the embroidered flowers and lace. Naturally, your baby is too young to notice these things. But how you dress your child says a lot about your attitude toward him or her. Start right now on developing the attitude toward your baby that you want your child to have toward him or herself. Buy baby clothing that reflects that attitude.
