Conference moira::parenting

    
    I'd say maybe 18 mos to 24 mos (or size large) for a 1 yr old, unless
    she is rather petite...
    
    I just bought a 24 mos size for a one yr old birthday girl last week.
    
    Chris
    

    This is impossible to answer based on the information you provided. 
    Each child's head size varies.  Each garment sizing scheme varies.
    (Baby and toddler clothing is notoriously inconsistent.)
    
    When my daughter was a tiny baby, we told Grandma that her head was the
    size of a small grapefruit.  The hat she made was just right!
    
    L
    

    My advice is don't buy the hat and let Raschel's management know why.
    I had the same problem trying to buy a hat for my daughter without
    having her with me. I didn't buy it.
    
    I have found that not only do head sizes vary but hat fits vary
    depending on the style. There is no way to tell without trying it on.
    
    Of course, you might get lucky.

    My daughter is 16 months and wears a size small...we bought her a
    floppy hat at Raschel's...also near the front.  It's white with a big
    brim.  Unless the baby has a large head, the small toddler size should
    fit a 1 year old.  (I'm assuming that the small isn't a newborn size.)

    I don't know about hats, since my kids both hate them!  But the
    rough rule of thumb about clothing sizes is "double the age," up
    to about 1-1.5 years.  For example, my daughter, (1 tomorrow!)
    wears mostly 24-month size clothes.  She can still fit into quite
    a few 18-month sizes, but for the most part, she's in 24-month
    and 2-Toddler clothes.  (The 2-T and the 24-month sizes are almost
    the same; you get about an extra half-inch in the 2-T.)
    
    So, following this rough example, you would buy 18-month sizes for
    a 9-month old, 12-month sizes for a 6-month-old, etc.  It's not a
    perfect rule, but it helps.
    
    Then, of course, you run into the different *manufacturer's* sizes.
    For example, we've found that Oshkosh tends to run big on my kids.
    Health-Tex is also generously sized.  French Toast tends to be
    for the slimmer, taller child.  Garan runs pretty big.  If you
    buy cheap clothes (off-brands at the discount stores), expect them
    to run *smaller* than the name brands, like Oshkosh, Health-Tex,
    etc.  Sears McKids and Winnie-the-Pooh brands have always been
    huge on my kids.

    At 1 year, Jackie was wearing size 15 hat (the cute kind with eyelets
    and a tie around the chin).  She can still wear that size today at 2.
    
    The floppy hats for 24 months fit her at 1, but do not at 2.
    
    Mary
    

    I agree that you really need to try the hat on the child to get a
    proper fit.  The double the age to get the proper size rule does not
    apply to my son.  Now my son has always been between the 50th to 70th
    percentile for height and weight, but at 23 months of age, 24 month and
    2T clothing usually are a bit too long in the legs.  3T are definitely
    too big and 18 months, if a good name brand (Osh Kosh, Health Tex,
    etc...) fits just right.
    
    I agree with the previous noter who says not to buy the hat and to let
    the management at Raschel's know why.  Personally, I don't like
    Raschel's, I think I get better buys on children's clothing at other
    stores and I don't have to worry about a dumb return policy.
    
    Lori B.

    Well- I bought the hat in size small. They are sized for toddlers not
    infants so I feel that was s safe bet. However, I agree with you
    about the inflexible return policy at Raschel's. Had I read these
    replies yesturday I would probably have gone to calvert's and bought it
    at a slightly higher price. If they are concerned about the returned
    goods they should have a more thorough checking process instead of an
    inflexible return policy.
    
    Thanks for the input,
    Kathy

    
    I would skip the hat.  We have a terrible time trying to
    keep a hat on my son's head.  Other friends have mentioned
    that they have a hard time with their children too.
    
    We have one hat that my son won't wear at all.  It has
    an elastic chin strap.  He pulled on it once and let 
    it go.....lots of tears (he was 7 mos old at the time).
    
    Two piece outfits work well for gifts.  If a child is in
    18 month clothes - sometimes they can wear shorts and a
    shirt at 18, 24 and 2T sizes will all fit.   Some children
    have long bodies.  If the style is a one piece with a 
    snap crotch it might be too small.  This is when a 2 piece
    works best.
    
    Jeanne
    
    

    The other nice thing about 2-piece outfits is that you have a
    little more versatility.  I mean, if you've got blue pants and
    a striped shirt, you can wear the blue pants with practically
    everything else in the wardrobe.  The striped shirt (other
    things being equal) will probably look well with other pants
    in coordinating colors, jeans, overalls, etc.  I've always
    tried to buy the kids' clothes in coordinating colors/patterns;
    this way, nothing looks TOO ghastly, even if it doesn't exactly
    "match."
    
    Not being familiar with Raschel's, what is the return policy?

I'd like to take advantage of the end-of-summer clothes sales that
are going on now.  How do I estimate what size my baby will be next
summer?

She's now 10 months old, so this would be for the time frame of 
20 to 24 months.  She's in a size 18 months now.  Would size 24 months
or 2T be appropriate?

She's fairly tall/long for her age, but medium to thin in weight.  
The clothes are mostly shorts and top sets, so I'm not worried 
about them reaching her ankles!

Thanks.

--Jennifer

    Hard telling, some of the stuff that I bought for Samantha when
    she was about 6 months for when she was about 1 year (18 months size)
    just fit her now (20 months)...
    
    I'm not one for buying ahead anymore...I can never estimate right -
    
    IMO - FWIW!
    
    Andrea

    If she's in size 18 months now, she'll be in 24 months/2T by late
    winter, early spring.  I'd buy size 3T to be on the safe side,
    especially because she's tall for her age (shirts ride up).  Plus the 
    diaper will fill a lot of the shorts.  :-)

    Lindsey is also 10 months and I too wanted to buy ahead for next year. 
    Right now she is wearing 18-24 month clothes, she is 29" tall and 21.3
    pounds.  I am guessing a 2T for winter and a 3T for summer.  It is
    easier to modify clothes that are too big than it is to modify those
    that are too small. 
    
    Hopefully she'll slow down soon (maybe?).   
    
    Lisa Cozzens

    Based on my own experience,I would go for 3T for next summer.You have
    to remember 2 things: it's better to wear loose things in the summer
    (I guess we're all talking "everyday" shorts/t-shirts),and if you buy
    things that are on sale I am not sure you can replace them later on
    (here in Israel you can't).So again-I would go for 3T.
    So many nice things for over 50% reduc. and no money to spend!!!!
    r/

    I think I would stick with the 2T in shorts and buy a 3T shirt as they
    do tend to ride up and shrink.  You have to remember tho.  Once the
    child is potty trained and out of diapers some of the shorts/pants that
    you brought that you thought were to tight in the butt/waist just might
    still fit her.  I discovered this when my son was potty trained and I
    went to clean out his spring/summer clothes and found out that some of
    his short/pants still fit him and he was about 2.3 yrs when he was
    completely trained and he is almost 4 yrs old now and wares a size 6
    shirt and a size 4 slim pants, mainly casue his is tall and thin.
    
    So if I were you I would stick with the 2T shorts and 3T tops.
    
    Liz

Why are US baby clothes such strange sizes?

My daughter is 15 months and only on the 10% line for size. She fits European
sizes 80cm or 12 months fine. Yet the clothes sent by friends in the US that fit
her well at the moment are 24 months!! What size babies are used as the standard
for US sizing? I find it incredible that babies in this file are in 18 months
clothing at 6 months!! European children (even small ones), seem to fit the
size for their age much more closely.

          thanks

                     Celia

    Most of the US sizing is set up as both size, with a weight and height
    chart printed on an attached tag, which is "supposed to" coordinate
    with the age of the child. 
    
    From my experience, I started out with a rather small baby, he was just
    5 poinds at birth, and slow to gain weight, he was exact age to size.
    i.e. 6 month clothes at 6 months, 2T or 24 month clothes at 2 years.
    BUT, recently I have noticed he is going through a growth spurt, and is
    now running bigger clothes than his age.  He is 6-1/2 and wearing 7,
    has been in 7's almost since his 6th birthday last January.  He is
    however tall and has his dad's broad shoulders.  Unfortunately though
    he has a complete flat butt end, so buying pants is a problem, he need
    the lenght of the 7's, but the waist of a 6, and 6 slim seems just a
    little too slim, or he's out of them in three weeks, which was the case
    last year for the first days of school.
    
    Lyn
    (rambling precoffee thoughts)

    
    Are there any clothes stores that have extra-long clothes for babies?
    My daughter is 7 months old and is already 30.5 inches long.  She
    is wearing 12-18 month clothing but the shirts tend to be too short
    because she has a very long body.  The problem is the width of the
    clothing.  Because of her height she is wearing clothes made to fit
    babies who are 21-24 pounds, and she is only 18 pounds.  I am even
    afraid to buy clothes for her now to wear 2 months from now because
    she is growing so quickly!
    
    Terri

re: .17

Excellent question.  We've been out of the baby clothes business for some 
time, but toward the end of our career we started to see more and more of the 
"x pounds" sizing rather than the "18 months" stuff.  My theory is that 
either their charts are all screwed up, or for marketing reasons they 
mis-size them (`Smedly is only six months and he's ALREADY' wearing 18 month 
clothing).  Except for a few premature babies neither us, nor any of our 
friend had babies that fit their size.

Clay

I think it's designed to appeal to our sense of "Gee, my kid's so far ahead
of everyone else."  It probably makes all those grandmas and aunties feel
smug, too, buying size 18 months for a 9 month old.  It sure can be confusing,
though.

I've found that Kate has consistently taken a size twice her age.  In
the doctor's charts, she is in the top percentiles for height, but
in the 50th percentile for weight.  So, I consider her to be a pretty
normally sized kid.

    
    
    no, we figured this out early on. The manufacturers mis-state the ages,
    so you buy the stuff and its out of shape in a week! then you got out
    and buy more. etc. 8-)
    
    So we wise'd up and buy what looks right, ignoring the label!
    
    Simon

and babies are bigger now for various reasons (better prenatal care, less
smoking, etc....)

	Can't remember where I read it, but the estimated size of
	clothing for children up to 24 months (I'm *pretty* sure that
	was the cut-off, but it may have been sooner...), is twice the
	age.

	Thus, a six month old would be wearing 12 month sizes.  To buy
	ahead for the next year, when baby is 18 months, buy size 3T (36 months).

	Emily has pretty much followed this standard, though she's still
	in her 18 month sizes at 14 months (went into 18 months at 9-10
	months).  She cannot fit into the few 24 month clothes I've got
	for her.  

	The only major break in the rule has been for bathing suits.  I
	bought her a 3T at 8 months of age, and it'll just make it through
	the summer.

	Karen

    The baby sizes were established in the 30s when babies were smaller. 
    They just haven't updated the sizes to fit the babies who are being
    born now.
    
    Bathing suits are definitely odd. My daughter is now 3 and is still
    wearing one suit that she wore 2 summers ago.  It's an Osh-Kosh in
    size 2 and now that she is diaperless, fits her just fine.
    
    The moral is, don't give away clothes until you try them on for the
    next season!
    
    judy

    If I'm buying ahead and I expect my kids will be at a break-point
    between two sizes, I generally buy the larger size if it's a one
    piece or 'footed' outfit (like overalls, sleepers, etc.) and buy the
    smaller size for a 2 piece outfit. My daughters are long and thin,
    so we generally need the length more than the width as others have
    mentioned. Also, the quality of the garment makes a lot of difference;
    just as in adults clothings the better/best quality outfits tend to run
    more 'true' to size (or in kids clothing more equivalent in size to
    their age), and vice-versa for less expensive clothing. 

    Lauren is 17 months and wears 24 months or 2T's.  At 12 months she wore
    18 - 24 months so her growth has slowed quite a bit.  Even though she
    is a big girl she is proportional in weight and height (90-95 %tile).
    I have also found that "better" clothes tend to run larger.  Right now
    in shopping the summer sales I am buying 3-4 T's.  I tend to go to the
    larger size if I know the brand to run small or it's a one piece that I
    could run into a length problem.

    I've found that the proportions vary by label: French Toast and Izod
    LaCoste seem to run tall & skinny, so we look for them (I wish I had my
    daughter's metabolism....)
    
    Leslie

    My kids ran true to size (for the most part) and I was able to
    "predict".  Even when they got older the sizes were pretty much true. 
    They are now 6 and 8.  I started to buy out-of-season stuff early on
    and found it worked well for me.  However, my 8 yr old is now into
    10-12 (kids wear them bigger these days, plus he's growing out of
    EVERYTHING!).  My 6 year old is still in 6/7, though.
    
    -sandy
    

    I find that many many manufacturers of baby clothes assume that the 
    baby will wear small diapers or none at all! When I try to fit little
    miss-big-butt into clothes, it usually binds around her cloth diapers
    (whereas this is less of a problem with disposables. Its a plot...).
    
    Charlotte at 15 months (next week!) is solidly into 24 mon. clothes.
    Add to that the diaper factor, and we have to choose her clothes 
    carefully. Given that growing is not a smooth-curve process, it is 
    very difficult to predict her future clothes needs. We are very 
    lucky to have a big collection of hand-me-downs for her, that we 
    have to try on often.
    
    Monica

    
    At 6 months Anna was wearing 12month size clothing, when her 1st
    birthday rolled around I told people to buy her 24month/2T. Well, that
    was fine last year, but she decided to stop growing...well not quite,
    but she went from being an above average 9 month old to an average 1
    year old and now she' a petite 2 year old. She is wearing a lot of the
    same outfits this summer as she wore last summer. She is wearing some
    3T, but only in 2-piece outfits, if it's overalls, or a pantaloon
    outfit she needs only a 2T and I usually have to shorten the straps on
    the overalls.
    
    Patty

Monica,

I had found that 2T fit better than 24mos. They were just that much bigger that
they fit better for the waist and allowed room for the diaper.

I, too had a wealth of hand-me-downs so I just went to the next bigger size when
clothes started fitting snug.

My little guy has gone from 3T in April/May to size 4s. I had to buy two sets of
summer clothes because the 3Ts were too small by June when the REAL hot weather
started.

Good luck!!
Norma

BTW, I just recently learned the difference between
size 4T and 4, in case others are interested.  This 
also applies to 3T and 3.

size 4 has longer length and trimmer cut around the
underpants area.  Intended for toilet trained kids.

size 4t has shorter length and fullness around the
diaper area.  Intended for kids wearing diapers.


Pat

    
    
    	I just buy lots of used clothing and hope that some of it still
    fits by the end of the month ;-)
    
    	Spencer at 22 months wears size 7 (yup seven) shirts and sweaters
    and size 4 trousers and sweats.
    	
    	Griffin at 4.5 months very solidy wears size 18 and 24 month
    clothing.
    
    	Our kids are broad and long, I don't have a clue what will fit them
    tomorrow.
    
    	My strategy is to buy boatloads of clothing (usually at .25/piece)
    at yard sales and hold it in bay until needed.
    
    
    			Wendy who will no dubt be sharing her sweatshirts
    			with Spencer next year ;-)

    Can anyone recommend the best pj's for the money?
    
    I am also interested in the best pj's for kids that are just starting
    to walk.  The light weight footed pj's that Paul has (snap top and
    bottom) are too slippery for his feet and when he walks he falls.
    
    The heavy pj's with the sticky stuff on the feet are too warm for the
    fall, IMHO.
    
    I have tried Walmart for many things and although their price is right;
    I find the quality deteriorates quite quickly.  
    
    cj
    
    
    
   

    The Carter terry footed sleepers are my favorite for that type.  They
    seem to have a more 'cottony' feel that some of the others.  In the
    bigger infant size ( Large I think ) they come with the no-skid type
    bottoms.  Kid'R Us usually has them for a reasonabale price.  With
    on onsie, this has always been enough provided the house doesn't get
    too cold.  ( at that point my favorite are the Sears Winnie the Pooh
    blanket sleepers. they are 'furrier' and don't really wear out like the
    Carters blanket sleepers do for me.  The Carters blanket sleepers get
    very thin after several washings )
    
    
    			Mary
    
    

    There is a new outlet factory mall in Tilton, NH. I noticed that there
    is a Carter's store in the plaza. Tilton is about 20min North of
    Concord on I93. 
    
    Gail

    cj,
    
    Can't say enough for Winnie the Pooh pjs for winter.  They are the only 
    thing I buy in Sears for the kids because they hold up real well.
    
    Courtney is wearing pjs without feet right now (Carters or Lanz; bought 
    at Rachels/Jordan Marsh or Adams Mills).  If it is cool in the house,
    she wears slippers, if it is warm I let her go barefoot.
    
    -b

    Does anyone know if the Sears sleepers are the same now that Sears has
    gone to Paddington Bear?  I'm hoping they are the same sleepers with a
    new emblem.  btw  they go on save about every 4 weeks at about 40% off
    once the weather gets colder.
    
    				Mary
    

    If you like the PJ's he has but they have slippery bottoms on the
    feet you might consider using fabric paint (the kind that you 
    squeeze from the tube that is like plastic) on the bottoms of
    the feet to keep them from slipping.
    
    Pam

    
    I got a really great deal on the Pooh Bear blanket sleepers last year
    when they were discontinueing them.  I think I paid $4 for one.  I
    stocked up for this winter.  They are truly the best blanket sleeper. 
    
    I did ask the sales lady if the quality would be the same and she
    assured me that they would be the exact same sleeper, made the same
    place, just with a different emblem.
    
    
    If the bottoms are a problem, you could allways cut them off and use
    slippers. 
    
    Kirsten
    

    
    The blanket sleepers are too hot for Jonathan as well ... I use the
    Winnie the Pooh terry cloth sleepers.  I think the feet are just terry
    cloth, but I'm not sure - I don't remember it ever being a problem with
    the older kids, so maybe they do have some slip-resistance.
    
    Last time I was there, they also had 'no-name'ish sleepers, right next
    to the WTP ones.  Quite a bit cheaper, but a LOT thinner too.  Also,
    I've found that they don't always post when the WTP ones are on sale -
    find out at the register when it costs half as much as I expected!
    
    My sister swears by the WTP blanket sleepers for her chilly daughter
    (-: