Short-sleeve baby dresses come in soft cotton jersey, airy muslin or light linen. Many are sold with matching bloomers, which cover the diaper when the skirt rides up.
Dresses are easiest before crawling starts and again once your baby walks steadily. In between, a longer skirt can get in the way, because a knee soon lands on the hem. A short dress or a bodysuit dress avoids that.
- For ages0–3years
- You'll need2–3per size
- Wear it from20°C68°F
What goes under a dress
Bloomers are short cotton pants with elastic at the waist and legs. They go over the diaper and keep it out of sight when the skirt rides up, which happens a lot in a car seat or a carrier. Some stores sell them as diaper covers, but they are plain cotton and not waterproof.
You don't need bloomers every time. At home on a hot day, a dress over just the diaper is fine. With cloth diapers, the waterproof diaper cover already does the job of bloomers. A bodysuit dress, or a dress with bloomers sewn in, doesn't need a separate pair either.
On a cooler day, light cotton leggings or cotton tights go under it instead. When the arms need covering too, change to a long-sleeve dress.
Types of short-sleeve dress
Jersey dress
Made of jersey, the soft, stretchy fabric of a T-shirt. Most pull on over the head, and the fabric gives when your baby sits or rolls. Jersey also comes out of the wash without needing an iron. For ordinary days, it is the easiest kind.
Muslin or linen dress
Muslin and linen are woven, so they hardly stretch, and dresses made from them open with buttons or snaps. Both fabrics are light and airy, which helps on very hot days. Some of these dresses come with matching bloomers.
Bodysuit dress
A skirt sewn onto a bodysuit, sometimes sold as a onesie dress. It snaps between the legs. That keeps the diaper covered even when the skirt rides up, and you can change the diaper without taking the dress off. It is the most practical kind for car seats and carriers.
Dress or romper?
Dress
A dress is cooler on a hot day, because air moves under the skirt. When it gets too short, it can still be worn as a top over leggings for a while.
Romper
A top and short legs in one piece. There is no skirt to kneel on, and nothing rides up in a car seat or carrier. Snaps between the legs open for a diaper change. In the UK it is often called a playsuit.
How to choose a short-sleeve dress
1. Short enough to crawl in
A crawling baby who kneels on a long skirt gets stuck. Look for a hem that ends above the knees.
- Good: Hem clears the knees when kneeling
- Not good: Skirt that folds under the knees
2. An opening you can use
You can only close buttons down the back by turning your baby over or sitting your baby up. With a wide, stretchy neck, shoulder snaps or buttons down the front, you can do it all while your baby lies face up.
- Good: A wide, stretchy neck
- Good: Shoulder snaps or front buttons
- Not good: Buttons down the back
3. Easy diaper changes
Look for snaps between the legs or separate bloomers, so the dress can stay on during a diaper change. If bloomers are sewn into a dress without snaps, the whole dress has to come off every time.
- Good: Snaps between the legs
- Good: Separate bloomers
- Not good: Sewn-in bloomers without snaps
How to use it
1. Getting it on
If you use bloomers, put them on over the diaper first. Then undo any buttons, gather the dress into a ring and stretch the neck wide before it goes over the head. Guide the arms through the sleeves and pull the skirt down.
2. Diaper change
Lift the skirt onto the tummy and slide the bloomers down. The dress can stay on. On a bodysuit dress, undo the snaps and fold the front up out of the way.
3. Watch the knees
The first time your baby crawls in a new dress, watch for a minute. If a knee keeps landing on the skirt, save that dress for the stroller and for visits, and put on a romper for the floor until your baby walks.
Questions parents ask
Do you dress your baby up every day?
Can babies crawl in dresses?
Yes, as long as the hem ends above the knees.
Can newborns wear dresses?
Yes. Soft jersey with a wide neck goes over a newborn's head most easily. A newborn spends most of the day lying down, so check that the skirt lies flat under the back. If you keep having to straighten it, a sleepsuit is simpler for the first weeks.
What do toddlers wear under dresses?
Bike shorts or bloomers on a warm day, so the diaper or underwear stays covered when the skirt rides up. Leggings or tights when it is cool.
Do the same rules apply to a skirt?
Yes. Bloomers or a diaper cover go under it, a hem above the knees lets your baby crawl, and on a hot day the air under it keeps the legs cool. Pick a soft, wide elastic waist, so it pulls on over the diaper and stays up without pressing on the tummy.
What size dress should I buy?
Start with the size your baby wears in bodysuits, and check the brand's chart against your baby's height, because brands vary. Between two sizes, the bigger one lasts longer. While your baby crawls, though, it also means a longer skirt.
