The real cost of a newborn wardrobe: new vs pre-loved
The earliest sizes barely get worn before they're outgrown. That makes them the strongest case there is for buying second-hand.
Newborn sizes have the shortest life of all
A baby can move through size 0000 and 000 in a matter of weeks, and plenty skip the smallest size entirely. That means the clothes are often in near-new condition when they're outgrown, which is exactly what you want when you're buying second-hand.
Bought new, an all-new newborn wardrobe runs into the hundreds of dollarsfast. Bought pre-loved, the same set of pieces is routinely 30 to 60 percent cheaper, and the wear is usually invisible because there hasn't been time for any.
What to buy new, what to buy pre-loved
For a newborn, almost all of the clothing is fair game second-hand: bodysuits, sleepsuits, wraps, singlets, hats and socks. Wash everything before first wear, check seams and press studs, and you're set.
The short list to consider new is small and personal: whatever you want a couple of special going-home pieces to be. Everything else, your baby will grow out of before it wears out.
A rough starter set
Around six to eight bodysuits, six sleepsuits, a few wraps, a handful of singlets, a couple of hats and some socks will cover the early weeks. Buy it pre-loved and you'll spend a fraction of retail, then sell it on when the sizes turn over.
References
Wardrobe cost estimates vary widely by brand and how much you buy, so treat any single dollar figure as illustrative rather than a quote. What's consistent is the shape: the earliest sizes are worn least, so they're where second-hand saves the most.
- ShopBack, The real cost of a baby wardrobe (illustrative new vs second-hand wardrobe costs; blog-tier estimate).
Related reading
Dress the early weeks for less
Barely-worn newborn pieces from other families, at a fraction of retail, then passed on again when you're done.
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