Ditching Swaddling For Funky Baby Clothing

When clothing our little ones today we are spoilt for choice with all the variations of petite girls and boys fashions which are available, from birth babies can be seen wearing similar clothing to that of adults, being a minute copy even down to accessories, clothing made out of brightly coloured fabrics which are soft to the skin and comfortable allowing movement and freedom.

But this hasn't always been then case, baby clothing pre the 18th century consisted of nothing more than swaddling, babies were wrapped in swaddling to restrict their movement, it was believed that this would benefit their posture, allowing the correct growth. Babies were dressed like this until they reached the age of one.

Childhood wasn't greatly regarded to be a fun time back in those days, even in the 19th century childhood was merely preparation for the abrupt start of a hard working life, children of poorer families could be sent out to work from the age of five onwards, baby clothing had no place in these times and transition to miniature adult work wear and heavy boots came all too soon.

However after this period baby clothing changed, long gowns replaced swaddling and girls and boys were dressed alike. These gowns would be worn by babies until such a time as when they became mobile, the length of the gowns became cumbersome and once the child began to totter around shorter variations of these gowns were introduced in dark colours to avoid showing dirty marks, reducing the need for washing.

Romper suits were soon to remodel baby clothing yet again, baby boys would be seen in knee length rompers which allowed total freedom of movement, boots were replaced by shoes and childhood started to be a period to be enjoyed.

Nowadays, baby clothing has changed so dramatically, there is no right or wrong way to dress your child, from the moment our children are born we aim to clothe them in comfort, keeping them warm and safe without restricting their tiny limbs.

In those first few months we usually choose to dress our babies in practical attire, clothes which are easy to change due to dribbles and burps positing damp patches on their clothing, vests and baby grows in all different styles usually forming the basis of any outfit. Babies have sleep suits which being all in one cover our babies right down to their toes keeping their extremities toasty during the night.

Once our babies start to grow we exchange baby clothing for replicas of our clothing, jeans, tracksuits, dresses, leggings, there is even designer clothing for babies and small children of toddling age. We add accessories such as baseball hats, sunglasses and hair accessories and it doesn't stop there! The vast array of foot wear available for both boys and girls is exhaustive! Tiny trainers, ballet slippers, smart shoes and boots, you name it, they make it.

So gone are the days of restricting movement, preparing our children for adulthood and a tender age, and cloaking them in oversize gowns, nowadays, baby clothing is made to accommodate every occasion so babies and younger tots can enjoy simply being little!