I never knew people cared so much either! Are there people out there really insisting on shoes for an infant??? Let them wear whatever is weather-appropriate and convenient for mom & dad.
The exception is only where some form on hygiene is involved - ie, if a baby is walking on public streets, it needs shoes. But by then, it’s a toddler.
I’m with **irishgirl **and overlyverbose here - if the baby isn’t walking , it doesn’t need shoes. Shoes are heavy, they’re uncomfortable, and they get in the way of stuffing your toes in your mouth. They’re for the parent, not the kid.
Oh, I’m with the shoe thing, too. Baby shoes are adorable but I don’t really see what they need them for.
no but they can be very cute. I just saw a little girl in dress, rufflebutts and knit ruffled booties that all matched. Intensely adorable.
knit booties are all the sprog needs, they are not walking, but something to keep toesies warm is a good idea, infants get chilled fairly quickly.
I have never liked the ‘miniature adult clothes’ that very small kids get rammed into - they always look like they would prefer to be in onseies or shorts and singlet playing somewhere else instead of crammed into clothing and on display.
I was kind of gobsmacked when I first discovered that some people have opinions about what other people’s babies should wear. As far as I’m concerned, as long as it’s weather-appropriate, the kid’s good. Beyond that, who cares?
I was reading another board not long ago where there was a thread titled ‘And you call yourself a mother???’ I almost didn’t click because I was expecting some tale of horror. It turned out that…the OP had seen a woman with a baby that WASN’T WEARING SOCKS!!! On a day when the OP’s baby WAS WEARING SOCKS!!! And this woman STILL DARED TO CALL HERSELF A MOTHER!!!1111!!
And another vote for ‘If it’s not walking, it doesn’t need shoes.’ Toes need to wiggle.
Another vote for “weather appropriate”, but with the mention that what I see more often than not in error with this is babies bundled up *too *much. According to my doctor, a healthy full term newborn needs no more layers than Mom. A preemie needs one additional layer. Why, oh why, do people smother their kids in a diaper, onesie, blanket sleeper, coat and then a blanket…in August? :smack: Stop overheating your kid!
For developmental reasons, I’m opposed to constant shoe wearing for pre-walkers, but there are some insanely cute baby shoes out there. Just save 'em for the photo ops, or make 'em soft ones like Robees.
Oh, please! Banana stains are so 2008. All the cool babies have sweet potato stains now. 
No, they don’t need a rufflebutt. But they ARE insanely cute. I have no idea why.
I never heard of people insisting that babies should wear shoes. Our babies rarely did, unless we were dressing them up for church or something. As long as the kid is warm and comfortable, who cares.
As for the diaper - well, we always used at least a onsie to cover them because our first baby tended to leak a lot.
I asked about the diaper thing back in 2002. Back then most people seemed to agree with my assessment that “just a diaper in a public place such as a store” looks trashy and careless. Most parents mentioned the concept of getting their kids accustomed to the concept of “we wear clothes when we leave the house, and diaper = underpants.”
One of those WWI German helmets with the spike on top.
I don’t have particularly strong opinions on this.
My son was an October baby so we used the however many layers you are wearing plus one rule.
My son usually wore socks and soft shoes but the soft shoes was a preference by my wife. I would just put socks on him. We would send him to the day care in pajamas as well.
Count me as “why would I possibly care what baby wears?” I’m fine if they are butt naked.
A crowning moment of personal glory was when I had to take my sick son to CVS one summer day. Him: Snotty nose, wearing only a diaper and a dirty cammo T-shirt. Me: Uncombed hair, pajama bottoms and grubby tshirt. Yeah, I looked like that mom.
Anyway I agree with everyone above, clothing should be weather appropriate and beyond that it is all just style.
I have often wondered about this. I mean, what the heck do I know, so it’s not like I say anything, but I often see kids bundled up severely on what is a cool fall day - I am talking 50 to 65 degrees or so. The mother is wearing a light sweater and socks. The kid has piles of blankets, a hat, gloves, booties, and can barely move.
But, I think, better that than the alternative, I suppose.
Pre-walking infants don’t need shoes. If it was chilly, or if we were going someplace where ‘dressing’ might matter, I put socks or booties or some such on my little ones. Otherwise, their feet don’t touch the floor and they just kick the socks off anyway.
As for visible diaper, I prefer a onesie or something like that to just shirt and diaper, but dress and diaper? Not really a problem. My little girls usually wore matching panties or tights or something similar, mostly because by the time I was taking them anywhere it was a little cooler and I was putting more clothes on them anyway. My son generally had something on his bottom half, for the same reason. (I think this new ‘babylegs’ thing is fantastic.) Again, it depends somewhat on where the baby is going. But something on the top half, definitely.
Pajamas? How do you differentiate them from regular baby clothes? Sleepers come in all sorts of designs, as do onesies, which makes me think they were designed to be worn anywhere. Gowns don’t work in carseats.
For the most part, baby clothes should be comfortable for the baby and easy to deal with for the parents.
I think a diaper is enough. OK I am assuming you’re taking measures to prevent sunburn.
I lived in Florida and my boss bought all new baby clothes. I told her, “Look this is Florida, the only thing that baby needs is a diaper.” Really she probably spent $2,000 on clothes for that baby that will outgrow it in 10 minutes. Yes, they look cute but not worth the money.
For feet: if a baby can walk, toddle or otherwise put their weight on their feet, then they need protective footwear. If they can’t, they merely need enough to keep their feet warm.
For diaper: doesn’t matter if it’s visible or not. Clothing should reflect weather conditions. That includes temperature, sunniness, windiness, etc. Whatever keeps the baby comfortable is appropriate.
For clothing vs pajamas: I’m not aware of any distinction between the two for babies. Dress them according to conditions.
(bolding mine) That’s the way I feel about baby shoes. Until they start walking, you don’t need them. It’s just extra money down the drain.
I think babies can get away with exposed diapers… especially little girls. Sometimes a skirt won’t cover a diaper, especially if you have a squirmy baby. As far as pajamas, I think babies are fine with that in public, especially newborns. Most newborns’ clothes are pretty much just glorified pajamas anyway.
Babies who can’t walk don’t need shoes or socks if the weather is warm enough.
We use oneies for our baby, and usually panties over the skirt for our two-year-old, but it’s not a do or die question.
Whatever keeps them warm and safe from the elements
I do actually think that just a disposable nappy in most public places looks a little trashy. Otherwise, babies should wear whatever suits the weather. Some people do seem to dress their babies waaay too warmly.
I did have a pair of baby shoes for my daughter; they were as soft as socks but unlike socks didn’t need washing every day and didn’t come off so easily. Plus, they looked cute.