I forgot the major issue with baby socks- they don’t stay on the feet.
My solutions- either Sock ons
or
Mock moccasin socks (sockasins?)- a sock with a pad of suede on the sole.
Ireland hasn’t really got a bare feet sort of climate.
What kind of “in public” are we talking about?
At the park? At the local public pool? In a restaurant? My own answers for those are: “some clothes would be nice, mostly for protection”, “anything from fully clothed to fully naked depending on the weather” and “fully clothed please, well, ok, shoeless is fine if the kid’s already figured out how to take them off and loves playing ‘make Mommy run after my shoe’”.
So cute!
I don’t know if they’re available in Ireland or not, but here we have these wonderful things called Robeez which are soft but shoe like, and come in an insane number of adorable patterns. They’re the only babyproof foot coverings I’ve ever found!
Please tell me that the thread was filled with derision for the OP, not support.
Five minutes? FIVE minutes??? In my experience, more like less-than-one minute, if the child is so inclined.
And, to the OP: Whatever is needed for warmth, protection against UV and leakage-proofing is just fine with me.
I remember that thread! I’ve had a new baby since then! 
I was, of course, on the other side. I see nothing wrong with babies in just diapers, especially around these parts when it gets so hot out. They aren’t old enough to understand the concept of dressing when they go out at that age so really it’s just a matter of the parent’s personal taste. Mine probably never went out in JUST a diaper, but maybe a tee shirt and a diaper. No point in pants, and less chance of diaper rash when you allow the air to circulate more.
My baby had enough tiny garments from friends and relatives to outfit a whole day care center for a year. She was born in October, so we didn’t go out much in public for 6 months. I dimly recall always putting socks or booties on her, and shorts/t-shirt, or a little cotton dress, when out in public. Around the house, a diaper alone was OK if it was hot, but NEVER ever just a diaper out in public! I think that looks just awful, especially in a grocery store, or Walmart! Something to beware of, I found, were summery looking onesies that were cute to look at, but they were made of polyester, or nylon. Very hot, and bad for diaper rash! When I realized I had put that hot plasticky thing on my baby, unwittingly, I felt like I had committed child abuse! I threw them away. They were evil.
You’d think. Disturbingly, opinion was split enough that it turned into a full-on fight (‘OMG I cant BELIEVE anyone wd do that esp when there are so many poor women who would LOVE to have a precious little baba and treat it RIGHT!!!’ versus ‘Overreact much?’), and then a fight about the fight, and then a fight about the fight about the fight, and then I got bored and wandered off.
How would you dress a chimpanzee for a public outing?
Now, dress your baby similarly, but leave off the hornrimmed glasses.
Thought about that for awhile, did you?
Not long enough, or I’d have gone with horn-rimmed instead of hornrimmed.
If I could live my life over, and only change one thing . . . 
Babies should wear zombie costumes.
Sorry - what did we decide about baby monocles? Yea or nay?
I hate spoiling the party, but seriously, people need to wise up.
A mouth gag above all else.
Monocles are acceptable, but only if they’re worn with a little tiny top hat.
FWIW, baby in question now shops at H&M. She has a rockin’ sense of style.
I said pajamas. How old is the baby in question? I think pajamas are always fine for a baby. As far as shoes, is the baby walking? The best answer though, is the little one needs to be protected from the cold, the sun, any and all weather elements.
I’m picturing zombie babies with little brain stains on their onesies…
Mods, can we change the title of this thread to “What should a first grader wear in public”?
We generally dress our children in adorable preppy outfits befitting the advanced income of their parents.
The other day, I was Baby Bjorning my 4 month old through the NY Waterway terminal and a woman stopped with a “SIR!! Your BABY is kicking her socks off!!”
Sure enough. I looked down and she only had one sock on.
Fortunately my wife was able to retrieve the other sock.