The Smart Way to Dress Baby in Sustainable Clothes

At UpChoose, we regularly talk about the importance of picking the right fabrics to put on our children's skin.

Here's a summary of our learnings in 10 key tips to dress your baby in an adorable and sustainable way.

1. Pick organic fabrics that protect your baby’s sensitive skin

Scientists found widespread use of hazardous chemicals in children's clothing made with traditional fabrics like conventional cotton and polyester. Babies have thinner and more permeable skin than adults, so substances that come into contact are more easily absorbed. The best and safest alternative for your baby today is to choose clothes made of organic cotton that is certified to organic standards across the entire manufacturing process. Organic baby clothes are not treated with pesticides and chemicals, meaning it's safe for baby and great for sensitive skin. Organic clothes also use eco-friendly dyes, which are always safer for baby and their skin.

2. Do your research and look for the right certifications

Buying organic baby clothes made of organic cotton with the Global Organic Certification Standard (GOTS) certification, the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibers, ensures the finished product not only limits the pesticide use on cotton, but also the chemicals used during manufacturing, including dyes, heavy metals, and coatings on the fabric. It also ensures the protection of farmers and our environment from the toxic chemicals used in the conventional farming of cotton. All the clothes inside the UpChoose set are 100% made of organic cotton and GOTS-certified.

3. Focus on the essentials your baby will really wear

Shopping for a newborn can be confusing, if not insane. Thousands of baby products on the market create almost endless choices. Many of them are unnecessary. When it comes to clothes for the first few months, babies mostly wear essentials like bodysuits and onepieces, and accessories like hats, bibs, and cloths. At UpChoose, we did extensive research and testing with hundreds of experienced parents to design sets of baby essentials you really need, you can find more information here.

4. Get the right amount to reduce clutter and waste

Babies go through several outfits a day, but don’t let that tempt you into getting too many outfits. It will only create clutter and waste down the road as babies outgrow their clothes very quickly. Here’s what include in the UpChoose full set (to cover one size, for example, 0-3 months): 10 bodysuits, 10 onepieces, 2 pants, 2 hats, 5 bibs, 10 burp cloths, 10 washcloths, 2 bath towels, 2 swaddle blankets, and 2 bedtime toys.

5. Consider buying preloved outfits to reduce your cost

Because babies grow so fast, many products like clothes will only be used a few times. All this results in overspending, clutter, and waste. According to the EPA, 26 billion pounds of apparel and textiles end up in landfills each year in the US, and children's clothing is a significant portion of that. Buying preloved can be a great option as you can get high-quality items that have only been used a few times at a fraction of the cost.

6. Consider reselling after use to save money and reduce waste

If your baby’s clothes are still in great condition and you’re not using them anymore, you could resell them to another family who can make use of them while earning you money. At UpChoose, moms and parents have the option of returning the clothes when their baby outgrows them, and earn credits to reduce to cost of the next size. Thanks to the return system, we can offer both new and preloved sets, and charge every customer less.

7. Create a registry so your loved ones can contribute

For new and expecting parents, expenses can pile up very quickly. Creating a registry is a great way to let your friends and family be part of the solution. You can create a registry on UpChoose and invite your loved ones to contribute towards a set or multiple sets and cover a year or two worth of organic, sustainable clothes for your baby. Getting clothes from your loved ones.

You can create a free registry page on UpChoose

8. Dress for the season

Babies can’t regulate their own body temperature like adults. Many experts recommend that you dress baby in as many layers as you dress yourself, plus one. At UpChoose, all our sets are made of trans-seasonal basics and include a mix of short and long sleeves. We include some small variations by season and by age, for example adding a cardigan/sweater in the colder months and a couple of short-sleeve rompers in the warmer months.

9. What to avoid

It’s best to avoid synthetic fibers and prioritize organic fabrics when possible. In addition, there are some features that are best to avoid as they raise red flags in terms of the use of potentially harmful chemicals. If you read things like stain-resistant or wrinkle-resistant it means the clothing could be made using high levels of formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen. It’s also best to avoid cotton-polyester blends as they also usually have high levels of formaldehyde, and synthetic clothes with large images printed on the front could be made with harmful amounts of phthalates, which are known to be Endocrine disruptors.

10. Let UpChoose Share the Best Clothes to Dress Your Baby

Upchoose was designed to help address all these points and make adorable and sustainable baby clothes easy and accessible to all parents.

With UpChoose you:

• Take the guesswork out: Get all the essentials in one place and save time to focus on what matters most.

• Get the best fabrics: Choose your style and receive adorable 100% organic baby clothes that respect your baby’s skin.

• Save money: Pay less for organic clothing and earn credit when you return them. Avoid having money sleeping in your closet.​

• Reduce clutter and waste. Babies grow fast! Pioneer a new model of preloved clothing and help protect the planet.

• Make a mindful gift to a family member or a loved one, or add the UpChoose set to your baby register. Because it’s a program that grows with the baby, friends and family can contribute at any stage and help make the switch to organic a lasting change.