The Complete Guide to Choosing Everyday Clothes for Toddlers

1. Dress them for their day, not for a photo

A toddler's day is snacks, sandpits, spills, and naps, whether it's a boy or a girl. A cute outfit is great. An outfit they can crawl, climb, and nap in is even better. Here are six easy tips for choosing everyday outfits that work, and that you won't mind getting dirty. Swipe to see them.

2. Keep Party Clothes for Parties

Cute for pictures, but not built for a day of park adventures. For every day, pick simple cotton pieces in soft, easy fabric. Pick soft plain cotton dresses or tees for them that feels light, looks neat and lets them play freely. 

3. Let Prints Do the Hard Work

Toddlers get messy. That's just how it goes. A plain white tee will show every bit of yoghurt and grass by lunchtime, but a busy print hides most of it. So go for printed dresses and tees. You'll wash them less in a panic.

4. Make Changing Time Quick

Toddlers wriggle and roll away when you try to change them. It happens many times a day, so choose clothes that are easy to put on. Easy dresses, soft pull-on tees, and shorts with an elastic waist help a lot. They make it simpler for you, and your toddler gets less fussy too.

5. Match the Clothes to the Weather

In summer, pick light cotton. It lets air through and soaks up sweat, so your toddler stays cooler. Cotton and linen dresses or shorts are a good choice. In winter, don't dress them in one thick outfit. Put a warm layer over their clothes instead. Once the day warms up, you can take it off.

6. Check the Inside, Too

Toddlers can't tell you when their clothes itch. They just cry or get cranky. Turn the clothes inside out and look for flat seams and soft labels. By rubbing the seam on your wrist check if it feels rough to you, if it does then it might feel rougher for them.

7. Buy a Few Pieces You Can Repeat

You don't need a full closet for a toddler. A few soft tops, two or three easy dresses or shorts, and a warm layer or two will get you through most days. Choose colours that go well together. Then you can grab any top and any bottom without thinking about it.

8. Shop Toddler Everyday Essentials

Time to stock the drawer. One Friday's soft cotton dresses, printed tees and pull-on shorts are made for sandpits and snack time, and they'll survive the wash. Pick a few that go together, and let the mess happen.