Baby Boy Fashion….A Whole New World!

Harrison Ross Furlong was born on Monday, June 22, 2015 at 2:09pm weighing in at 6lbs 15oz and 20 inches long.  Holding him for the first time is almost surreal and will forever be burned into my memory.  This tiny little person that I knew so well was finally in my arms and no longer in my tummy.  He looked at me like he knew exactly who I was too, his mommy.

I was nervous to have a boy, because I’m a total girly-girl but it has been so much fun and I wouldn’t trade my baby boy for anything.  I would love it if he had a little sister someday, but I look forward to learning all about boy stuff.  I’ve read a few times now where “boy moms” say it’s great because you get to always be the princess of the house.  That sounds fun…although I’d be willing to share my crown if we’re ever blessed with a little mini me.  In the meantime, I’m enjoy mommyhood and breaking the stereotype of boys being no fun to shop for.  That’s just silly!

So, my shopaholic self has a whole new addiction!  Baby boy clothes!  I still love a good frilly dress but there are SO many adorable things for boys too.  While he’s little I am going to enjoy the more vintage, southern baby styles.  I think they are just swoon-worthy.  I like dressing him like a little southern gentleman sometimes too, a mini version of his daddy but ultimately he’s a baby and I’m going to dress him like the sweet little baby he is!

If you’re struggling to find cute baby brands- here’s your resource guide. 🙂  Plus a few tips!  Tip #1- never pay full price.  Boutique clothes are primarily what I like but I’m not paying $75 for outfits he might wear two or three times.  I just think that’s silly.  So here’s what I did and it has worked fine so far, so I will continue on until I get burned.  Once I found my “boy style”, I started shopping for him and honestly got a little carried away.  You’re waiting for the baby, if you’re close to 35 you find out the sex at 10 weeks if you want, so you’ve got a LONG time to wait for the little nugget, so shop ’til you drop- or until the babe has 11 Christmas outfits…that’s what I did.  Oops!  The blessing is that you can buy ahead for the seasons and save TONS of $$$$.  I saved 75% off most of his holiday attire and fall/winter for that matter.  I read lots of estimates on sizes.  I went a little large honestly, so a lot of his stuff was too big but we wore it anyway.  Most of it was fine though.  Continuing the tradition, I basically have all his Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas outfits for next year— 75% off again!

Tip #2- Find good consignment stores in your area.  I have been blessed to find two- one here in Louisville that is amazing!  I buy nearly all his clothes there- it’s all upscale boutique clothes for a fraction of the cost and many still have tags!  I also discovered a store in nearby Lexington that’s equally amazing and all boutique as well.  So I check that out if I’m there visiting as well.  Just as an example, I recently bought a $70 Christmas longall (tags still on) for $28.  SOLD!  And not because it was cheap, because it was cheap and adorable!

Tip #3- Goes hand in and hand with #1, just plan ahead.  If you like to shop, remember to shop online for after season sales and pop into your favorite boutiques for sales.  I actually bought his favorite winter hat on sale in a larger size for next year.  Kind of fun to think of him wearing this adorable little flapper hat while actually running around next year.  If you really like something, get it in multiple sizes and multiple colors!

Tip #4- Remember, especially first time moms, that they’re really fragile at first and HATE having clothes put on them.  So while I envisioned a real life baby doll….not so much.  I was scared to change his clothes and almost dreaded it because he got SO upset.  So while the adorable outfit with all the buttons up the back is cute….putting it on a 4 week old is no fun.  You’ll end up keeping him in onesies a lot because they’re cozy.  I loved sleep gowns too- easy diaper changes and they just look super comfy.  So you probably won’t change their clothes three times a day “just for fun” like my amateur self thought, however you will still change their clothes a lot daily.  One word:  blowout!

Ok, so you’ve found the boutiques and consignment stores.  What else??  Tip #5- Last but certainly not least, online boutiques are amazing and my favorite- EBAY!!!  I’m a huge ebay-er.  A lot of people are nervous to do it but I’ve maybe been burned once– I bought perfume and it was just off, I’m guessing old.  Otherwise, all has been well.  That $400 coat I’m in love with- set up a search to follow when it’s available in my size “NWT” (new with tags) and I’ll eventually get it for less than half price and still new.  Shopping is a sport to me, so while this sounds miserable to some people, to me it’s literally FUN!  So much so, I maxed out on following all the adorable baby clothes brands this summer.  Haha.  And truth be told I still haven’t purchased any clothes for him on Ebay, mostly because I’ve just had such good luck with my local stores.  I probably will sell some of his clothes this way some day though.

Now for the fun!  What are some adorable brands to be on the lookout for?  It’s hard to choose favorites but here are a few:

Onesies:  I like the insanely soft pima cotton ones…like you just wish they made these for big people. 🙂

• Kissy Kissy, Magnolia Baby, Kickee Pants

Sleep Sacks:  Harrison lives in these at bedtime.  I loved swaddling him when he was smaller but he eventually figured out how to wiggle out of the blanket so then I worried he’d get cold or something bad would happen.  So I tried sleep sacks and they’re basically my best friend now.

•      Swaddle Designs, Ugg, Halo Sleep Sack

Longalls, Shortalls, Jon Jons, Bubbles

• KY Brands- Bella Bliss and Beaufort Bonnet- adorable, The Bailey Boys, Mulberry Street, Little English, Mud Pie, Boys ‘N Berries, Claire ‘N Charlie, Kelly’s Kids, La Jenns, Petit Ami, Silly Goose, Vive La Fete

Accessories

• Beaufort Bonnet- I’m obsessed with bonnets, plus their hats are adorable too, Mud Pie, Zubels, Janie and Jack

A few favorites below!  What are your favorite brands?  What’s your favorite thing about shopping for baby boys?

1.  www.rabbitinthemoonshop.com  2.  www.smockingbirdkids.com  3.  www.bestdressedchild.com   4.  www.thebeaufortbonnetcompany.com  5.  www.smockingbirdkids.com 

I couldn’t end the post without showing off Harrison in his sweet little bonnet at Christmas.  I am head over heels for this little boy.

Hope you enjoyed my post!  My how times have changed.

XOXO,

Erika