How to mix and match the halves of baby sets

Think in halves, not sets

A set is sold as one outfit, but once it is in your drawer it is really two pieces: a top and a pair of joggers. If those pieces can also go with the halves of your other sets, three sets give you far more than three outfits, and a stained top or outgrown pair of joggers doesn’t leave its partner stranded. The trick is to choose and combine with a few simple rules, rather than hoping things will go together.

You don’t need a stylist’s eye for this. Babies look good in soft, calm combinations, and the rules below are about avoiding clashes more than creating fashion.

Pick one or two base colours

A base colour is one that goes with almost everything: charcoal, grey, oatmeal, cream, navy and beige all work. Joggers in a base colour are the most useful pieces in a mix-and-match wardrobe, because any top can sit on them. Tops in a base colour do the same job the other way round.

Our Charcoal Waffle-Knit Henley & Jogger Set and Oatmeal Teddy Ribbed Top & Jogger Set both give you base-colour joggers that pair with brighter or softer tops from other sets. A dark base and a light base together cover almost every accent colour you are likely to add.

Add soft accent colours

Accent colours such as sage, dusty rose and sky blue bring life to the base colours. They pair beautifully with the neutrals, and many pair with each other too: sage and dusty rose, for example, sit together naturally because both are muted. Our Sage Waffle-Knit Henley & Jogger Set and Dusty Rose Ribbed Henley & Jogger Set both work as accents.

Avoid putting two strong accents together unless they share a tone. A muted sage and a muted rose work; a bright colour next to a muted one can look accidental.

Match the weight and texture

• Pair knits of a similar thickness. A light ribbed top on thick cable-knit joggers looks unbalanced, and one half will be warmer than the other.
• Textures can mix: a waffle top with ribbed joggers, or a ribbed top with waffle joggers, looks relaxed and intentional.
• Sweatshirt tops go best with sweatshirt or plain joggers, and less well with delicate or frilled pieces.
• Keep dressy details, like frills and bows, on one half only.

One print at a time

If a top has a print or motif, such as moons and stars or a dinosaur, pair it with plain joggers in a colour taken from the print. If the joggers are printed, keep the top plain. Two different prints together can work when they share a colour, but it is harder to get right.

Embroidered or appliquéd motifs, like a teddy on the chest, count as a detail rather than a print. They sit happily with any plain joggers in a colour that matches the top or the motif.

Keep sizes and shapes consistent

• Mix halves in the same size, or you will get a short top over long joggers or the other way round.
• Check the top still overlaps the waistband when your baby lifts their arms; tops from different sets can be different lengths.
• Take a quick photo of combinations that work, so whoever is dressing your baby can see them.
• Wash the halves of each set together where you can, so the colours age evenly and still match when you put the original set back together.

Where to start

If you are building from scratch, start with one set in a base colour and one in an accent, in your baby’s current size from our size guide. That already gives four outfits. For how many outfits you need, our newborn clothes checklist has starting numbers.

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