Buying newborn clothes before you know boy or girl

Many families wait until the birth

Plenty of parents in Pakistan don’t know whether they are having a boy or a girl until the baby arrives. Some choose not to ask, some are not told, and some simply prefer the surprise. Whatever the reason, it leaves you shopping for a baby you haven’t met, often with relatives offering strong opinions about colours.

The good news is that almost everything a newborn needs in the first weeks has nothing to do with being a boy or a girl. Bodysuits, sleepsuits, cardigans, mittens and blankets are the same for every baby. Only the colours and a few special outfits are really a question.

Colours that suit any baby

Colour rules are a matter of family taste, not a fixed law. Sky blue and dusty rose are read as boy and girl colours in some families and not in others, so choose what you like.

• Sage and soft greens, such as our Sage Waffle-Knit Henley & Jogger Set.
• Oatmeal, beige and cream, like the Oatmeal Teddy Ribbed Top & Jogger Set with its embroidered teddy.
• Grey and charcoal, which hide marks well. The Grey Bear Hooded Jumpsuit is a warm going-out layer for any winter baby.
• Ivory and white, which look fresh in photos but show every milk stain.
• Prints with animals, stars, moons and stripes rather than flowers, cars or bows, if you want to stay completely neutral.

Neutral doesn’t have to mean plain

A wardrobe of beige and grey can start to feel flat in photos, especially next to relatives’ bright outfits at a family gathering. Texture and small details make neutral clothes interesting: a waffle or cable knit, a teddy patch, a contrast stripe, covered feet in a darker shade, or a little embroidery on the chest. Mixing two or three neutrals, such as a cream bodysuit under a sage set, looks deliberate rather than safe. When the baby arrives, one coloured outfit is all it takes to lift the whole drawer.

What to buy now

Buy the full first-weeks wardrobe in neutral colours: sleepsuits, bodysuits, a couple of cardigans, mittens, socks and blankets. Our newborn clothes checklist lists the numbers. For the going-home outfit, pick something that will feel special whatever happens, such as the Ivory Pinstripe Baseball Footed Sleepsuit with its “Little 01” embroidery.

Keep this first round mostly to 0–3M, with one or two 3–6M pieces. The bigger sizes can wait until you know more about your baby, and not only whether they are a boy or a girl.

What to add after the birth

It helps to decide in advance who will do this shopping. A sister or friend who knows your taste can order the first coloured outfit while you are still in hospital, so it is ready for the first visitors.

• An outfit in the colour you love now that you know.
• Clothes with the baby’s name embroidered, once the name is chosen. Our custom embroidery starts from Rs 500.
• Outfits for the aqiqah, visits to relatives or the first Eid, if the timing means you will need them soon.
• Frocks, kurtas or anything else you have been waiting to choose.

When relatives buy by colour

Once the news is out, relatives often arrive with outfits in pink or blue, sometimes several in the same size. That is lovely, and it also means you don’t need to buy many coloured pieces yourself in the first weeks. Neutral basics mix easily with gifted outfits: a sage cardigan goes over a pink bodysuit or a blue one. If you have too many of one thing, see our post on newborn clothes you can skip buying.

If you buy something from us that later doesn’t suit, keep it unworn with its tags and bill. We exchange unused pieces in their original condition within 7 days with the original bill, so check new clothes soon after they arrive.

Quick answers