What should a baby wear under a knit set?

Why a layer underneath helps

If your baby has eczema or very sensitive skin, ask your doctor what they recommend next to the skin, and check fibre labels carefully. We can tell you what we know about a piece’s fabric before you order.

• It keeps the tummy and back covered. A bodysuit is fastened between the legs, so it can’t ride up when the top does.
• It gives a soft layer next to the skin. Some babies find wool or textured knits scratchy on bare skin, and a smooth layer underneath helps.
• It absorbs sweat and dribble, and it is quicker to wash and dry than a knit top.
• It keeps the knit set cleaner for longer, so the set needs washing less often.
• It gives joggers something to grip at the waist, which helps them stay up.

Short sleeves or long sleeves?

A short-sleeved bodysuit is the everyday choice. It covers the body without adding bulk in the sleeves, so the knit top goes on easily and your baby’s arms stay comfortable. It is also the better choice for mild days, warm homes and Karachi’s gentle winter.

A long-sleeved bodysuit adds warmth for properly cold days in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and the north, or in unheated rooms with cold floors. It is also useful under a wool set, such as our Charcoal Waffle-Knit Henley & Jogger Set, if your baby’s arms seem bothered by the wool. Choose one with a wide or envelope neck so it goes over the head easily before the top goes on.

How many layers?

A useful rule of thumb from the NHS is to dress your baby in one more layer than you are wearing to be comfortable in the same room. For most homes in winter, that means a bodysuit and a knit set, with a cardigan to add if the room is cold. Thick knits, such as our Sage Cable-Knit Teddy Sweater & Jogger Set, already count as a warm layer, so a short-sleeved bodysuit underneath is usually plenty.

Judge your baby’s temperature by feeling their chest or the back of their neck, not their hands or feet, which are often cooler. If their skin is hot or sweaty, take a layer off; if their chest feels cool, add one. Our guide to dressing a baby for winter in Pakistan has more.

When you can skip the bodysuit

• Warm afternoons, when the set alone is enough and a bodysuit would make your baby too warm.
• Older toddlers in soft knits that don’t irritate their skin, especially once they are out of nappies.
• When the set is a smooth, soft knit and your baby is not bothered by it on bare skin.
• Even then, many parents keep the bodysuit for crawlers, because it stops the gap at the back.

Getting the layers to sit well

Put the bodysuit on first, do up all the snaps, and smooth it flat. Pull the joggers up over it so the waistband sits on a smooth layer with no bunching underneath. Then put the top on and pull it down over the waistband. Check that the bodysuit’s sleeves haven’t ridden up inside the knit sleeves, which can be uncomfortable.

Make sure the bodysuit is in the right size too: one that is too small pulls the knit set out of shape and can make the snaps between the legs strain. Check both against our size guide. If you are buying bodysuits specifically to go under sets, plain white, cream or grey ones go under everything and don’t show through lighter knits.

Sources

Layering and checking a baby’s temperature: NHS; The Lullaby Trust.

Quick answers