When to switch your baby to winter clothes

Autumn creeps in

There is no single day when winter starts. In most of Pakistan, October days still feel like summer while the nights begin to cool; by November, evenings need a layer; and by December, winter clothes are in daily use. The timing depends on where you are: Quetta, Islamabad and Peshawar cool down first, Lahore and the rest of Punjab a little later, and Karachi only really needs warm pieces for a few weeks around December and January.

Rather than a date, switch by signs, and switch in stages. Autumn weather often teases: a cool week in October is followed by a warm one, and a baby moved into winter sleepsuits too early can spend those warm nights sweating. Going step by step lets you move back just as easily.

Signs it’s time

• Your baby’s chest feels cool in the early morning, before anyone has turned anything on.
• You switch the fan off at night for the first time, or reach for a shawl in the evening.
• Your baby starts waking in the early hours and settles once you add a layer.
• Mornings bring the first mist or fog in Punjab.
• The family brings out the heaters and razais.

Switch in stages

• Evenings first: a light cardigan or long-sleeved top from sunset.
• Then nights: a long-sleeved sleepsuit instead of a short-sleeved bodysuit, then a footed one as it gets colder.
• Then mornings: long sleeves and trousers until the day warms up.
• Then the full winter set-up in December: a vest under a knit set, a cardigan, socks, and an outer layer for going out.
• Keep a few summer pieces out until you are sure; October often has a hot week after a cool one.

Check the fit before the cold arrives

Last winter’s clothes almost certainly won’t fit a baby who has grown six to nine months’ worth since then, and it is better to find out in October than on the first cold night. Take everything out, try on the warm pieces, and put aside anything tight across the shoulders, short in the legs or hard to snap over the nappy. Our size guide shows which size matches your baby’s height and weight, and our guide to sizes and buying ahead explains how to choose a size that will still fit in January.

Wash the pieces you are keeping before the first wear. Clothes stored through the monsoon can pick up a musty smell, and a wash and a morning in the October sun freshens them.

Mixing summer and winter pieces

Autumn is the season for combining. A short-sleeved bodysuit under a sweatshirt set, such as our Sky Blue Dinosaur Sweatshirt & Grey Jogger Set, gives you a layer to remove at midday. A ribbed two-piece like the Dusty Rose Ribbed Henley & Jogger Set works on its own in October and over a vest by December. Fabric content for both is still being confirmed, so ask us if you need it. Long sleeves at dusk also help in dengue season, which often lingers into November.

Autumn nights

Resist jumping straight from a summer vest to a winter sleepsuit and a heavy quilt. Move up one step at a time, check your baby’s chest when you check on them, and use lightweight blankets or a baby sleeping bag rather than a razai. Our guide on dressing a baby for winter in Pakistan covers what a baby should wear to sleep and the full winter routine.

Sources

NHS; The Lullaby Trust.

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