Baby's First Christmas Gifts That Get Worn
A baby on their first Christmas will not remember a single present. What lasts is the photo of them on someone's lap at lunch, and whether the thing you gave them is still in the drawer in February.
So here is the short answer. The best Christmas gifts for a newborn in Australia are clothes they can wear on the day and keep wearing through a hot summer: a light cotton romper, a muslin piece, a sun hat with a chin strap. Buy one size up from the size they are in now, so the gift still fits in January rather than only on the 25th.
Why clothes beat toys for a first Christmas
Most toys are made for a child who can sit, grab and crawl. A baby born in spring is doing none of that by Christmas.
Clothes are used straight away. A newborn gets changed several times a day, so a good piece is back in rotation within a week of being unwrapped.
There is also the photo. Christmas Day is the one day of the year when every relative brings a phone. A baby in a well-cut romper with a print the family likes ends up in the photo that gets printed and framed.
The last reason is the weather. An Australian Christmas is usually hot, and the baby will spend the next three months in the same heat. A gift built for that season is useful every day until autumn.
Choosing a size for a December baby
This is where most first Christmas gifts go wrong.
Our baby sizes run 0-3M, 3-6M, 6-12M, then 1Y and 2Y. The instinct is to buy the size the baby is in today, but young babies move through sizes fast and a gift is worn from the 26th onwards.
The 0-3M versus 3-6M trap
A baby born in October or November is probably in 0-3M by Christmas, and may already be filling it out. A 0-3M gift might fit for the day and a fortnight after. A 3-6M gift is slightly roomy on the day and fits properly through January and February, which is the hottest stretch of the year.
Raising Children Network makes the same point in its guide to dressing babies: buy clothes that are slightly too large, because the baby gets more wear out of them. The exception they note is sleepwear, which should be close-fitting.
Buy for January, not the 25th
A simple rule if you are unsure:
- Baby under three months old at Christmas: buy 3-6M.
- Baby three to six months old: buy 6-12M.
- Baby older than six months: buy 1Y.
The one exception is an outfit meant for Christmas Day itself. If the parents want the gift for the photos on the 25th, buy the size the baby is in now, as our baby Christmas outfit guide explains. Everything else, size up.
A romper that is a little big on the day still looks good in photos. One that is too small never gets worn. If you know the parents, a quick message asking the current size costs nothing.
Christmas gifts for newborn babies, by budget
Every piece named here is in the current range, and the baby essentials range is where most of the everyday ones sit.
A single piece, under $30
- A Sleeveless Romper in Sand Stripe or Lemons. It is soft cotton jersey with a relaxed bubble shape, elasticated leg openings and domes at the leg for quick changes. It is the piece in the photo at the top of this page.
- A Printed Short Sleeve Henley Onesie in Sea Friends. Soft cotton jersey, a henley neckline and short legs, with concealed domes for nappy changes.
- A sun hat. The Baby Muslin Sun Hat in Green Stripe and the reversible Baby Bucket Hat in Lemons are both organic cotton muslin.
- Bibs. The Bandana Bibs 3 Pack is cotton muslin with a terry towelling reverse. The Jersey Bibs 2 Pack in Summer Time is cotton jersey with the same towelling backing.
A small set, around $40 to $65
Two or three pieces that go together read as a proper present.
- A Muslin Romper and a sun hat. The Muslin Romper in Light Green Stripe matches the Baby Muslin Sun Hat in Green Stripe. Both are light organic cotton muslin.
- A Baby Knot Hat and a bodysuit. The Knot Hat is printed cotton jersey and comes in 0-6M and 6-12M, so it suits a very young baby. Pair it with a Sleeveless Bodysuit in Lemons.
- Muslin squares and socks. The Muslins 2 Pack is two cotton muslin squares, one printed and one plain. Add a Baby Socks 3 Pack for a gift that is used every single day.
A little Christmas wardrobe, $100 and up
This is the tier for grandparents, godparents or a group going in together.
Build around one outfit for the day, one for the beach and one layer for the evening. The Muslin Ruffle Romper in Petal Paws, a Sleeveless Romper, a Baby Bucket Hat and a Baby Cotton Cardigan cover all three. The cardigan is a garter-stitch knit in natural cotton with wooden buttons, and it earns its place on cool coastal evenings and in air-conditioned houses.
If you would rather see what other parents keep coming back for, our best sellers is a good shortcut. If you cannot decide at all, a Yes Mila e-gift card arrives by email and lets the parents choose the size themselves.
What works in Christmas heat
The fabric matters more than the print.
Raising Children Network notes that cotton clothes keep a baby cooler in hot weather than synthetic fabrics do. That rules out a lot of what is sold as a "first Christmas outfit": polyester velvet, satin, heavy tulle, and stiff party dresses with linings.
Muslin for the hottest days
For a properly hot day, reach for muslin. The pieces in our organic muslin range, including the Muslin Romper, the Muslin Ruffle Romper and the Baby Sleeveless Muslin Dress, are made from organic cotton muslin. It is light and breezy, which is what you want on the kind of afternoon where nobody wants to be held.
Cotton jersey for everyday
The Sleeveless Romper and the Henley Onesie are soft cotton jersey. It moves with the baby, and the domes at the leg make nappy changes quick.
A hat that stays on
Raising Children Network's advice on baby hats is specific: a soft hat that is comfortable while the baby is lying down, a full brim or neck flap to cover the ears and neck, and a chin strap to keep it on. The Baby Muslin Sun Hat has a chin strap, which is the detail that decides whether a hat actually gets worn.
If you are also planning what the baby wears on the day itself, our baby Christmas outfit guide for Australia goes through it hour by hour.
Making it feel like a gift
A few small touches make clothes feel like a proper present.
Wrap the outfit as an outfit. Fold the romper with the hat on top and the bibs underneath, so it opens as a complete look.
Write the size on the card. "This is 3-6M, for January" tells tired parents exactly when to bring it out, and stops it going straight into the wrong drawer.
Pair it with the Christmas Day plan. If you know what the baby is wearing on the day, choose something that sits alongside it. A matching hat or a bib in the same print is a nice touch for the photos.
Add a small extra. A pair of socks or a knot hat tucked into the parcel makes a single piece feel generous. Our accessories range is full of these small add-ons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Christmas gift for a baby's first Christmas?
Clothing they can wear on the day and through the summer that follows. A light cotton or muslin romper, a sun hat with a chin strap, or a small set with bibs all get used straight away. Buy one size up so it still fits in January.
What is the most useful gift for a newborn?
Bodysuits, rompers and muslin squares. A newborn goes through several changes a day, so parents run short of clean basics long before anything else. Bibs and socks are close behind, because both are used daily and lost constantly.
Should I buy a size up for a Christmas gift?
Yes. Babies grow out of the early sizes quickly, and a gift opened on Christmas Day is worn over the following weeks. For a baby under three months at Christmas, buy 3-6M. Sleepwear is the exception, which should fit closely.
How can I celebrate Christmas with a newborn?
Keep it small. Plan the day around feeds and naps rather than the lunch timetable, find a quiet room they can sleep in, and keep them in the shade with a hat on outdoors. Take the photos in the first hour while everyone is fresh.
A gift they will actually wear
The best first Christmas gift is the one still in use when the decorations come down. Light cotton, a size up, and something the family will want in the photo.
Browse the baby essentials range and find a piece for their first summer.
