Baby Clothes That Fit Cloth Nappies. Cut for Cloth Clothes.

Most parents that use cloth nappies see the bulkier, rounder bottom that comes with them as cute and cuddly. But it can cause problems when a well meaning friend buys your little one some cute skinny jeans to wear which are never going to stretch over that big butt and you realise all the hand me down tights you were given now have holes in the bottom from being stretched a little too far.

When shopping for clothes that fit over cloth nappies think about avoiding vest’s or use vest extenders, go up a size, avoid stiff clothing and look out for baggy dungarees or hareem pants. There are also many brands that make cut for cloth clothes such a Frugi, Piccalilly and Maxomorra.

For tips on shopping for clothes that fit over reusable nappies scroll down. Before that I’ll tell you my favorite brands guaranteed to have extra room for a fluffy cloth bottom.

my favorite Ethical brands that sell cut for cloth clothes.

1.Maxomorra.

I just love all Maxomarra leggings especially this type they have a folding waist band and cuff to make them last your little one a good few clothes sizes. Like in my daughters case well over a year.

2.Frugi

I love Frugi because they were born due to a Mum purely wanting clothes to fit a cloth bum. They are an ethical company based in Cornwall with all the best prints for Mum and kids.

3.Piccalilly.

Your kids wardrobe isn’t complete unless you have some Piccalilly dungarees. Another outfit that has lasted through multi sizes and was been so comfy and warm in the winter months too.

Don’t get me wrong I love my daughter in a dress but their just not always practical. Getting dresses caught when climbing a slide is not where it’s at. Enter dunagrees.

4.Duns.

Duns take the win for the best prints around. Dungarees heaven here too. This is where you find the Radish prints you never knew you wanted. You’ll be hocked I promise.

Uk High street Branks that fit over cloth nappies.

If you do shop the high street (*coughs “please give up the high street”) or are looking for high street brands to buy second hand these are the best for fitting over cloth nappies.

1. H&M.

Though often cheaper quality so not always the best for second hand shopping I’ve found H&M clothing are cut with extra room that always fits over a cloth nappy, practically their legging.

2. Next.

They may be a high street brands but not the cheapest of the lot and their clothing does fair well with a lot of washing, therefore good for hand me downs and second hand buys. Their sleep suits especially are always long in the body and fit nicely over extra bulky night time nappies.

3. Jojo Maman Bebe.

The more ethical of the high street brands they clothing lasts well and is loose fitting. Good for reusable nappies and active kids.

Here’s my top tips for shopping for kids clothes when using cloth nappies.

1. Buy harem pants.

If your out shopping for clothes or buying second hand harem pants are everywhere and look super cute on kids. No problems getting them over a big reusable nappy.

2. Always go with stretchy leggings and tights.

Apart from a set of second hand tights I was given that had small bottoms and no stretch I’ve never had a problem getting tights or leggings over cloth bums. Pick thinner stretchy materials with a bit of give.

3.Size up.

Going up a size with tights, leggings or trousers if you want them to last over a cloth nappied bottom is a good idea if your shopping and want to make sure things don’t get too tight. The same goes with dunagrees which are fine to be slightly bigger because they won’t fall down.

4. invest in some vest extenders.

These vest extenders from The Nappy Lady will fit onto most vest poppers and in my opinion are essential for smaller babies that are always in baby grows.

Baby grows were the only thing I found would not do up over a cloth nappies even if I did size up. Now my son is over one I’ve given up on baby grows all together but when you’ve got a small baby it’s nice to put them in a baby grow so they tummy doesn’t pop out and get cold every time you pick them up.

Note that baby grows that sit too tightly against a cloth nappy even if it’s comfortable for baby may cause leaks through wicking or compression.

As for sleep suit that you can’t add vest extenders to just sizing up or leaving the bottom poppers undone is a good idea.

5. Expect hand me downs and don’t worry about it.

The tights that were given to me that weren’t great for cloth bums all ended up with holes in the bottom, but seen as how they had been through a few girls already and I didn’t mind a little hole on the bum I just carried on using them until they were grown out of and then put them in the textiles recycling. They had well and truly served their purpose and certainly didn’t go to waste so I decided not to sweat it too much about it.

6.Brands that are cut for cloth.

I have spent some money on a few items that were cut for cloth, some brand new and have winced a little at the price as they are often small business’s or ethically brands, and others second hand. However I later realised they were all worth every penny for three reasons:

1. They were all organic, ethical and sustainable companies which is a must for me when buying new.

2. They were all excellent quality and will last to be handed down to many more children or sold on.

3. They lasted my one girl through many clothes sizes. A bit of extra give and clever fold-able cuffs, my daughter at 2 years old was still wearing her 9-12 month Maxomorra leggings. Considering how quickly she grows out of everything else I consider them amazing value for money.

These brands are also great for buying second hand on eBay, Depop or Vinted because they are great quality and last well. I have saved searches for the brands on my list above as well as brands such as Boden, Oshkosh and Little Green Radicals.

Related articles in my cloth nappy series to get you started..