Baby's First Christmas Outfit: Dress Ideas and Sizing by Age

The best baby's first Christmas outfit is a soft dress in her current height size or one size up, with tights and a cardigan you can take off indoors. Pick it by her height in early November, not her age on Christmas morning, and order early enough that an exchange is still possible.

We get this question a lot from new moms and even more from grandmothers, so here is what we tell them, stage by stage.

How to size a baby's first Christmas outfit

Babies grow fast, and a dress that fits in October can be snug by December 25. Measure her lying flat, from the top of her head to her heel, then check our size guide:

• 22 to 24 inches: 0-3 months
• 24 to 27 inches: 3-6 months
• 27 to 29 inches: 6-9 months
• 29 to 31.5 inches: 9-12 months
• 31.5 to 34 inches: 12-18 months (80cm in our height-labelled dresses)

If she sits near the top of a range, size up. A slightly roomy dress still looks sweet with the sleeves pushed up a little, and a tight one is no fun to snap over a diaper. The one exception is a long tulle skirt on a baby who has just started walking. There we suggest the size that matches her height exactly, so she isn't stepping on the hem.

Buying as a gift and can't measure? Ask her mom for the size on the tag of whatever fits her loosely right now, then go one size above it.

Order dates that matter

Our dresses ship free, and delivery takes 15 to 30 business days. For Christmas, please order by November 12. That gives time for one exchange if the size is off, which is the part people forget when they leave it to the second week of December.

Dress ideas by stage

Newborn to 6 months: easy on, easy off

Small babies spend most of Christmas being passed around and fed, so pick something you can change quickly. Our red plaid Christmas puff sleeve dress starts at 0-3 months and comes in Red Plaid, Red Candy Cane, Green Candy Cane, Red Star and Green Star, all at $60. A tiny baby in red plaid next to the tree is the photo everyone asks for later.

At this age the dress is mostly for photos. Plan to put her in it right before pictures and dinner, and back into sleepers after. Keep a second outfit in the diaper bag. Spit-up rarely waits until after the photos.

6 to 12 months: sitters and crawlers

Once she sits up on her own, the skirt matters more, because it fans out around her on the floor. Same puff sleeve dress, now in 6-9 months or 9-12 months. Green Star or Green Candy Cane is a nice choice if older cousins are already in red and you want her to stand out in the group shot.

Crawlers wear through tights at the knees. Pack a spare pair, or skip tights and use soft socks if the house is warm.

12 to 18 months: the first Christmas for a December or late-year baby

If her first Christmas comes right around her first birthday, you can go a little dressier. Our long sleeve lace and tulle dress in Wine or Red starts at 80cm, which fits about 12-18 months, and costs $65. Long sleeves help in a chilly church or a drafty grandparents' living room. The skirt is long and full, so go with her exact height size here if she's walking.

For a softer, snowy look, the white tulle dress for Christmas Eve also starts at 80cm and is $60. White photographs beautifully against a dark green tree. Just keep a bib handy for dinner.

You can see all our smaller sizes in one place in our baby and toddler dresses collection.

Keeping her warm without hiding the dress

Most Christmas outfits are worn in three places: the car, a cold doorway, and a very warm house full of people. Layer for all three.

• Under the dress: a short-sleeve white bodysuit. It covers the diaper, adds warmth, and keeps scratchy seams off her skin.
• Legs: white, cream or red tights. White goes with every color we sell, so if you only buy one pair, buy white.
• On top: a cardigan in cream or a color pulled from the print. Take it off for photos and put it back on after.
• In the car: no puffy coat under the car seat straps. Buckle her in the dress and cardigan, then lay a blanket or her coat over the straps.

A tip worth knowing: check the back of her neck, not her hands. Babies' hands are often cool even when they're warm enough, and an overheated, fussy baby is the fastest way to lose the photo window.

Getting the photo before the nap

Take the pictures first. Babies are at their best right after a feed and a nap, which is rarely when the whole family is ready. Get a few shots of her alone by the tree as soon as she's dressed, then do the group photo.

Sit her on a plain blanket in white or cream so the dress is the color in the picture. If siblings are in matching prints, put the baby in the middle and on someone's lap at their height. We wrote more about colors and patterns that look good on camera in our guide to Christmas family photo outfits for girls.

Keeping it after Christmas

A lot of moms keep the first Christmas dress in a keepsake box. If you plan to, wash it gently before storing and keep it out of plastic bags. Some families tuck the Christmas card or a photo from that day into the box with it, which is a lovely thing to find years later.

If you size up a little, she may get to wear it again for New Year's or a winter birthday party, too.

Every order ships free. If this is your first order with us, use code WELCOME10 for 10% off.