Best Baby Clothing Brands for Tall Babies

I didn’t realize just how “off” baby clothing sizing could be. The first couple of weeks after we had our daughter, it seemed like I was throwing piece after piece into a pile of stuff that just didn’t fit right. It’s literally like women’s sizes, where a small in one store is a large in another. And when you have a baby who’s tall and thin, it can be tough to find clothing brands for tall babies that fit well.

Best Baby Clothing Brands for Tall Babies

I had bought all of these cute little onesies from stores like Old Navy, only to find out that my baby fit into a size 0-3 months for weight and a 6-12 months in height in that brand because of her long torso. So, I searched all over the internet for a guide to the best baby clothes for tall babies. I kept coming up short, so I decided to write my own.

Read down for each brand’s stats on clothing, plus what worked for us.

The best clothing brands for your tall, skinny baby

I’ve shopped practically every baby brand. So, if you’re looking for the best clothing brands for your tall, skinny baby, you’re in the right place.

For reference, our daughter was around the 75th percentile for height and somewhere around 4th percentile for weight in the first year. So when I say that she was a “tall and skinny baby,” I’m not kidding!

Overall, my top choice for one brand that offers newborn essentials, organic textile options, mix and match, and a wide range of sizes (for sibling matches!) is Hanna Andersson. Their clothes wear really well, the organic choices are super soft, and if you hit the sales at the right time you can get everything at an affordable price. (They also have a brand on Amazon called Moon and Back, which is more affordable but still great quality!) Most of their pajamas come footless, so it’s not a huge deal if your baby is longer than the pjs are. Just know that they run narrow, too.

Onesies for Tall Babies

There are two places where I found the best onesies for our little lady: Carters (the store) and this European brand. For onesies at the Carters store, this may sound weird but the graphic onesies (aka the ones they sell as one piece separately) never fit well. Go for the multi-packs (usually in solid colors). The European brands (like Petit Bateau) in general tend to run leaner, so they work well for my tall, skinny kiddo.

Petit Bateau makes some adorable bodysuits with a little more style than the typical basic bodysuit. They’re the perfect fit for our little one. It is great (that they fit) but not great (that they’re not cheap) at the same time. I watch out for sales and buy for the next year. I have had luck finding things brand new on sites like Poshmark, but you can also find them (albeit limited) on Amazon. Or just ask a friend who’s headed to Europe (kidding, but kind of not).

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For the Basics

For the most basic things, like white onesies and kimono tops, Carters at Target brand has the best prices and cute prints! (Size up one size in this brand.) Not the Carters store though- those seem to be cut differently. Primary.com also has great kimono tops for newborns with long arms.

Steer clear of Old Navy, Cloud Island at Target, and Baby Gap. They make onesies cut for the average sized baby (so on a tall and thin baby they’re definitely too short or too wide).

As far as pajamas go, my favorites for a tall baby are from Burt’s Bees, Monica + Andy, Hanna, and Little Sleepies. (Little Sleepies does sell on Amazon but only limited styles. For their limited edition stuff you have to go to their website.) I want pajamas that still look almost brand new after washing them 10+ times… Something you can hold onto if you plan to have multiple kids. Many of the Hanna jammies don’t have feet, so they will last longer on taller kiddos. (Update: Hanna now has their own brand sold only on Amazon, and the quality is just as good as the Hanna stuff!)

The Little Sleepies pajamas are SO soft, and super stretchy too. You can actually size down in these, because they’re cut to be much larger than other brands. (My 15 month old is still wearing a 6-12 month comfortably.) They make really cute prints in both zip-up styles and top-and-pant style. So, you can do matching pjs if you have more than one kiddo! Sometimes they have parent matching items too. The unfortunate thing about this brand – and I’m sure all bamboo fabrics – is that they show wash wear after fewer washes than other pjs.

I have a separate post about bamboo baby brands if you’re interested in more stretchy pajamas!

Pants and Leggings Clothing Brands for Tall Babies

By far the best pants that fit are leggings.

We love Hanna Andersson (basic leggings), Carters (only certain styles- avoid the denim looking pants and anything that doesn’t have a skinny leg to it) and Petit Bateau (their own site is closed online but supposedly reopening soon for US shoppers, though you can find the brand at this US department store. They also sell on this website and this one too if you’re in the US!).

We have also found that H&M’s leggings run fairly long compared to other brands and are an affordable price. Another brand that fits really well? Little Marc Jacobs!  The skinniest leggings I’ve found are from Primary, and they’re almost too skinny in that they’re really tight around the ankle.

For brands that aren’t the best fit but work fine:

Cat & Jack at Target (they tend to be long enough but occasionally too big in the waist) and Burts Bees (NON-pajamas). Primary has nice leggings for babies with fold over cuffs.

Brands that are hit or miss:

Baby Gap, Old Navy (their clothes tend to be for babies who are in the “average” percentile in both height and weight), Janie and Jack (super cute stuff, but again for babies who are not tall and skinny! The J&J pants are not as wide and short as Old Navy’s, but they’re pretty close. I can shop dresses here but that’s about it.). Cloud Island at Target isn’t a great fit, either- they tend to be short and wide, so they fall down on a small waist.

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Sweaters and Sweatshirts for Tall Babies

The best cardigan sweater we had was from Petit Bateau, and she wore it almost every day of the fall when she was a newborn (in the 1M size). I actually purchased it in the 12M size because we loved it so much, and she still wears that.

For play sweatshirts, I love Harper Canyon. It’s a Nordstrom brand but you can find it at Nordstrom Rack, too. The best selection is definitely online vs. in store for Nordstrom Rack. H&M makes really great sweatshirts, too, and they’re super affordable. They have fun prints, girly stuff, and boy stuff too, as well as sweatshirt sets with pants.

I also really like this brand for sweaters. They are skinnier in the arms than a lot of other sweaters, which works well for a svelte baby! They also have a lot of pieces you can mix and match.

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Best Holiday Outfits/Special Occasion Outfits for Tall Babies

For special occasion wear, I’ve found some great holiday pieces on this smocked clothing site, and the prices are reasonable. This is where I bought last year’s summer bubbles and rompers. Huge bonus? Almost everything can be monogrammed! They also have swimwear, so it’s kind of a one stop shop for big trips. (Sign up for their email list, because they do free monograms, free shipping, or $20 and under flash sales a few times a year.)

This brand is also a great find. It’s available on Amazon, fairly affordable, and has the look of much more expensive brands. (It’s a similar style to Janie & Jack, but the sizing is better for tall kiddos. I love the look of J&J, but I find them to be one of the brands offering kids clothes for the average-sized child.)

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Brand Guide: Sizing by brand for baby clothes

I used a 6 month size to show you the variation by brand in baby clothing from these popular brands. Some brands mark this as 3-6 months and others just call it 6 months. In European brands a size 60 is equivalent to a US size 3-6 months, or 6 months.

Carters: 24-26.5 inches, 12.5-15.5 lbs

Gerber: 24-26 inches, 12-16 lbs

Old Navy: 23-27 inches, 12-17 lbs

Cloud Island (Target): 24-25.5 inches, 12.5-16 lbs

Hanna Andersson: 22-26 inches, 12-16 lbs (aka 60 cm size)

Janie and Jack: 23-25 inches, 12-17 lbs

Just One You by Carters at Target: 24-26.5 inches, 12.5-16.5 lbs

Petit Bateau: 26.4 inches (67 cm), no weight given

Note on sizing for toddlers: Once you get up into 24 months, look at size 2T instead. It’ll be longer and narrower than the 24 month size, which is generally wider and shorter.

Where do you shop for baby clothes? Any brands I should check out? If you have any suggestions for the best clothing for a tall baby, let me know!

Note: This post was first written in February 2019 but has been updated and reposted for May 1, 2024

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