A christening is the first ceremony in a child's life, and for parents, it is also the first time they have to choose an outfit for an important occasion. The questions are always the same: does it have to be white? A little dress or a romper? What size should I get if the christening is in two months?
We hear these questions in the shop every week. Below you will find the answers we give to the parents who come to us.
When christenings are held and why this affects the choice of outfit
In Italy, christenings are usually held between a child's first and sixth month, but there is no rule. The month of the ceremony matters more than it seems, because it determines the fabric:
- Christening in spring or summer: cotton, linen, piqué, lightweight organza. It can be warm in church, and an overheated baby cries.
- Christening in autumn or winter: lightweight wool, velvet, bouclé. A matching blanket and hat are also needed: between home, the car, and church, the child will be uncovered and covered several times.
White or cream?
White remains the traditional choice, because it recalls the baptismal garment. But no one forces you: cream, ivory, and silk-white are equally appropriate and, in photos, often look better than stark white, which tends to blow out with the flash. For boys, very light blue and beige are also common; for girls, powder pink and lilac.
Practical advice: choose the color by looking at the overall look. If the parents and godparents will be in warm tones, ivory looks better than a cold white.
What you really need
For a baby up to six months, the classic set consists of:
- the romper or dress, depending on whether the child is very small or already big enough to sit up;
- the swaddle or bodysuit, if the ceremony is in the first two months;
- the blanket, which in photos taken while holding the baby is seen almost as much as the outfit;
- the hat or bonnet, the bib, and the booties;
- the headband, for girls, if the dress requires one.
There is no need to buy everything new: if there is a christening blanket from an older sibling in the family, reusing it is a lovely thing to do, provided the shades of white are close.
The size: the most common mistake
The first few months are when children grow the fastest. An outfit bought when the baby is one month old, for a ceremony scheduled for three months, risks not fitting.
The rule we always give: get the size the child will be in on the day of the ceremony, not today's size. If more than a month passes between the purchase and the christening, go up a size. A slightly loose garment can be adjusted with a headband or belt; a short garment cannot.
You can find the measurements in centimeters for each size in our size guide. If you have any doubts, write us the child's age and height on WhatsApp and we will tell you which one to get.
How to dress the other children present
If there are siblings or cousins, the best effect is achieved by coordinating them without dressing them identically: the same color family, different fabrics. A beige set for the older brother next to the baby's ivory outfit works better than two identical garments in different sizes.
Three things no one thinks about
- The change. Bring a second bodysuit: between spit-ups and the water from the baptismal font, it happens.
- The labels. Remove them beforehand, along with tags and pins: babies' skin gets irritated immediately.
- Wash the garment beforehand? No, if it is a formal outfit in delicate fabric. Yes, for cotton bodysuits and rompers in direct contact with the skin.
Where to look
In our online store you will find the christening selection divided for girls and boys, with the matching set: all the garments for christening.
If you are in the Agrigento area, stop by and visit us in Licata, at Corso Umberto 6: we have the garments in the shop and they can be tried on. We have been here since 1973.
