Smocked baby dresses and Liberty prints
Most of what’s here is smocked. The hand-smocking across the bodice is the detail parents tend to come for, and it runs through everything from the Adelina summer dresses to the heritage Philippa sailor dress and the Liberty Betsy prints. The signature Duck pinafore is the one people recognise, usually in a blue stripe or a soft cotton print, and several of the baby styles come with matching knickers underneath.
Smocking isn’t only decorative. The stitched panel gives a bit across the chest, so a baby smocked dress sits comfortably without a stiff waistband, and it holds its shape through a wash better than you’d expect for something this delicate. The Liberty print fabrics (Betsy, Carline, Dahlia and others) are the fine Tana lawn cotton Liberty is known for, soft against new skin rather than scratchy.

Baby girl summer dresses and occasion styles
Back for summer, the Adelina is the dress the range is built around, a smocked cotton style in prints like cherry, strawberry, lemon and pale pink hydrangea! Alongside it there are lighter sleeveless styles, linen dresses like the Kate floral, and softer cottons for warm afternoons. These are the baby girl summer dresses that do a picnic without fuss and still look right for something smarter.
For christenings, weddings and first birthdays, the smocked party dresses do the heavy lifting. The Betsy smocked party dress and the hand-smocked styles in white or soft floral are the ones that photograph well and tend to get worn again rather than boxed away after one afternoon. If you’re buying a baby occasion dress and want it to last past the event, size up slightly and go for a print rather than plain white, which shows less of everything a baby afternoon involves.

Newborn dresses and sizing from birth
Sizing starts from birth and runs up to around two years, so there are proper newborn dresses here rather than scaled-down toddler ones. The Lapinou My First range is cut for the early weeks, and several of the smocked newborn styles come as a dress with matching knickers or bloomers, which is easier than it sounds when you’re dressing a baby who won’t stay still.
Newborns grow out of the smallest sizes quickly, so if it’s a gift it’s usually worth going a size up rather than buying for the exact age on the label. A dress for a three to six month old will often see more wear than a true newborn size, and the smocked styles have enough give to stretch across a few months. They also make a straightforward baby girl gift, either on their own or boxed with something from the newborn range.