Episode 2: What to Wear to a Baby Shower

Conquer the baby shower with our advice on what to wear, and how to wear it!

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  By: Tali Ditye, Ph.D., Co-founder

  Updated: October 5, 2024

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Wondering what to wear to a baby shower? Listen to our podcast episode that dives deep into advice from fashion icons, Redditors, and everyday women!

Transcript

Okay, so you open your mailbox and bam, there it is. A baby shower invitation.

It's so exciting, but then the thought hits, what am I even going to wear to this thing?

It's like a fashion puzzle.

Yeah,

especially because baby showers are kind of their own thing style-wise, you know.

So, today we're doing a deep dive on exactly that, deciphering the dress code for baby showers, whatever the vibe,

and hopefully saving you some of that what to wear stress.

Absolutely. And thankfully, we've got some awesome s is to help us out with this deep dive.

Yeah, we really went all out for this one.

We've got this fashion blogger who's basically a baby shower style guru.

Oh, her tips are amazing.

And then, of course, no deep dive would be complete without a little Reddit wisdom,

right? And this Reddit thread we found, uh, it's a treasure trove of baby shower outfit anxieties. I mean, someone even admitted to showing up in jeans to a super formal one.

Oh, no. I could just imagine. Talk about a wardrobe malfun. function. It happens to the best of us. But thankfully, this thread really highlights like the need for this conversation.

It totally does. And you know, to make sure we're covering all our bases, we've also got this super comprehensive online guide.

Yes. It's basically an encyclopedia for baby shower style. They get into everything from venue to season to even like the baby's gender reveals, if you know it.

It's way more in-depth than you'd think,

right? And to top it all off, we even found this Fashion Magazine article with advice from a professional stylist specifically about baby shower outfits.

I know. It's like having her own personal stylist right here.

Exactly. Okay, so where do we want to start?

Let's kick things off with our fashion blogger friend. Her big thing is comfort, which makes sense, right? You're going to be sitting, standing, maybe doing some of those uh interesting baby shower games.

Oh, for sure. Comfort is key.

Totally. And one of her suggestions that I thought was cute was a floral dress, which you know, classic.

Yeah, you can't go wrong with floral. for a baby shower.

Exactly. But she styled it in a very springy way.

Ah, gotcha. So maybe not ideal if it's like a December baby shower.

Yeah. Although I feel like you could probably make it work with the right tights and like a cardigan or something.

Oh, totally. You can accessorize anything for any season.

True. Okay. But her other suggestions were a bit more versatile. Like she also suggested a cute top and skirt combo, which I know. I feel like that's always a good go-to.

Yeah. And you can dress it up or down depending on the vibe. Exactly.

Heels or flats? Blazer maybe.

Yes. So many options.

And then her last suggestion was a statement top with, and I'm quoting here because this is important, nice pants.

Okay. Emphasis on the nice,

right? Like we're not talking your ripped jeans from college.

Exactly. Context is everything. And speaking of context, remember that Reddit thread we talked about?

Oh, yeah. With the accidental jeans wearer?

Yeah. So, other people chimed in and were like, "Actually, jeans are totally fine. It's some baby showers

really. So, it all comes down to like the formality of the whole thing.

It seems like it like you wouldn't wear a ball gown to a backyard barbecue baby shower,

right? That would be a choice.

Exactly. And that's where our encyclopedia guide comes in because they're all about considering all these different factors

like the venue obviously, but also like the time of year

and they even mention thinking about the theme if there is one.

Oh my gosh, that's true. Like what if it's a nautical themed baby shower,

right? You definitely don't want to clash with the

but what if it's like a costume party.

Oh, see that would be fun,

right? Okay. And they also suggested that a jumpsuit can be a really chic alternative to a dress, which I thought was a good idea.

Oh, I love that.

Right.

Yeah, jumpsuits are so in right now.

They are. And they can be so cute

and you can find them in so many styles. You can totally dress them up or down.

Which makes me think about our stylist's advice because she's also a big fan of jumpsuits. Okay, so we're getting a good feel for the basics here. Comfort, venue, personal style.

Right. Right.

But I feel like we need to get into some more like nitty-gritty dos and don'ts.

Yes.

Because like the Reddit thread especially had some strong opinions about color.

Oh yeah. Color is huge,

right? Like one person was saying that they wore black to a baby shower once and felt totally out of place.

H interesting.

Like it felt too serious, you know?

Yeah, I can see that.

Which I get, but also it's like black is such a go-to for like basically every other event.

I know. It's so easy,

right? So, it made me wonder, is navy the new black for baby showers?

Ooh, maybe.

Our blogger friends seem to think so. She's all about that navy life.

Well, and it makes sense cuz it's still, you know, really polish, but it definitely has that softer, you know, more celebratory vibe.

Totally. Okay, so the online guide actually backs this up.

They do.

They specifically said to uh like maybe skip the black.

Okay.

But they suggested navy as like a good alternative. sense.

And then they got into like what colors to wear depending on the season, which I thought was interesting.

Oh, yeah. That's a good point.

Like they were saying for spring and summer, you want to stick to lighter, brighter colors,

pastels.

Exactly. But then as it gets colder, like for fall and winter, baby showers, you can bring in more of those jewel tones.

Oh, I love a good emerald green dress.

Right. So chic. Okay, so we've talked about color a bit. We've talked silhouettes.

What about everyone's favorite? Shoes.

Oh, yeah. Shoes.

Because honestly, this is where I always get stuck.

I feel that.

Like heels.

Yeah.

Flats.

Is it ever okay to wear sneakers to a baby shower? Send help.

Well, I think with shoes, it really comes down to practicality, right?

Yeah. True.

You don't want to be like that person who can't participate in the games cuz their feet hurt.

Exactly. You're going to be on your feet a lot, probably greeting people, maybe chasing a toddler around.

So true. Okay. So, our stylist expert

recommended either block heels or wedges as a good way to get a little height without like sacrificing comfort.

Smart,

right? And then a lot of people in the Reddit thread were saying that they just always go with a nice pair of flats.

Yeah. I mean, you can't go wrong with flats.

Totally.

Okay. So, we've talked about what to wear, but I feel like we need to touch on what not to wear to a baby shower.

Oh, yes. Please give us the don'ts.

Okay. So, the guide had a whole section about this, which I appreciated.

Okay.

And basically, their big thing was like Don't wear anything that's going to upstage the person who's actually, you know, having the baby.

Oh, that's a good rule of thumb for like any event where you're celebrating someone else. So true. Like you don't want to be the center of attention when it's not your moment.

Exactly. So like maybe skip the super short sparkly dress

or like anything that you'd wear to a club.

Right. Like this is a baby shower, not a bachelorette party.

Exactly. Okay. And then on the other end of the spectrum, they were saying like don't be too casual either.

Oh. Oh, so it's about finding that balance again

always. Like as comfy as yoga pants might be, they're probably not the vibe for baby shower.

Unless it's like a yoga themed baby shower.

Okay. True. In that case, go for it.

Exactly. Okay. And then their last point was all about accessories, which, you know, can make or break an outfit.

Totally. So, what did they say?

They were big on keeping it simple and elegant, like a pretty necklace, maybe some statement earrings, a cute scarf.

Love it.

But nothing like too big or distracting. Yeah. You don't want anything that's going to like get caught on things or be uncomfortable, you know,

or like end up in the baby's diaper bag somehow.

Oh, no. The dreaded accessory disappearance.

A worst. Okay. So, it seems like the like main takeaway here is that the perfect baby shower outfit is this magical balance of cute, comfy, and occasion appropriate.

It's a delicate balance, but we can do it.

We can totally do it. Wow. We covered a lot of ground today, huh?

You really did.

Dresses, jumpsuits, figuring out the whole color thing,

right?

And don't even get me started on the great jeans debate of 2024.

Oh, yeah. That was intense.

But like, how does all this actually help someone, you know, figure out what they should wear to a baby shower?

That's the real question.

Totally. Because like at the end of the day, you just want to feel good in your outfit, you know?

Exactly. Like all these tips are great, but ultimately the best outfit is the one that makes you feel like confident and ready to to celebrate.

Yes. It's about like celebrating this new baby and supporting your friend or family member who's about to become a parent,

right?

But also like you still want to feel like yourself

100%. So yeah, as you're like putting your outfit together, definitely keep the vibe of the event in mind, but like also your own personal style.

Totally. And honestly, don't be afraid to have a little fun with it.

Exactly. I mean, it's a party.

It is a party.

Like have fun.

Exactly. Okay. Okay, so as our final thought for this baby shower style deep dive.

Okay, hit us with it.

What message do you want your outfit to send? Right.

Ooh, good one.

Like, are you going for something like really fun and playful

or more like chic and sophisticated?

Love it.

Because at the end of the day,

your outfit is kind of like a a way to express your own personality.

Yes.

And celebrate this like really special occasion.

So true.

Well, everyone, thanks so much for joining us on this baby shower style journey. It was fun.

It was. And remember, whatever you decide to wear, the most important thing is that you feel amazing.

Yes, confidence is key

always. Until next time.

Bye.