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Best Clothes for Cloth Bums

close up of a miosolo cloth nappy being worn by a toddler playing outdoors

One of my favourite things about this time of year is that the weather is finally getting warm enough for Jacob to wander around the house in just a t-shirt and a nappy! I realise that probably doesn't make me sound like the greatest parent ever, but hear me out - not only does it give me less washing to do but it also means that everyone gets a little glimpse of his colourful cloth nappy collection!

Given that we live in the UK where the sun is never on our side, I should probably point out that he does spend most of his time fully clothed! But what do kids in cloth nappies wear? Well, in short, the answer is normal clothes.

One of the things that puts people off of trying reusable nappies is the idea that they'll have to buy special trousers to fit over them but that's simply not the case. Reusable nappies do tend to be bulkier than single use nappies so there are certain things that won't work (super skinny jeans, for example!) but generally speaking it's pretty easy to find stylish, comfy and affordable clothes for kids in cloth.

The only thing to keep in mind if you're shopping for cloth-friendly clothes is that they'll need to be a bit roomier around the bum - anything that's too tight will compress the nappy and cause it to leak. Some people work around this by just buying the next size up but, depending on your child's proportions, this isn't always an option (Jacob is tall and slim so although bigger sizes would fit over his nappies, they'd hang off him everywhere else!)

If you're still not sure where to start then take a look at our round-up of the best places to find clothes for cloth bums:

H&M
A firm favourite amongst most cloth users, H&M is great for trousers, jeans, joggers, rompers and shorts, which all seem to be quite roomy around the bum. There's no special range to look out for, although a lot of people swear by their 'Conscious' brand which has the added bonus of being more sustainable. It's also worth mentioning that their vests are a great fit over cloth too!

Next
Although they seem to get mixed reviews from other parents, we've found that Next's jogging bottoms (especially the harem style and drop crotch ones) are a great fit over Jacob's nappies. Their jeans are a little less roomy but it's possible to find ones that fit well if you choose the right styles. We've found that the trick is to go for drawstring waistbands (which a lot of their trousers seem to have) as they allow room for bulky bums but stop them from falling down around slimmer waists.

Frugi
If you're after something a bit brighter and more colourful than your average high street staples then Frugi have the answer! All of their clothes are specifically cut for cloth (in fact, the brand started life as 'Cut4Cloth'!) meaning that they're a guaranteed to give a perfect fit over reusable nappies. They are slightly pricier than other brands but with such beautiful designs and high quality, organic materials, you really do get what you pay for here.

Maxomorra
Another great choice for organic children's clothing is Swedish brand, Maxomorra. As well as trousers, they make a huge selection of other cloth-friendly clothes including rompers, onesies, dungarees, leggings, vests and even pyjamas. Their clothes are available in both plain colours and a range of bold, colourful patterns so you can mix and match to suit your child's personality.

Fred & Noah
It's no secret that this is one of my favourite children's clothing brands! Fred & Noah's gorgeous leggings are handmade here in the UK and are all cut for cloth - if you look closely you'll notice that the seams are stitched up the sides of the legs rather than though the crotch, meaning that they don't press on the nappy. Their leggings are soft, stretchy and come in an ever-changing range of stylish patterns (which is terrible news for my bank balance!)

Of course there are loads of other amazing brands out there who aren't as well known as the ones I've listed, so if you've got a small business that makes or sells cloth-friendly clothes then feel free to shout about it in the comments!

(Disclaimer: This post contains my own choice of products and is in no way endorsed by or sponsored by any of the brands mentioned.)