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Shopping for your baby's first birthday outfits is one of the most exciting milestones of your infant's life thus far. Chances are, you'll want to pull out all the stops as you celebrate your child's first birthday: a party, professional photos and an absolutely adorable outfit. Here are a few ideas for how to make this day unforgettable and completely picture perfect.

boys first birthday outfit

(the Elliott baby formal outfit is a charming hand-crafted first birthday outfit)

What do you do for a first birthday?

There are a variety of ways that parents like to celebrate their baby's first birthday. There's really no limit on what you can do. Many families have more than one party: one smaller, more initimate party for family, and one noisier, more baby-friendly party for friends and their children.

Theodore Shorts Suit

Our Theodore Shorts Suit.

For instance, one popular way to celebrate a first birthday is with a smash cake. A smash cake is just how it sounds: a cake your baby is going to smash. Usually it's a small, un-fussy cake that's solely for the purpose of your baby making a mess, while there's a bigger cake for guests to enjoy. Just because your baby will be making a mess, though, doesn't mean you can't plan for some great pictures! 

baby smash cake

(a baby smash cake ft. our Grayson 3-Piece Suit).

What should my baby wear on their birthday?

For your baby's party, the type of party it is will determine what they should wear. For instance, a family-only party is likely to be pretty low-key, so if you want to dress your baby up, there's no reason you shouldn't. A classic first birthday outfit will make for some amazing photos of your party. For smash cakes, many parents strip their babies down to their diapers for easy cleanup, or you could get an outfit specifically for the photo op with the knowledge that it can get messy.

Milo Baby Boy Suit

(Our Milo baby boy suit)

If you decide on professional photos to mark the occasion and schedule the photo shoot for the same day, be prepared that the party can be busy, messy, and the preparations stressful. Also, decide whether you want the photos of just your baby, the entire family together, or a combination of both. Find out what backgrounds the photographers will be using, or what colors or themes they contain, as you will want to coordinate everyone's outfits to complement the background. Attire for professional photos tends to be nice, so you'll want to spend some time shopping for quality baby first birthday outfits. For twins or siblings, coordinating or matching first birthday outfits will give the pictures a more classic look. Who doesn't love siblings in matching outfits?

First Birthday Outfit for a Boy

Boys can dress up too! A first birthday is an important occasion to mark, and one that will never come again for your baby boy. Here are a couple of common questions about personalized first birthday outfits for boy babies.

Harrison 3-piece suit

How should a baby boy dress for his first birthday?

Your baby boy's first birthday is one of his first opportunities to dress up. Between professional first birthday photos, birthday parties, and family photo ops, it's important to make sure he's dressed memorably for the occasion. For instance, for a professional photo shoot, you might want something with an adorably traditional look to it, such as our Grayson three-piece suit or the Elliot three-piece suit. For an active birthday party or if you need a good boys' 1st birthday outfit for cake smash, you might consider the Oliver bubble romper for a less formal, easier-to-clean outfit.

How can I celebrate my baby boy's first birthday?

Besides the professional photo shoot to mark the occasion, you may also be thinking about how to plan a party for a one-year-old. Theme parties are very popular for a first birthday. For boys, common themes include animal themes, character themes, or pop culture themes. For instance, you could plan your baby's party around jungle animals, monsters, dinosaurs, or even Baby Shark. Check out this list of 50 boys first birthday themes for more party ideas.

baby girl flower crown
(Our baby girl flower crowns are popular for a baby girls first birthday photoshoot!)

First Birthday Outfit for a Girl

Girls are both easier and harder to shop for. Girls are dressed up so frequently that you'll always have plenty of personalized first birthday outfits for girl babies to choose from. But at the same time, the selection can make your job of choosing even harder, since there are so many choices.

baby girl birthday dress

(our Thea baby girl dresses are the perfect match for first birthday)

Which dress is best for the birthday girl?

The best first birthday dress for a baby girl is at least partially dependent on what occasion you're dressing her for. If you're choosing an outfit for professional photos, you will most likely want to choose a more formal dress, such as one of our beautiful, long lacy gowns. The Eliza lace dress and the Gwen romper dress are two very pretty options that will allow an active baby girl plenty of movement while still looking very formal for a professional photo shoot. For a party, on the other hand, you might opt for something more comfortable, such as the Lola lace bubble romper or the Olivia linen romper. Flower crowns are a particularly cute trend for baby girls on their first birthday! 

Baby Girl Birthday Kardashian

Kylie Jenner and her baby girl Stormi in the Lola Baby Girl Collection. Photo was featured in Haper's Bazaar and featured a Victorian tea-party theme. 

First Birthday Themes

A themed party is one of the most exciting ways to celebrate a birthday, especially a first birthday. Everything about the party, from the decorations to the baby first birthday outfits you shop for, follows the theme. For instance, for a jungle theme you might choose jungle animal decorations and dress your baby in one of our classic baby boy suits for a dapper and timeless look. 

First Birthday Themes with the Word One

Having trouble choosing a theme? If your baby doesn't show any preferences yet that might make your job choosing a theme any easier, look for themes that offer a fun play on the word "one." First Launch (space theme) and Wild One (jungle theme) are just a few suggestions, or click here to find a more extensive list of first birthday theme ideas. If you want a simple theme, a color can do as well. 

decorative cookies

(Decorative cookies can help set a theme for your party)

How to Celebrate a First Birthday without a Party

Not everyone wants to throw a party for their baby's first birthday, so don't feel bad if that's not something you're interested in. Parties mean a lot of planning, preparation, and cleanup, not to mention a ton of chaos during the party, especially if there are other babies or toddlers there. If this doesn't sound like a good time to you, stick to the things that will mean the most to you and give you the most bang for your buck as far as memories go. A small celebration with the family can include cake if you so desire, but do make sure that whatever you do, you get photos that will last a lifetime. If you do nothing else, shopping for baby first birthday outfits and getting some photos, both staged and candid, will give you tangible memories that you can look back on fondly, many years down the road from this special milestone.

Shop our First Birthday Outfits 

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