The museum, where I am working on inventorying clothing and textiles, just received a large donation of baby clothes which I date to around the 1900's. My question is: Why do people save baby clothes? I know obvious answers like saving them for later children and being thrifty. But what are the sentimental reasons? The older donor felt almost guilty, knowing no one in her family would cherish them and she didn't feel right about just discarding them. Any family stories or ideas are welcome. Marian
Heres one answer, straight from a psychopath .. I saved a box of my boys' baby clothes ... because they were cute and the boys were cute and ... I have an attic and I come from a long line of packrats. I've threatened to go look for them now that my youngest son has a son of his own. Just for fun.
Definitely sentimental for me. Not that I've done this lately, but holding and touching the baby clothes of DD's that I put away connects me to the days when she wore them in a visceral way. Marveling over how tiny her feet were to fit in those little socks and shoes. Remembering the family member who crocheted that little hat & sweater, or lovingly sewed the outfit for her first Christmas. In some cases, I have photos of her wearing the things I kept, and that enhances the memories. It was a special time in my life, and one I am happy to reminisce about.
As a fellow museum I can attest that baby clothes are next only to wedding dresses for frequency of being offered to the museum for donation. Even though I have been pretty brutal to saying no to both, I STILL seem to have way too many in the collection... The fine workmanship in many of the baby clothes - embroidery, smocking... is impressive, and I think sometimes they get saved because they were also expensive gifts from friends and relatives, and the baby probably only wore the really dressy stuff a few times...
I kept some of my daughter's items as well, I did actually dress in her antique baby and toddler clothing as well, so I have still have those.
It is definitely sentimental. My mother saved some of my baby clothing and I love seeing it and looking at some of the photos with both my parents and me dressed in that clothing. Especially now that she is gone, there is that connection to the past. I read somewhere once that the reason we feel connection and see more value in anything antique or vintage rather than a modern reproduction even if it looks identical is that the item had “born witness” to that time in the past; that it had coexisted with the people and places that matter to us. To me, that has been and remains the most accurate and succinct description of my connection to vintage clothing in general and garments owned by family members.
Agree with all that has been said! My mom had this adorable little dress and pinafore to go with it and there are photos of her wearing it. I apparently grew out of things too quickly or they just missed the moment, but my cousin, who is half a year younger than me, wore the set as well and looked like a doll in it. My grandmother kept it (a big old farmhouse has lots of space to keep things... her wedding veil survived too but got eaten by moths!). Later my mom dressed a doll in it that she had sitting on an old chair that had been kept as well.
My mom saved many of mine (born in 1960) and winnowed them down by giving them to expecting friends etc over the years. Then she dressed a doll in one outfit which she gave to a doll collector friend.
Thank you all for your interesting and thoughtful answers. They add richness and appreciation to the sweet baby clothes I am describing and inventorying. Marian
