There's also a practical reason for having tons of baby clothes. Infants go through a lot of costume changes over the course of a day. What parent has time to run the washing machine after every burp, spill, or diaper leak? That's why you need to lay in a big layette.
A couple of years ago, The New York Times offered a shallower explanation for women's obsession with baby fashions, in an article titled "Dressing Up Mini-Me." It blamed rivalry and narcissism run amok and showcased society babes in nothing less than Gucci booties and DKNY cashmere sweaters. I don't quite so ostentatiously see my baby as an extension of myself. (At least, neither of us wears Gucci.) Nor do I care what Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, let alone the other moms in our playgroup, dress their dumplings in. But given all the choices at our disposal today, babies do express their mother's style, at any price point. Are you into pint-size capris with zebra stripes or denim coveralls with teddy bears? Pastels or primaries? Funny slogans ("Got milk?") or serious classics?
Moms care. Dads don't.
