In this time of giving and holiday cheer, it's important to remember the less fortunate, to offer them our love and support, and to share with them of our bounteous blessings.
That's why I'm announcing that Daddy Types will give a dollar to the first ten people who email me before they buy the Carter's "Just One Year" bodysuits at Target.
To get these down to a Target-level price, Carter's has used cheaper materials and construction. Basically, you're saving 85 cents on each bodysuit. [JOY works out to $2.25 a piece, vs $3.08 for normal Carter's.] To me, it's just not worth the savings.
The JOY cotton quickly loses its shape and gets all baggy, and the snaps are a pain, both to open and to close. If you're a Carter's customer who's trying to economize while still holding onto the Carter's brand goodness and quality, let me tell you, this dollar is for you. You know what? Make it two dollars. Use it towards getting some real Carter's bodysuits.
You don't believe me? Fine. Buy a 4-pack of JOY bodysuits from Carter's, $8.99 at Target [target.com]
Meanwhile, a 5-pack of normal Carter's bodysuits is $15.40 on Amazon [amazon]
I buy these bodysuits at Target to personalize with iron-ons and stuff... and just yesterday purchased for the first time the Gerber's ones -- or shall I say Gerber's ONESIES. I went for it because they were the only long sleeve onesies I could find, but was pretty skeptical of the size 9-18 months. (I have never heard of such a wide range of sizes) Bought them anyway. Any thoughts/experience on these supposedly long lasting ONESIES?
[Besides being a registered trademark of the Gerber Baby company, Onesie brand bodysuits are of better quality than JOY. The way everyone uses the term "Onesie" to describe other company's bodysuits, you would think they're the highest quality bodysuits in the world. And you would be wrong. But they ARE better than JOYs, at least. -ed.]
Wendy Bellissimo did the same thing with her bedding at Babies R Us, even though they will tell you they didn't. It's also made of cheaper materials so they can mass produce it, even though they'll sell it for "Name Value" at $300.
It's the same with Carters. Companies think because they put their name on it, people will still pay for it and love it because it's now cheaper. You get what you pay, trust me. I can't tell you how many have said to me that it's so great that high end companies like Shabby Chic, Amy Coe, and others have decided to put out a Target brand or similar discounted brand.
People don't understand the cost cutting measures these companies go to and what you're actually getting.
I have to say I'm not a fan of Carter's in general--their stuff is cut so small that my kids are constantly outgrowing it. I've given up on them altogether.
You can get the good quality Carter's at the Carter's outlet, too. The JOY at Target stuff is crap.
I totally agree with you on the onesie deal, but I do/did love their long-sleeve footed play/sleep things. I remember when my son was an infant being devastated that they stopped at 9 months.
In the end, my kid is growing out of her stuff so quickly, it actually doesn't matter to me if the "bodysuits" are crap. Sadly, I can't afford to buy her 8 American Apparel ones every 3 months. I've bought them at Costco, Target, etc. Some, its true, are better than others, but to me its all disposable. I do agree the Carters JOY at Target seems to stain more permanently and easily and gets baggy.
Personally, if you want cheap, decent quality bodysuits, I say head to Old Navy. All my son's Old Navy clothes held up welll enough to pass on to his cousin. The snaps are good, and the sizes were pretty true for us.
I have a pack of the Just One Year bodysuits and I do like them. They don't have the detailed finish of the more expensive ones (i.e. the sleeves are not nicely hemmed) but I think they hold up well for the price. The fabric is thinner, so if you live in a hot place, they are actually more comfortable. The snaps work well in mine. And I like the XL size, I was having a hard time finding a bigger size until I ran into these. In my opinion, they are perfectly fine for underwear.
I personally like the Carter's brand of onesies better. The sizes run a little big. My son is 12 months old and he is still fitting into 9 month Carter white onesies and 6 month of the colored decorative onesies. They are of very nice quality. I understand that they are just "undershirts" but they are so much nicer than other brands. I have bought the Gerber brand onesies and they run small and feel so cheap. When my son was 9 months old, I bought the 12 month onesie for them to not fit him well. Every time I picked him up, I heard a snap pop open. I would definitely pay for the quality.