Hi, my name is Stephanie, and I am a (recovering) smocked children’s clothing addict.
I have always thought heirloom and smocked clothing on children is adorable. My addiction started innocently in early 2014 when I was pregnant with my son and needed a “coming home” outfit from the hospital. I spent countless hours scouring the internet for the perfect little bubble or gown and matching bonnet. I finally decided on a pale blue bubble with very delicate smocking and a matching bonnet, size NB. I immediately hand-washed the bubble and hung it to dry and then carefully ironed it and re-hung it with some of the other itty-bitty outfits we had received from friends and family in my son’s closet, daydreaming of the day, in mid-August, when I would get to bring him home in this little piece of Southern-tradition perfection. I ended up having to be induced almost a month early because I had developed pre-eclampsia. Of course I had not yet packed a bag, finished the nursery, or anything else. Panicked, I texted my husband a list of things to bring to the hospital – first on the list was “coming home outfit, hanging in closet, with bonnet!” Because he was “premature” (he weighed 7 lbs, 0 oz and was 20 inches long at birth) and we all expected a bigger baby, the only thing I had purchased in NB size was his coming home outfit. At the hospital, he wore the little generic white t-shirt and size NB diapers every day…until the day we were released to go home. Bless his heart (and mine)…the bubble, even in size NB, swallowed him whole and the little bonnet just about covered up his entire head (which was full of hair, by the way!). 
Thereafter, I sort of dabbled with smocked outfits…a daygown purchased at consignment, some hand-me-down bubbles, a couple of new bubbles from family and friends…I didn’t spend too much money on anything, but little did I know I was hooked. I began searching online while I was at home on maternity leave and my son was napping. I ordered little outfits from Zulily for holidays and bought a couple of things from local children’s clothing stores. Then, one day, I found out about what became my main sources to feed my addiction: B/S/T (that’s “buy/sale/trade” for those of you not down with the lingo) pages on Facebook and smocked clothing groups (I currently remain a member/follower of seven of these groups). The B/S/T groups post clothing that you can search by size, brand, design and the smocked clothing groups allow you to comment “sold/size” and order at a reduced cost…months in advance of when your child might actually wear the clothing. I was buying summer clothing in December or January, sometimes trying to guess what size my boy would be to fit in the clothing. In order to feed this addiction, I would store pieces of clothing after my son outgrew them to be posted on a B/S/T page or at consignment. Y’all…I seriously made over $300 once selling about 20 pieces of clothing and shoes to other moms online…only to turn around and spend that money on more clothing for my son. It was a vicious cycle full of cute clothing. My addiction has not focused solely on smocked clothing…I also get a rush from appliques and, of course, monograms.
I understand that not all moms think smocked clothing is cute, functional, or worth the money. My friends (you know who you are…) have rolled their eyes about my son wearing smocked outfits with peter pan collars. I can’t say that my husband supported the smocked clothing, but he never told me it was ridiculous or that I could not dress our son that way (though he has enjoyed making jokes about our son’s “blouses” and the long, white knee socks he so loving referred to as “pantyhose”), but I always knew in the back of my mind the day would come when my son would outgrow these traditional, sweet clothes and I would have to stop…I just didn’t know it would come so soon.
When he was three, my son told me that jon jons were for “babies” and he didn’t want to wear them anymore. My heart broke just a little that day, but the reality was that jon jons and longalls were no longer feasible for a little guy who wore big boy underwear and went to the potty by himself. I told myself it was just easier on him and me and put the jon jons (some still new with tags!) on the B/S/T page and shipped them off to new moms and wondered if those moms knew this feeling – the feeling of losing your little one just a bit, ever so slowly. I had decided when Michael turned 4, we would be done with peter pan collars and that he would wear the smocked outfits we had, but I could not purchase new ones. I found that as each smocking group posted their latest pre-order, I felt the itch to buy more. But I had to make my brain tell me what my heart couldn’t: he’s just too old for it now.
I look back at this picture of him on his fourth birthday, right after church, and know that I made the right decision for this big boy of mine. I probably could (and should) have stopped sooner…but I wasn’t ready to let go. Leaving jon jons and peter pan collars behind for camo and Under Armour meant my little boy was becoming a big boy, a big boy with opinions about what he wants to wear…so as I pull out last spring and summer’s smocks and cuteness to pass on to another mama for her little guy, I say a little prayer that she relishes in these moments as long as she can…because they are only little for a little while.
