The Layette Tradition
of Tours, France by Ruth Paget
When
I was pregnant with my daughter Florence in France, my husband Laurent’s
grandmothers from the Touraine region lent me the family layette to use for the
newborn baby and toddler.
The
layette had amongst its treasures a christening gown, booties and caps knit by
great-grandmas, bibs, satin mittens so baby Florence would not scratch her eyes,
and sleepers. I added overalls from the
US, cozy tops, and sleepers to the collection once Florence had outgrown them.
The
layette is shared among cousins and is a custom that royalty started that has
trickled down to the present day in France.
I
have read about layettes dating back as far as 1493 to the birth of Ercole, son
of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, and his wife Beatrice d’Este. Their son had a layette and an ornate crib
that the public could view before the birth according to the book Beatrice d’Este: A Study of the Renaissance
by Julia Cartwright.
In
the modern day, a family could set up a budget to buy a layette of basic items
by looking what parents want on Amazon and noting prices of items to make a
preliminary budget. Funds for the
layette could be set aside in a CD until the baby is on the way.
Sample
Basic Baby Items to Budget for a Layette:
High
Chair $114
Diaper
Changing Stand $112
Crib $280
Crib
Sheets $120
Layette Set - Amazon $ 50
Christening
Gown $ 60
Overalls
- $20 x 10 $200
Stroller
– Graco $144
Playpen
– Babycare $230
Carter’s
Cotton Sleepers 20 x $17 $340
White
Cotton Shirt Sets $25 x 2 $ 50
Carter’s
Sweater $ 24
Carter’s
Socks – 12 $ 16
Carter’s
Bib Sets $19 x 2 $ 38
Total $1,778
If
you have more than one grandchild, bleach, iron, and store clothes in air-tight
plastic containers to lend out. This is
a basic kit to get parents started.
The
layette tradition is a nice one that can save a large family money and provide
for newborns.
By
Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
