One of the best accessories any woman can have is a well dressed and cute baby. I often joke with my friends who are new mothers that we can get away with all the excess post partum baby weight as along as we have a cute baby in our arms. The baby will hide our “excess baggage” and provide distraction by doing cute baby antics.

I used to dress my babies is onesies/rompers as these are specially designed to make dressing and diaper change almost painless. I personally love onesies as the snap bottoms makes diaper changes easier as you just need to unbutton and pull up the bottom potion to change. If you have a really wriggly babe, you would be sweating buckets just trying to get your little one in and out of his/her pants. Besides, with onesies, you don’t have to crack your head if your baby’s top will match the bottom.

babyGap has very cute onesies going for only USD$ 3.99. (Previously retailing at USD$ 12.50) Their Cheeky Animal Graphic Bodysuit comes in 7 really adorable designs for both girls and boys. These short sleeved bodysuits has lapped shoulders and round neckline which are great for dressing babies in a hurry as all you need to do is pull the onesie over your baby’s head and body and you are almost ready. The easy-to-use snaps at the bottom are the only fastening contraptions you need to deal with. No need to fiddle with stubborn buttons or fears of zippers catching delicate baby flesh.

Made from 100% cotton, it is perfect for hot weather or layering with other clothes for chilly evenings. The soft and comfortable knit cotton bodysuit with finely ribbed trim throughout has really adorable graphics in front with humorous sayings that would no doubt make your baby a hit with anyone. My fav is the one with the little bear that says “small, dark and handsome”.

With these cute bodysuits, am sure your little darlings would provide major cute factor for your coming Hari Raya!

Clockwise from top left: Natural, Pink, Black, Medium Blue.

Complete your Hari Raya look with Nine West Women’s Samiam Dress Sandal. Your feet are in for a glam treat in this gorgeous 3 3/4″ sandal. This classy satin dress sandal has a sexy criss-cross design and an adjustable buckle around the ankle strap. Step into any one of the gorgeous colours to give your “baju Raya” a touch of glam.

Previously retailing at USD $ 79.95, you can get it for USD$ 25.58 at Amazon.com. At 70% off, these beauties are a real steal. Have one in every colour so that you have the matching shoes for all your “baju Raya”.

If heels are not your thing, slip into one of these gorgeous flats. The ½” heels are feet friendly and the jewelled metallic upper is what you need to spice up your “baju kurung” or “kebarung”. Made from synthetic material with rubber soles, Nine West Women’s Rufus Flat Jeweled Sandal will add some bling to your Hari Raya outfit. Priced from USD 29.99 onwards, these dainty strappy sandals come in 4 different colours. The gold and silver would be the preferred choice as they will match almost everything. This hot pick will definitely add some sparkle to your Hari Raya.

Nine West Women’s Rufus Flat Jeweled Sandal ( USD 29.99 onwards)

Dockers Men’s Flat Front True Chinos (Was USD$ 50, now from USD$ 15 onwards)

Hari Raya is just around the corner. Although I am a non-Muslim, I still celebrate the festivities with one of my best bud, N whose gorgeous “kuah kacang” I look forward to every year. Hari Raya is also another good excuse to get new outfits.

I was trawling the Net and I stumbled on an amazing deal. I found Dockers Men’s Flat Front True Chino from USD$15 onwards at Amazon.com. Made from 100% cotton, these stylish yet comfortable slacks is suitable for the office or an evening out with the guys. Dress it up with a shirt and tie, you are ready for your meeting. Or dress down with a polo shirt for a casual night out with the family or friends. For this Hari Raya, I think a “Baju Melayu” top would be quite appropriate too.

This versatile slacks has hook and eye front closure with inside button. The ¼ top front pockets and coin pouch on wearer’s right side is convenient to store any loose change. The double welt button through back pockets with the keystone stitch detail above the double welt pockets adds a nice subtle touch. Some of the masculine colours available are Khaki, Deep Sea, Oiled Brown and the essential Black.

And here are some of the items to go with the Dockers True Chino to make your man look spiffy for this Hari Raya.

Dockers 30mm Rounded Buckle (USD$ 12.00)

Dockers Men Core Button Down Short Shirt – Ellis Jade (USD$ 16.99 now from USD$ 38)

Dockers Men Core Button Down Short Shirt – Ellis Golden Haze (USD$ 16.99 now from USD$ 38)

Dockers Men Core Button Down Short Shirt – Gallatin Estate Blue (USD$ 16.99 now from USD$ 38)

vsHub’s 10% off shipping charges will make this Raya even merrier.

When shopping for clothes or shoes online, size DOES matter as the correct size will ensure a good fit and comfort. Many e-shoppers often stay away from buying apparel online as they are worried that the clothes or shoes that they have bought online do not fit plus they do not want the hassle of returning those purchases to the merchants. I have personally encountered “sizing issues” and have resorted to having my pants altered by a local tailor. (FYI, even after factoring in my alteration and shipping charges, my Levi’s is still cheaper than the ones available locally.)

Yesterday, I received an sms from my BIL, who is also a fellow avid shopper, that brought new hope to my sizing woes. At Size Me Up, you will be able to find your size at over 30 stores. This site allows you to find your apparel size and also allows vendors to share their sizing charts in simple, easy-to-use format with their customers. With these information available, am sure that it will take a lot of guesswork out of online shopping and sizing.

Besides the nice blue-grey colour scheme and neat layout, I also like the registration process. No lengthy tedious online form filling. This gets thumbs up from me as I detest filling out long-winded forms, online or on paper. To get started, you need a measuring tape and do some mouse clicking. All you need to do is to input various measurements according to the easy-to-follow instructions. The site requires you to firstly choose your gender. Then you are required to input measurements for your bust, waist, hips, foot, head circumference and finger. At the end of this oh-so-simple process, this cool site will show you your apparel size in US Standard Size and some merchants such as The Gap and H&M. Just choose the appropriate merchant and apparel to know your size.

Now that I have this wonderful tool, I am off again on another online shopping adventure. This time I won’t need to keep my fingers crossed that my clothes would fit as I can always rely on Size Me Up to help me find the right fit.