J.Crew Adds Baby Clothes, Wants to Sell You $178 Cashmere Onesies

Do you aspire to have the most fashionable toddler at daycare, but the gear from Baby Gap just isn't cutting it? J.Crew is here to help!

The retailer announced Thursday that it has begun selling baby clothes, with a J.Crew Baby collection that features a range of dresses, onesies, sweaters, bibs, shoes and other essentials for your new arrival. It's available now, in-stores and online.

J.Crew has built a well-deserved reputation for style and quality, and we're sure some parents are happy to see their favorite clothing brand is getting into the baby business. But we had to do a double-take on some of the prices it's asking for baby clothes here.

There's a pair of Velcro sandals for $120. A tutu dress for $86. A toy pigeon, made of wool, for $76. And yes, there are some cashmere onesies that will set you back $178 apiece.

Now, Italian cashmere doesn't come cheap, and we're sure the J.Crew cashmere baby collection -- and yes, it's a whole collection -- features top-notch craftsmanship. And maybe some parents just want to swaddle their kids in the softest wool around, and are willing to pay a premium.

%VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks%J.Crew Baby has some reasonably priced offerings that could be worth your time. But do you really want to spend $178 on an outfit that your kid is going to outgrow in a matter of months? And for that matter, do you really want to wrap your baby in a $198 cashmere blanket when there's a good chance it's going to end up covered in spit up -- or worse?

If you want to spend upwards of $100 on a cashmere sweater for yourself, that's fine -- chances are you're not going to outgrow it, so a good quality top should last you a few years. Plus, you (hopefully) know better than to spit up all over your cozy new sweater.

Matt Brownell is the consumer and retail reporter for DailyFinance. You can reach him at Matt.Brownell@teamaol.com, and follow him on Twitter at @Brownellorama.