The Brighton Dad blog

I'm no sociologist, so I don't know if men shop in a different way to women or if it merely comes down to individuals. My attitude to preparing for our baby has been that we might as well get plenty of stuff while we still have two salaries; but that impulse has been mixed with the realisation that not everything needs to be new.

When friends or family have offered to give us, say, a pram, car seat and a Moses basket, we've accepted graciously. Second-hand goods seem to be more environmentally sound and of course save us money. Of the big ticket items, we've only bought a BabyBjorn sling (mainly so I can try and look cool on the seafront or while poncing around Hove) and a baby monitor.

Cliché and stereotype would have it that men are more interested in gadgets and equipment than women. In my case, this is only partly true, as illustrated by the aforementioned baby monitor, which I purchased only after conducting extensive research. I've not felt a particular urge to buy any other fancy gadgets (nappy disposal systems, Bugaboo, Babykeeper, KiddieKangaroo, jogging pram etc) but then, neither has my wife.

Is the need to exhaustively research everything a peculiarly male thing? I like to read around a subject, check what the experts say, research other people's feedback and look for the best price before making a purchase. My wife is not quite as investigative as this, but she has got so used to leaving this kind of thing to me that she never has to worry about it anyway. The monitor I plumped for was the Tomy TD350, by the way. It's digital, appears to do everything you need from a monitor and we had a £7 off voucher for Mothercare via their baby & me club.

Incidentally, what is it with Mothercare's please look after me range? I look at those and I wonder why a parent would buy something that is effectively putting words in their baby's mouth saying: "You're not doing a good enough job. I'm not being looked after properly. Please look after me. Don't hurt me!" Or maybe it's just me.

Another thing that could be a male trait or one of my own idionsyncrasies, is that I've found myself increasingly searching for baby clothes that are a little bit different from the high street. Not more expensive, just different. In the same way that I prefer to buy t-shirts from online shops that showcase original artwork on tees and innovative design rather than the same old stuff in Gap, Next, French Connection etc. At one of my favourite online shops, TeeFury, tees are $9 or £7. With delivery they cost £14 (this used to be £11 but currency fluctuations have worked against us Brits at the moment), which is reasonable for something original and less ubiquitous on British high streets.

When it comes to babywear, I've been searching for something similar. There's usually a market stall on the seafront near the old pier that sells cools babygrows with funky designs on, but that's still to make an appearance this year. I looked at Future Freak and, while I do like their stuff, it is too slogan-based for my liking and not particularly bold or artistic; it's more like the kind of tees you can buy in shops that do the decal right in front of you. Different and funny, for sure, but just the tiniest bit tacky too.

The best place I have found is Threadless, which has a range of babywear with striking artwork that is imaginative and unique. It doesn't only sell designs that are clearly intended for babies, which is a refreshing change from the usual slightly sickly sweet designs on the high street – in fact, much of the artwork on the babywear is the same as that available for adults. Moreover, it sells the same designs across babygrows, baby tees and baby hoodies.

I recently bought a few babygrows, including this delightful one entitled Fisherman's Find, which I think is gorgeous. I also like the Fake Pandas Have More Fun, Cookie Loves Milk, I'm Like a Bird, and Larry The Fox Doesn't Feel So Clever Anymore.

I didn't mean this to be an advert for Threadless, but when you find something you like it's hard not to get overly excited and want to tell other parents about it.