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Ridiculously expensive baby fashion line hits J.Crew stores, features cashmere onesies

J.Crew's new baby line might be "really soft on skin," but it's also really hard on your wallet.

For just $206 US, your sleepy, drooling offspring can be decked out in a onesie made from "the finest Italian cashmere in the world," surely making them the best dressed kid in town — unless you happen to have a play date with Harper Beckham or North West.

J.Crew considers the luxury items, which they launched late last month, investments, calling the new line "hand-me-down worthy."

Jenny Cooper, the head of design for J.Crew's children's line, Crewcuts, insists that every frock in their luxury baby line was made with comfort and warmth in mind.

"Everything is built around keeping them comfy and warm, and we create clothes around those core considerations," she says. "There is less variety in shapes and silhouettes so the colours, prints and details become so important, but it’s always nice to have that mix of lovely and easy, especially when you have a squirmy subject, so we definitely take this into account."

Along with cashmere onesies, parents willing to dip into their kids' college funds can deck out their tots in cashmere cardigans (beginning at $168 US), leggings ($114) and blankets ($228).

But what the high-brow clothing company failed to keep in mind was the prospect of washing the things -- anyone who's had the pleasure of owning cashmere can tell you that cashmere, of all things, is definitely not machine-wash friendly. Unless you have a washing machine with a hand wash cycle, you'll be scrubbing the soiled knits by hand. And don't even think about tossing them in the dryer.

J.Crew's new line does offer baby basics that are a little more practical. The machine-washable cotton onesies are adorable, too — and cost less than $30.

While the clothing line has only been out for a few weeks, the critics have been eager to weigh in.

"Of course for a baby such as North West, J. Crew’s baby line will just be her lazy-day clothes, like a mom’s equivalent of yoga pants. After all, this is the infant whose wardrobe is already stocked with items from Celine, Lanvin, Balenciaga and Givenchy — and those pieces have four-figure price tags attached to them. J. Crew’s stuff is just in the hundreds-of-dollars range," writes Babble's Meredith Carroll.

But J.Crew is hardly the first to introduce luxury baby fashions. Burberry's baby line features a $295 hooded cashmere cardigan, as do many high-end brands.

Baby CZ's double-breasted cashmere pram coat for babies as young as three months sells for $310.

Please Mum London is selling a three-piece boy's outfit — patchwork jacket, shirt and jeans — for £269.00 ($451 CAD).

For really glam kids, Little Marc Jacobs' sequin shift dress for girls up to 18 months rings in at just under $513. And Dolce & Gabbana infant's fur-collar wool coat costs a whopping $953.63 at Saks Fifth Avenue.

With those prices, maybe J.Crew is a steal after all.

Would you fork over a fortune to keep your baby on the best-dressed list? Tell us in the comments below!