Of course we adults know that strained carrots and applesauce cannot be ingested through the chin or forehead, but try telling that to a baby who is just getting used to solid food! As anyone with young children will tell you, when a baby is trying to feed herself, food will end up in all kinds of places besides the mouth. This is why bibs are essential.
Bibs--which are fitted over the head or around the neck and are meant to protect your baby's clothing from food stains and drool--run the gamut from fancy to functional. There are beautifully detailed ones you may want to use only for special occasions--say, a first birthday, a holiday or to coordinate with an outfit--and then there are ordinary terrycloth or plastic ones that you may use for everyday meals and the inevitable spit up. There are even disposable ones, which are great for the traveling family. Whichever you choose, if you value the investment you've put into your baby's clothing and you loathe doing tons of laundry, bibs can be a real godsend.
What to Look for
If your baby will be wearing bibs mainly at mealtimes to protect her clothing from spills, look for dark-colored bibs that hide stains well. (Ever try to get smashed in sweet potatoes or spaghetti sauce out of white cotton cloth?) Absorbent materials, like a plush terrycloth work well, as does plastic or vinyl, which can be wiped clean (or even placed it in the dishwasher--top rack only). If your baby is a real food flinger, consider a smock-type bib, which covers some of the upper arm area as well as the chest. Disposable bibs--with a tissue-paper-type consistency--are a good option if you're traveling and want to pack lightly.
For the super-duper drooler or the sloppy sucker, invest in some heavy cotton bibs that absorb moisture well. And keep a good supply at hand. Bibs are kind of like diapers--you'd be surprised how many a baby can go through in a day.
Common Pitfalls
Remember, bibs serve a purpose--to protect clothing from stains and spit up. If you have a very special bib you want your baby to wear, by all means go ahead. Just make sure you replace it with a more practical one before she eats. And speaking of practical--consider the ease of getting the bib on and off before you invest in it. If your baby wrestles you when you try to get her dressed, you're better off with bibs that quickly snap at the neck or have Velcro fasteners instead of bibs that fit over the head or need to be tied. Some bibs come with pockets at the bottom, to catch dropped food, but more often than not the food becomes trapped and squashed in the pocket, making it all the more difficult to remove.
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