All those pictures of perfectly dressed infants in the arms of celebrity parents like Madonna, Jerry Hall, David Beckham, Jodie Foster, Cindy Crawford, Luciana Morad, Michelle Pfeiffer and the rest as they waft from one glamorous engagement to another would make almost any mother feel inadequate.
It's so unfair of them, because it takes an entire staff behind the scenes to get a baby (and mother) looking that perfect. Sensible parents were hoping that the baby-as-fashion-accessory trend had hit a peak with the Hello! magazine pictures of Brooklyn Beckham kitted out in velvet, satin and lace for his parents' wedding.
But now Gucci are selling baby clothes so expensive that the cost could feed and clothe a Third World family - maybe even a village - for a year. The Gucci Baby biker leather jacket - "made from soft Italian leather and handstitched by dedicated craftsmen" - costs £1,125. Babies grow so fast you can imagine this item being wearable for about a week.
Baby bootees will cost £85 and baby pouches (the kind Michael Douglas will be able to wear while carrying his new baby to meet the paparazzi) are priced at £345. Catherine Zeta-Jones can even carry a matching Gucci nappy bag for a mere £495.
When Madonna's second child arrives, however, you can be sure she'll opt for the more discreet Prada, who plan to issue its own babywear collection in the autumn.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/sandbox.irishtimes/ZNXTZ2DRXNFU5MTNZFDVCVJJNE.png)