We care
Silly Silas was founded with a vision. We strive to pave the way for premium kids' wear that is both functional and of the highest quality. We’re driven by innovation and a deep desire to create a legacy built on care and compassion, for the planet and for all us beings who are part of it. We are reinvesting in research and development to find the cleanest, most sustainable methods for creating our products, and to define new systems that ensure that all the beings involved in our process are treated with love and respect.
All of our tights are manufactured in small, traditional production setups in the European Union, with the work of artisans, who, coming from long lineages of seamstresses and manufacturers, have honed their skills over their entire lifetimes. These types of production units throughout Europe are slowly vanishing, and their beautiful craft has become increasingly rare. We strongly believe that it is vital to revive and help sustain this tradition, no matter the cost. By partnering with them, we can ensure that they continue to pursue the work that they are most passionate about, in an environment where they are respected and treated with dignity.
We consider not only the immediate safety of the product, but also the impact of its creation from cultivation through manufacturing and packaging. That’s why, in addition to our OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class 1 certification, we proudly carry certifications from the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), the world’s leading textile processing authorities for organic fibres and responsible sourcing of wool.
Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS)
Read more at https://global-standard.org/
GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres. GOTS goes deeper than the impact fibres have on the human body. From seed to store — the standard takes every stage of production into consideration, from the safety of the end product to the environmental impact of each facility, to the health and wellbeing of workers throughout the supply chain. GOTS helps eliminate blind spots for consumers, providing traceability and accountability every step of the way.
GOTS evaluates the production and manufacturing of textiles according to their environmental and social impact. It demands the establishment of traceability and transparency from the farming stage all the way through production, shipping, and trading. It ensures not only a safer end-product for consumers, but also a healthier environment for the farmers and the communities who work in the supply chain.
GOTS environmental standards include, but are not limited to, using GOTS-approved colourants, supervising environmental management (including wastewater treatment), and evaluation of toxicity and biodegradability for chemical inputs.
The Global Organic Textiles standard also requires certain working and social conditions. This means that child labour cannot be used, workers must have freedom of association and collective bargaining, there are no discriminatory practices, working conditions must be safe and hygienic, workers are remunerated according to national legal or industry benchmark standards, and operations must calculate living wages and assess wage gaps, among other standards.
With GOTS, we know that every step of the process is monitored to ensure safety for humans and the environment, on both a local and global scale — all the way down to the smallest details, like packaging and labels.
The effects of climate change are increasingly evident, and as citizens of the world, it is our responsibility to do our research and make informed decisions about the industries we support. Every step towards a more ecologically and socially responsible lifestyle is a step along a better path. At Silly Silas, we don’t want to settle for “okay” –– we know that we can do so much better.
Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
When we made the decision to craft and launch our beloved tights in Merino wool, we researched the most responsible and sustainable routes. Together with our manufacturers, we curated RWS-certified sources of wool, ensuring that our wool comes from farms with progressive approaches to land and sheep management. Our products are also sustainably produced, leaving the gentlest footprint on our planet.
Wool is a renewable material that naturally resists smelly microbes and helps regulate body temperature. But like any natural resource, it’s only renewable and sustainable if it’s sourced in a way that respects and looks after the animals and the land. The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is an independent, voluntary standard. From farm to production, this certification ensures that wool from certified farms is properly identified and tracked. The RWS has researched and developed animal welfare and land management practices in order to set a standard for the industry. The standard preserves land health by ensuring that progressive land management methods are used on farms, protecting soil health, biodiversity, and native species.
Sheep welfare is safeguarded, as well. In addition to ensuring things like adequate nutrition, proper storage of feed, access to natural light and pasture, and the prohibition of mulesing, the Five Freedoms of animal welfare are protected on RWS farms.
OEKO-TEX®
From the beginning of our journey, all of our products have been certified by the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Class 1 certification, which ensures that “every component of [an] article, i.e. every thread, button and other accessory, has been tested for harmful substances and that the article therefore is harmless for human health.” The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 at the Class 1 level is the most rigorous certification, designed specifically for newborns through toddlers up to the age of three.
Additionally, our products are tested according to ASTM D1230-17 complying with specific textile flammability regulation required in Sweden (Konsumentverket, Brandrisk i kläder), Netherlands (Handhavingsafspraken brandveiligheid kleding conform de Warenwet 2008) and Norway (Forskrift om forbud mot svært brennbare tekstiler) and Flammability requirement in Canada (CAN/CGSB-4.2 NO 27.5:2008) and USA (US CPSC 16 CFR PART 1610).
Transparency
Our manufacturers are based in small towns in the Czech Republic and Spain. A simple product like a pair of children’s tights takes 10-12 operational steps to manufacture. Our tights are made using traditional, vintage technology in order to make sure they’re 100% cotton and free from added elastane. The knitting time is lengthy, but we think it’s oh-so worth it to get the softest texture possible. After the last stitch has been sewn, each pair of tights is individually checked. When they’re ready to come home to you, they’re carefully packed and sent your way. Consumers are often disconnected from the process of how products are made, and we want to make sure that you’re included. If you have any questions, ever, please do not hesitate to reach out at hello@sillysilas.com.