SIL

The Sil collections are designed in the Belgian Sil atelier. This is also where the patterns are drawn, small runs of clothes and some of the samples are made. Most of the clothes are made by specialised ready-to-wear ateliers in Poland. Fabrics are produced in Italy, Greece, France and Belgium.

Because production takes place in Europe, these workshops must comply with European labour laws and regulations. This allows us to assume that the clothes are made in ethical conditions.

Sil is a Belgian clothing brand and is part of the ​‘I buy Belgian’ platform. The brand also wants to work with Belgian retailers as much as possible to support local retail.

Sil uses different materials in their collection. The brand only works with fabrics produced in Europe. However, this does not guarantee that they are sustainable materials. Sil often uses unsustainable materials such as polyamide, conventional cotton and polyester.

Other materials are sustainable though, mainly the natural ones. For example, Sil uses linen from a Belgian producer, recycled cotton from Italy and Tencel. Tencel is a sustainable viscose from the company Lenzing. This material is sustainable because it is made in a closed-loop process from wood from sustainable forestry.

To ensure there are no chemicals present in the clothing, Sil makes sure all fabrics have the OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certificate. This certificate checks for the presence of chemicals in the product, so you can be sure it is completely safe!

Sil uses various natural materials such as linen and cotton. Unfortunately, these materials are mixed with polyamide or polyester in the clothes. This makes the clothes very difficult to recycle after use. 

To reduce waste, Sil uses their production scraps to make new products. For example, you can find cute bags in the collection that were made in the Sil atelier with leftover fabrics from the collection.

Moreover, the brand collaborates with Dressr so you can also rent the clothes instead of buying them!

Most of the clothes are produced in Poland. Sil designs the collections in their atelier in Erpe, near Ghent. Finally, the brand only uses materials produced in Europe. As a result, Sil has a short supply chain.

Most of the Sil collection is vegan, meaning it contains no materials of animal origin. A few garments incorporate silk or wool. Unfortunately, no information is known about these materials, so it is not possible to assess animal welfare.

Sil designs according to slow fashion philosophy, in small collections and without sales periods. Each collection consists of seven designs, often available in a few colour options. This way, the collections are always easy to mix across seasons.

The designs are timeless and stylish. They consist of neutral colours with an eye-catcher here and there. Sil makes clothes you can enjoy for a long time, so you can wear it for years with style and comfort. The brand aims to empower women and emphasises your natural look thanks to its clean lines and comfortable fits.

In addition, Sil also has a small collection of basics. In this collection, called ​‘Sil vous plaît’, you will find hoodies, T‑shirts and jumpers with embroidered letters. The basics are made of sustainable materials and are produced in ethical conditions. The Sil vous plaît collection consists of some light colours ranging from white to light blue.

Finally, Sil also has a bridal collection. The dresses are always unique and are completely custom-made for the bride. These dresses are handmade in the Sil atelier.

Sil provides information about their design process and collaboration with Polish production workshops, but does not go into detail. The brand did share the names of several suppliers with COSH! Which means it still scores well on transparency.