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After waking up to nurses walking in and getting my wife ready for labor, a million thoughts started racing through my head.
What would he look like?
Would he cry a lot?
Would I be a good dad?
It’s that last one that gets every dad right in the chest. My parents had me when they were 18 so they were rarely around when I was young; working crazy hours every day just to keep a roof over our heads was the norm. How would I, a first-time father, figure out parenting? Do I just make things up as I go? Is that what all parents do?
It was 2:58am on April 21st, 2016 when I held my son Sven for the first time. That was the moment my entire life changed.
As Sven got older, having my design studio in our back yard ended up being one of the biggest benefits a new dad could possibly have - I was able to be there the family every day. Lunch breaks would consist of tummy time in the living room, showing Sven the new toy cars I had found and helping him try on new shoes that matched my own.
My favorite outfits for Sven have always been his pajamas. There’s just something comical about seeing a tiny little human in a onesie.
My only problem with these pajamas was their material. As a designer, the cheap fabrics and cheesy designs puzzled me. Considering the amount of time kids spend in their PJs, I had to wonder:
Why didn’t anyone care that our children’s pajamas weren’t as good as they could be?
I cared.
I spent the next year of my life actively searching for the world’s best fabric for children. I interviewed hundreds of new mothers around LA to figure out what features they loved on their children’s pajamas, and which ones they could do without. If I was really going to make pajamas for my child to wear, they had to be perfect.
Enter merino wool.
One of my favorite fabrics to work with is merino wool. Typically found in high-end base layer garments for adults, merino is amazing because of it’s temperature regulation, it’s odor resistance and it’s incredible softness. These features make it the perfect fabric for baby pajamas. Studies have shown it not only helps them fall asleep faster, it helps them sleep longer as well. It’s organic and naturally flame resistant, meaning it really does keep your baby sleeping safe and sound.
Not all merino is created equal though.
The softness of merino is directly related to the thickness of each individual fiber used - this measurement is called microns. The lower the micron, the softer the garment.
A human hair is around 100 microns.
Cashmere, one of the most expensive wools in the world, has a standard measurement of 16.5 microns. And Sven pajamas? 14.9 microns.. and ours is actually machine washable.
“I’ve learned people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou
I’ve always designed with that quote in mind. I can tell you how I created the absolute best merino fabric ever made for children or list all the smart features I added after testing out countless iterations with Sven. I can even send it to you quickly in a beautiful, hand made box you’ll probably feel the need to take a picture of. These things are amazing but they aren’t what makes it special.
Years from now, as you give these pieces to your children’s children, there’s one thing you’ll never forget: How it made you feel when your child tried it on for the first time. Their smile, the little shimmy they did as they felt the fabric hug them gently, the beautiful sleep they (and you) had later. These pajamas were made for times like this - the moments that turn into memories. Thanks for allowing Sven and me to be a part of that experience.
-Jason