Jun 3, 2009

Sunbeam Shop sheds light on quality kids clothingBy Rosemary DowningCleveland.com

When my youngest daughter was a few days old, a package arrived at our house from The Sunbeam Shop. This was in 1981. When I opened the gift box, inside there was a dainty white dress with powder blue smocking across the bodice. It was the epitome of little girl femininity.

To this day, The Sunbeam Shop still sells this style of clothing for infants and it is still how I enjoy seeing little girls dressed.

Sunbeam is in many ways a Cleveland institution of fine clothing for children from infants to grade school.

Proceeds from Sunbeam merchandise sales support Vocational Guidance Services. VGS is a non-profit organization with the mission of preparing people with barriers to employment for a brighter future.

With more than a century of generous community support, Vocational Guidance Services helps thousands of individuals with disabilities and disadvantages find jobs each year.

Janet Nelson has been the store manager since 1980. She loves what she does, and she does it extremely well. We spent some time together last week before the store opened. She is a font of information regarding the history of the store and its current activities.

Shoppers call from around the country to purchase gift certificates based on the store’s reputation for serving the carriage trade of Greater Cleveland, the carriage trade being the blue bloods who value labels like Florence Eisman and Feltman Brothers when buying for infants and toddlers.

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