Family Focus

Calling all homeschooling moms... This is one post you can’t miss. We spoke with Sana Clegg, mom-of-three and founder of children's wear line Sunny with an A, to get her pro tips on the mother-teacher double duty. And since we love the career pivot—it's what led to the launch of Veronica Beard—we chatted with this former Wall Street-turned-PR maven about that, too. 

P.S. Through next week, Friday, October 9, you can shop Sunny with A at our stores in New York (Madison Avenue, Americana Manhasset), Greenwich and Dallas. Plus, New Yorkers, swing by our Greenwich outpost to meet Sana herself tomorrow, October 2, from 10 AM to noon!

1. Buy everyone headphones. including yourself 

2. Spend time training your kids on Zoom. You’d be surprised that they are more tech savvy than you! 

3. Remember everyone else is going through the same thing. Drink coffee and wine as needed! 

4. Set specific times for outdoor activity for your kids—during snack breaks, lunch break or after school so they get adequate physical exercise. 

5. Get wiggle chairs, balance balls, weighted vests, etc., to help children focus, don’t be afraid to get gadgets to help them sit for long periods of time. Also get yoga mats—they love to lay in stretch positions while on Zoom for hours!

What was the inspiration behind Sunny with an A?
When I was pregnant with my third child, I realized there were very few high-end pajama brands that also had great quality and none were made in the USA—the existing products didn’t seem worth the money. It was really hard to find the right sizes in children’s sleepwear due to the snug-fitting regulations. My New York City mom friends were my target customers and after speaking to many of them and analyzing my own needs and desires about my children’s sleepwear needs, I realized that everyone wanted high-grade organic cotton, lots of stretch, long-lasting, and preferably made in America products. Most children’s pajamas are produced in Latin American countries and Asia, and thus we don’t really know if stringent environmental and chemical regulations are followed. In addition, many European brands are prohibited in the United States since they don’t follow the US federal guidelines for children’s sleepwear. Thus, there was a demand for niche luxury sleepwear in the children’s industry and Sunny with an A was born… along with my son, Hunter!

What's the story behind the name?
When I met my husband while working at an investment bank, he looked at my name tag and said, “How do you pronounce your name?” Not a great line! I responded, “It’s Sana but pronounced 'Sunn-ah' like 'Sunny with an A'". He replied, that would be “Sunnya.” Needless to say, it took him a long time to get me to go on a date with him but “Sunny with an A” became our “how we met” story. And so, when it was time to launch a children’s pajamas brand and all of my marketing research pointed to choosing a unique, made-up name—“Sunny with an A,” utilizing the sun imagery, was perfect!

What inspired you to, like the Veronicas, switch careers and launch your own business?
After 5 years on Wall Street, I made a sudden career pivot into fashion public relations. I started with Valentino and the rest was another five years of many fun brands and loads of fun! After a few years in the fashion whirlwind of a world, the idea of starting my own business became an obsession for me. Then I became a mom and the two worlds married with the creation of a new brand of children’s sleepwear. I have been incredibly lucky that many of my fashion PR contacts had also become parents, aunts, uncles, etc. so when I sent them emails with images and info on launching my company, the response was fantastic. We had coverage in InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Quest, all fairly quickly. And soon the Kardashian kids were wearing them on Instagram—it paid to do a lot of celebrity PR in the past! The initial response was fabulous and I was so grateful for the support!