By COLlive reporter
Kingston Avenue is losing the store which has been elegantly dressing the boys and girls of the Crown Heights neighborhood and beyond for the past 33 years.
Mrs. Simone Gansburg‘s innate sense of style and her unique selection of designer merchandise have drawn a diverse clientele to her store, Simone’s Place.
“When my daughters were growing up, in the early 70’s, it was very difficult to find dresses,” Gansburg told COLlive.com what it was like to find clothing for her children when they were little.
“I had to shop all over to find something,” she says. “There was one store in Williamsburg and maybe one on the East Side, but there was nothing to choose from. There were no children’s clothing stores in Boro Park. There was no Gap or H&M and obviously no ‘online’ shopping.”
Possessing entrepreneurship with an understanding of fashion and a skill for sewing, Gansburg set out to make clothing available. “I knew how to sew, so I used my sewing machine to create dresses for my girls,” she recalls.
It started out in the basement of her home and she quickly drew a very grateful customer base of local and worldwide parents, as people often came to the neighborhood to visit the Rebbe at the nearby Lubavitch World Headquarters.
The annual Tishrei guests from Israel and France who came to 770 Eastern Parkway couldn’t wait to stop at the store on Kingston Avenue to get the nicest coats that couldn’t be found anywhere else, she explains.
“Not only were they able to find clothes in the neighborhood, but because I was able to sew I helped make every outfit a perfect fit. If it was too tight, too wide, short, long, my seamstress and I worked together to make the customers happy,” she says.
To insure that clothing for girls were modest, she convinced the clothing companies to give her extra material so she could add it to the dresses to make them tznius.
“This saved the girls from wearing an additional layer underneath their dress in the summer’s heat,” she says. “When I couldn’t obtain material, I connected two customers who wanted the same dress, and suggested they buy an extra dress together and use it to add sleeves.
“I was also able to help the girls who did not want to dress ‘nerdy’ and were attracted to the trendy dresses that were not always fully tznius. I altered the dresses to make the dresses suitable,” says Gansburg, who is now a grandmother.
“Every mother with a daughter knows how difficult clothes shopping can be. For example when bubble dresses were in style, I knew how to lengthen the dresses without losing the bubble. I loved to see my customers happy and have helped them in this way then, and still help them now.”
Yet, with the clothing options expanding tremendously in Brooklyn and online, Gansburg is saying goodbye to Simone’s Place.
Customers will have one last opportunity to purchase from her better children’s clothes. Simone is now leaving the business and is liquidating her merchandise with a huge wall to wall final clearance sale.
Everything is now 50% off until Sunday, Feb. 15, on Shabbos clothes, robes, coats, suits, skirts, uniforms and more. After that, the store will be under new management, COLlive has learned.
So what’s next for Simone? In the past, Gansburg helped Shluchos handsomely dress their boys for family simchas by generously providing them with tuxedos free of charge. She says she plans to expand this gemach by adding gowns and opening it to the entire community.
We wanted to come Sunday and just found this article. Please advise..thank you and Good shabbos
the expression is not tznius. for example you do not say: to dress tznius.
the word is tznius’dik (or tzniusdik without an apostrophe).
for example you say: to dress tzniusdik.
in hebrew you say :lilbosh tzonuah (ללבוש צנוע) not lilbosh tznius( ללבוש צניעות).
another example:ishah tznuah (אשה צנועה)
not ishah tznius(אשה צניעות).
we should try to teach our children proper (not awkward)
expression.
While the accolades to Simone are certainly deserved it would be unfair to think of this store as a thing of the past. From the ads I see right here on COL it seems the store will remain open under new management.( It would have been only fair to point this out when posting this article.) Hopefully Simone will share some of her unparalleled expertise with the new management and the store can continue to function nicely and serve the neighborhood successfully.
You always treated me very kindly. hatzlocho with all you do!
I am very upset that the store is closing ,Shoshana was very helpful she always try to resolve the problem. I hope she will stay with the new management
We will truly miss the kindness and warmth that we got from simoes store always when e came in for tishrei we would love and look foward to the trip to simones although it might be taken over there is nothing that can replace the kindness and understaning of simone. I would like to wish her much success in the future.
Thank you for dressing us all these years I love you bubby
mendel rosenblum ☺
While it is great that it won’t be wiped off the map, nobody would be able to replace Simone. She was so classy and sensitive to the needs of all of her customers, to the ones paying full price and otherwise…such a kind and respectful woman she is! Hashem should bentch her with everything good! Hatzlacha, yiddishe chassidishe nachas from her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, health and much happiness!! Simone is irreplaceable!
On behalf of Shluchos throughout the world I would like to thank Simone for her help in enabling us to dress our children elegantly and more importantly Tzniusly. Simone was always sensitive to Shluchos who had tight budgets.
Thank you Simone!
A grateful Shlucha
two years ago i came for the kinus and wanted to buy tznius skirts for my daughters, when simone toled me the prices i realized that i could not afford it , she told me not to worry, asked me what is my price range and then showed me some beautiful skirts for that price, last year when i came in to ny for the kinus once again i went into her store. this time i needed wedding dresses, before i could even say a word she said to me let me show you what i have for you, and… Read more »
Yes simones was the direct place for me to go….. the most elegant and best selected merchandise. What will I do now?
We will miss u simones!
We will miss you
Great News. Someone on the avenue is taking over the store. IT WILL REMAIN OPEN
Perhaps rather than just closing this really needed shop, the owner can sell the business as is with a bit of training to a new interested seller. If she can hold out a bit longer and meanwhile advertise and give a chance for someone else to run this successful business, it would continue to serve the community and also help a new entrepenuer.
to say THANK YOU SIMONE, is not enough
she was here while my dtr was growing up and always had a smile for me and her
she was not only the shop i went to for my dtr, but for my sons suits, and her kindness and hospitality in her home was evident in the store as well
your presence on kingston ave will be missed
It’s so gratifying to see how everyone noticed and appreciates my aunt as much as we do! We love you Simone!
Thank you so much Simone for dressing my kids so beautifully,,,, we will miss you. Much hatzlacha.
Simone! You are such a special woman. For so many years we shopped at your store and we always looked so beautiful in the stunning and tasteful dresses that you would select especially for us. we will miss you so much! Much Hatzlacha with all of the wonderful things you plan on doing. Simone is an example of a hardworker who never stops dreaming of how she can help other people. Thank you for all that you have done for the past 33 years!
My mother took us to Simone’s in the 80’s as kids and I continue to shop there now as a mom myself. Simone, your store will be surely missed!
What a hard worker
Nothing was too difficult.
Beautiful Woman
Hatzlacha Rabbah
Asach NACHAS from your exceptional family.
Please stay open until after the kinus
My mother bought us dresses by her and I bought by her for my kids during 17 years, my kids always wore beautiful shabbes dresses and outfits, cant think what will do without this store now.. Thank you simone for all those years of help for all my simches! Thank you shoshana for always serving and helping me with patience and smile! Nechama
I WONDER WHO WILL OPEN UP IN THAT LOCATION FOR ALL YOU KNOW IT MAY STAY A GIRLS CLOTHING STORE MAYBE BOYTIQUE WILL FINALLY OPEN GIRLTIQUE
Oh my! What am I going to do now??? Simone was always so
accommodating and easy to work with. That’s why I would
always go to her to get the clothes for my grandchildren.
Good Luck, Simone! I’ll definitely miss you!!!!!!!
These landmarks closing up shop!
Thank you to my loyal customers, I will miss you. Thank you especially to my dedicated worker of 16 years, Shoshana.
Simone
Simones really had the best stuff! We’ll miss you
Simone’s has the best kids clothes! lots of treasures in there, and a great eye for fasions. and shoshana is so helpful- knows how to deal with picky parents, kvetchy kids, or hard to fit kids, and always had endless patience. Hope she stays on!
I have been dressing my kids for 20 years with Simone and Shoshanna 🙁 hatzlacha!
Whenever we come from Australia we would buy our children’s Yom Tov outfits from Simone. Such a nice,warm person. If only all storeowners were like Simone.
Hatzlocha with everything.
Many many times…she would let me take home beautiful clothing for my daughters. ..trusting me that I would take care of payment. Thanking you so much for this…IYH, I would like to repay her by sponsoring funds in her Gemach, so that others too who don’t always have ; can dress their daughters in beautiful Tznious clothing.
Especially Shoshana!
Can’t imagine to walk on Kingston without Simone’s palace !
The store and Simone are the panorama of crown heights! We hope she will have a big atslocha for the new things….
From old friends from France…
What a pity loved that store