The wannabe beach bum in us is positively stoked for Cleveland Surf Co.’s Paradise City T-shirt ($25). The totally tubular black shirt, which is screen-printed in Lakewood, pops with neon pink and teal text and design elements for an inescapably South Beach-meets-North Coast feel. But our two favorite flourishes are the pink flamingos, a shoutout to Parma’s unofficial bird ambassadors, framing the slogan “The Paradise of the Midwest.” “We got a lot of family that live out in Parma,” says founder Rory Hennessey with a laugh. “The flamingos seem to be what catches everyone’s eye.” Hennessey designs all of Cleveland Surf Co.’s shirts and sweatshirts, including one tee that pays homage to Edgewater Beach’s lakeside willow tree. Five percent of every sale goes to programs such as the Lake Erie Protection Fund, which supports projects that protect and restore the lake. “It’s such an important asset,” Hennessey says of the lake. “And we’re finally waking up to it, and there are so many different ways we can utilize it.” clevelandsurfco.com
Click here to read the full list of 25 items from our Handcrafted Cleveland Shopping Guide.
