Showing up fashionably dry
The best umbrellas for any weather, according to style and travel experts
Buying an umbrella is like buying a pair of shoes, says Bella Umbrella owner Jodell Egbert.
“You can have incredible shoemakers using the same materials, but it all comes down to functionality for you. Does the umbrella need to be compact? Do you put it in your purse, or does it need to have a strap on the back?”
Personal preference is key. Egbert is one of only a small number of umbrella manufacturers in the world, and the only one in the United States, that hand-make their products. She says buyers should consider even the type of rain they encounter when choosing an umbrella: In New Orleans, where her shop is located, the rain can be hard and wet, but in Seattle, “it’s a misty rain.”
On her list of musts: higher-quality metal, such as steel, in the frame; automatic open and close features; waterproof fabric with a UV coating; and a warranty, “because things happen.”
Above all, Egbert says, “buy quality first, and it will last.”
“Knirps is the MercedesBenz of umbrellas,” says Whitney Robinson, editor-inchief of Elle Decor. “It’s super sturdy, built to last and has just the right amount of flash.” He likes the T2 Duomatic model with the Check539 tartan pattern ($74, shop.nordstrom.com).
The weather in England, where Alys Colayera lives, is notoriously fickle — it could be rainy in the morning and sunny in the afternoon, “with rain and fog par for the course,” says the travel expert for Black Tomato, a luxury tour and adventure company. She keeps herself prepared with Hunter’s Original Striped Bubble Umbrella ($74, urbanoutfitters.com). “I arm myself with this mod umbrella because it’s fun, has a bit of ‘60s glamour to it ... and can withstand strong gusts,” she says. Hunter also makes a travel umbrella that Colayera likes.
Babatunde umbrellas (US$39.47, babatunde.co.za) are handmade in South Africa, with vibrant wax-print patterns that attracted the eye of Joshua Greene, co-founder of Hernandez Greene, an interior design firm in New York. With his background in fashion, as a former ready-to-wear and textiles editor for Women’s Wear Daily, he likes the umbrella’s colours. “They’re super cool and super unusual,” he says. “I wear a lot of dark, solid colours, so I like to add bright colours.” The frame is metal with a wood handle.
With her eye for umbrella craftsmanship (and the largest collection of vintage umbrellas in the world), Egbert gives a thumbs-up to ShedRain, a company in Oregon. “The design is spot on, with an extra amount of really good ribs,” she says. The Auto Open Clear Bubble Umbrella With Black Crook Handle ($25-$40, target.com or shop. nordstrom.com) is clear for extra visibility.