A poll, about parasols! ☂️
If you could, without any social negatives, inconvenience, gawking, awkwardness or any such thing... Use a parasol for shade when outside whenever you felt like it when you were hot or trying to stay out of the sun for your skin, would you?
- I already do! (14%, 32 votes)
- I'd love to, yes. (37%, 81 votes)
- Occasionally, yes. (26%, 59 votes)
- Eh, probably not. (14%, 32 votes)
- I would not. (6%, 15 votes)
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Watching a man do an interview outside in the blazing sunlight on a bit of street, squinting even with his sunglasses on, and complaining about how he's too hot and it's difficult to focus...
And just thinking how it would have been extremely convenient for the camera, for the interview quality, for his eyes, and his comfort... If he'd just been carrying and using a parasol and done the whole thing in the shade.
It's a shame it's not a thing any more, even dudes used to carry them.
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John McChesney-Young
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to John McChesney-Young • • •@jmccyoung Men carrying them started being called effeminate sometime in the 1600s if I recall and the historian telling me about it was correct. And after that, in Western countries, only women did it!
"Fellas, is it gay to not get sunburn and to be comfortable?", etc. 😆
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •It would seem that a lot of people would like to use parasols! I occasionally use one, as I'm very much supposed to stay out of the sun and don't do well with being overly warm... and also dress anachronistically enough as it is that it doesn't make much difference in the amount of people that stare at me. 😄
But yes. Parasols, they're quite effective if you're willing to carry them around!
Sarah E Bourne
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •They're popular in Japan and you can get quite cute ones with massive UV blocking levels. (They also work for rain.)
Dr Ro Smith
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Dr Ro Smith • • •Dr Ro Smith
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Yeah, that just wouldn't work for me. I would need my hands free for other things (and I would wear sun cream instead).
Like, I agree it shouldn't have the weird social stigma it does, but it would never be practical for me.
Anne Deschaine
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Anne Deschaine • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Anne Deschaine
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Oh! That's a great idea! I'm very drawn to the oil-paper ones but I can't tell if it would be inappropriate (or even, in some areas, too touristy).
I did find a pattern for making one, but I want to solidify a chosen frame before I delve further: folkwear.com/blogs/news/make-a…
Make a Parasol... for a perfect promenade!
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Sini Tuulia
in reply to Anne Deschaine • • •@aehdeschaine Oh heck, I didn't know Vena Cava sold parasol skeletons! And they're not even expensive!
Might have to revisit my idle thoughts of making a parasol, that one is all nice and wooden as well. Buying a new, finished umbrella with wood bits tends to be pretty pricey, and it would feel silly dismantling one to change into a natural fabric...
Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • •@Sini Tuulia @Anne Deschaine it's where I've bought mine, when I stocked up on things from them just before brexit!
(I bought both sizes, and then only managed to cover the smaller one — or maybe I should say I only managed to make a wearable mockup using the smaller one)
(it was also stored badly during the move, and I've only just found it again, so the ruffle has been squashed around)
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Sini Tuulia
in reply to Elena ``of Valhalla'' • • •@valhalla That is cute. 😄 How's the skeleton quality? They looked nice in the blog photos and on the shop page, but you never know!
@aehdeschaine
Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • •@Sini Tuulia @Anne Deschaine I don't have big expertise on the general topic of umbrellas, but it feels good enough that it will survive use?
it doesn't have a latch to keep it closed, if that's relevant
also, the small one is quite small, and mostly just keeps your head/face in shade, while the bigger one is more umbrella-like
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Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Elena ``of Valhalla'' • •@Sini Tuulia @Anne Deschaine oh, and they have an handout that describes how to cover them using a parasol seam (where the panels are put right sides together, the allowance is folded down on one side to cover the seam line, and it's then sewn — it's too early for me to give a proper description, sorry)
I did use a parasol seam instead of a regular one (as I've noticed yesterday when looking back at it :D ), but I think I used another tutorial that I can't find, one that also mentioned adding a lining
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Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • •@Sini Tuulia @Anne Deschaine also, I've just had to go to the pharmacy (10 minutes, maybe, walk) under the 4 pm sun and decided to do the full “it buuurns” thing with straw hat (small, just a boater), parasol and lace gloves, because why not :D
no pictures because I was alone and in a bit of a hurry, sorry
(it was still hot, especially when walking uphill)
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Sini Tuulia
in reply to Elena ``of Valhalla'' • • •Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • •@Sini Tuulia I have bought a pair (in black) because I was already buying stuff from a shop and…
and then my mother offered to crochet me a pair (in white), using those to compare the size
and I started to knit myself another pair (in light blue), using my own hands for the size
can you guess how many pairs of wearable lace gloves I have?
(spoiler: 1 :D )
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Sini Tuulia
in reply to Elena ``of Valhalla'' • • •@valhalla 😆
I figure at *most* I could manage crocheting one glove. One! And then I'd never want to make another one. But if I did, I'd do the second one so much better that I'd need to redo the first, and thus be left with three gloves...
Anne Deschaine
in reply to Elena ``of Valhalla'' • • •Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Anne Deschaine • •@Anne Deschaine @Sini Tuulia thanks!
the colour is better in the picture than in reality, where it's a bit darker :)
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Faintdreams
in reply to Anne Deschaine • • •@aehdeschaine Could you decorate a white one fabric paint ?
Or would the water repellent fabric resist paint staying on ?
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Faintdreams • • •@Faintdreams Probably would not stick very well, unless using solvent based on synthetic, I guess. But painting with fabric paints it's also incredibly difficult to get precise results without it looking janky. Applied embroidery or lace would look much neater and less costume-y, and never flake off!
@aehdeschaine
Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • •@Sini Tuulia @Faintdreams @Anne Deschaine on the other hand, a cream white parasol with a nice painting on it would look pretty cool, in the right style
I'm sure that historically they did souvenir hand fans in that way, and now I think I want to look around and check if souvenir parasols existed as well
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Faintdreams
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •@aehdeschaine now you have me considering a white parasol but with black lace applique patches of something like bats or skulls.. that might look kinda cool... 🤔
I already have some spray fabric glue so technically I could do entire project with no sewing ..! Hmmmm
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Eowyn
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Eowyn • • •Eowyn
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Morgane deSiv
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •If my body could deal with all that, I would use one for sure, even with the social consequences: I never gave a damn about those anyway!
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Morgane deSiv • • •fritzoids
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •I sometimes take my umbrella with me in addition to wearing a hat and sunglasses. But it's not the same!
Sini Tuulia
in reply to fritzoids • • •@fritzoids You'd think they would have them!
I have one of those UV-filtering parasols that also works as an umbrella, but there's not many occasions these days that I'm not also otherwise covered. It's also the wrong colour, so I don't take it unless I know I'll be stuck outdoors in the sun for hours. 😶 Should have bought a black one, not gray!
NilaJones
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to NilaJones • • •MJ Ray
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to MJ Ray • • •MJ Ray
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • •@Sini Tuulia I have one (I bought a frame and added fabric to it) and very rarely use it, but it's still half done (I wanted to also add a lining) and I tend to forget about it, so I use it much less than I'd want.
But I have used umbrellas as parasols a number of times, 10/10 would recommend!
(I *also* wear a hat, but the double layer of protection from the Daystar is nice)
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Sini Tuulia
in reply to Elena ``of Valhalla'' • • •I've re-covered an existing umbrella once, and it was a terrible hassle and the fabric felt very uncomfortable... But I feel like I'd do better at it today than back then!
I'd love to have a nice and cute parasol with a sturdy wooden handle, or even an umbrella with a bit of flair added... Maybe some day I'll get around to it.
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Ianto Jones
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Catweazle
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Catweazle • •like this
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Catweazle
in reply to Elena ``of Valhalla'' • • •Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Catweazle • •@Catweazle @Sini Tuulia here. well. a person I know has been given an appointment for a hearth health check in the middle of the day in july. and by the time july came it was right in the middle of a heat wave.
To be fair, it was for an otherwise healty person and not somebody who already had multiple strikes or so, but I still believe that “getting to the doctor alive” was part of the test :D
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Faintdreams
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •I used to cosplay as Wednesday Adams with a parasol for this very reason.
I mean, I love Wednesday anyway but being a little Black lady who can also carry my own sunshade *in character* is a massive bonus.
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Sini Tuulia
in reply to Faintdreams • • •Allysse Riordan
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •I would not but just on the basis that I don't like holding things when out and about. I nearly always choose to get wet rather than use an umbrella for instance.
If there was a way to use a parasol (or umbrella for that matter) without having to hold it, then I would. Until such time I use hats. Though, if it's too sunny, I tend to always seek shade and don't go out unless I have to.
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Allysse Riordan • • •June T. Michael
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to June T. Michael • • •@june_thalia_michael I also like traditional hand fans, they're pretty, are easy to carry in a bag, and very very effective.
I've been trying to find a parasol I'd like enough to order one, and may have to just make or kludge one myself to get what I want... And until then I have an old one I don't really like and umbrellas, if I must!
June T. Michael
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •They are extremely pretty! And like, the only item I try to match with my clothes on the very rare occasions of going out.
You are a dressmaker, right? I think I remember a great thread on period dresses from you that I haven't bookmarked (sadly). A self made parasol sounds lovely in theory.
Sini Tuulia
in reply to June T. Michael • • •@june_thalia_michael I have a black fan, and usually at least have my singular black bag and mostly black shoes, so it kind of goes with everything? Have been looking at more, though.
Indeed I am! I make all my clothes (apart from shoes and socks) and because to me 'normal' clothes are boring to make, they're usually pretty elaborate and historical or historically inspired. 😁 I'll roll up to the shops in Edwardian or Victorian attire, etc. The #HistoryBounding tag probably has some of the threads at least, I switch between tagging that and #HistoricalFashion depending on what my brain feels like that day.
June T. Michael
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •I have only one handbag (a black one) for similar purpose - it goes with everything else. There are so many pretty fans out there - and depending on the material, some of the wooden ones have a unique, nice smell.
I took a look at both hashtags! The new blouse looks awesome!
Sini Tuulia
in reply to June T. Michael • • •@june_thalia_michael I'd like to get a borderline useless lace fan just because it's pretty and it would be fun. My current one I take with me is just a plain black one with lacquered shiny slats...
Thank you! Maybe at some point I'll manage a reasonable photo of it actually being worn!
June T. Michael
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •A lace fan with some lace gloves! Though I guess it would still trap some air, so not be completely useless. Most of mine are fabric with bamboo, but I have a couple of wooden ones.
Looking forward to it!
Sini Tuulia
in reply to June T. Michael • • •June T. Michael
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •colorblind cowboy 😷✊🏻
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •So, in the Pacific Northwest of the US — no one carries umbrellas for any purpose. It is socially verboten. So I got a waterpoof cowboy hat when I moved here.
Life changer. Frees up the hands! So, it would be no parasol for me.
Sini Tuulia
in reply to colorblind cowboy 😷✊🏻 • • •@colorblindcowboy Why no umbrella??
Thus far I have not encountered many hats large enough to protect anything but my head and maybe neck from rain, not even my Largest Hat, which is the width of my shoulders. 😆
Alex von Kitchen
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Lisa Makes Stuff (she/her)
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •I hate having to carry items around in one or both hands. I need my hands free!
But wouldn't it be nice to have a parasol-bearer follow me around?
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Lisa Makes Stuff (she/her) • • •Matt Wilcox
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Matt Wilcox • • •@mattwilcox You see, this is where I look out the window and see elevated, tree and grass lined sidewalks where there's room for three bicycles to comfortably ride abreast, and pass two pedestrians walking abreast, if one of the cyclists shuffles a little bit. ...the fucking kind of streets do you have where there's not room for an umbrella?
Even any video clip of Hong Kong or Seoul etc. on a rainy day will have just so very many umbrellas out and everyone managing just fine. Carrying them is a bit of a hassle as pointed out by others, that I'll give!
Matt Wilcox
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sounds nice :) And yeah, places that are hot & have short bursts of rain use umbrellas still. It's practical enough; they can whip one out - dodge a 3min downpour - then carry on. Most of the time, never needing to use it.
My point is that's different for other rain that's more persistent. Just look at trends; Britain etc, don't use them anymore. They're less practical than now-common all-weather coats.
TLDR; cooler countries with persistent rain have more convenient solutions.
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Matt Wilcox • • •@mattwilcox We did have three straight weeks of rain the other year, and while people who biked to work did mostly use rain coats and rain capes... Not everyone went ahead and bought a rain coat, because they could just take/buy an umbrella, use it while walking outside between dry locations, and then set it aside to dry until needed again. Raincoats are also not very warm (and incompatible with women's attire a lot of the time) so if you're in 5-10C weather, which is very common in both Fall and Spring, you likely will not want to put a raincoat on top of your warm coat because it's uncomfortable, a horrible hassle and you have more trouble tucking away the rain attire than an umbrella. A good rain-proof coat will also cost a lot more than a "normal" one, and come in so many less styles and sizes.
We have so many umbrellas! So many!
We're cold, we have rain, and sleet! I don't know, this generalisation just ticked me off today. 😆
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Umbrellas. They work, they're common.
Matt Wilcox
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •I own one; it’s right by the back door now. I live in Britain, our weather is famously “grey, wet, no extremes”. We’re also a culture famous in the past for using umbrella’s (and hats). I live in a small mostly rural “city”.
I can also say; I have not used my umbrella in years. And when I did, it blew inside out constantly. I have not seen anyone carrying one in recent memory. And I have never seen a parasol outside of cosplay.
Elena ``of Valhalla''
in reply to Sini Tuulia • •@Sini Tuulia @Matt Wilcox in our climate where winter is the dry season and summer comes with big downpours (that I'm mostly grateful for) and hail (that I'm quite less grateful for :D ) umbrellas are quite useful, as they give a bit of mechanical protection from stuff that is falling from the sky at speed, as long as it's not too big (at least enough protection to allow you to run to the nearest convenient building)
I always carry a lightweight rain coat in my “handbag”¹, because it's lightweight, squeezes nicely, fits in the bag better than a foldable umbrella and still protects from the wetness both myself and my backpack, but it's also a bit stuffy when it's raining *and* it's still hot, and when I know I should expect rain I also carry a big, unwieldy, but dependable umbrella
¹ a big backpack :D
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Matt Wilcox
in reply to Matt Wilcox • • •Getting around to the original point I made: most people can put up with a few minutes of "maybe being poked in the eye" and "cant even see where I'm going anymore" especially in cultures where politeness is prized and normalised.
Doing it for longer periods of time? Seems to me like there are reasons you just don't see umbrellas and parasols in most of the world anymore.
Sini Tuulia
in reply to Matt Wilcox • • •@mattwilcox Again, this sounds like a massive generalisation from one point of view and one locale.
Just because you don't like them and don't see a lot of them, this doesn't mean there isn't use of them *somewhere else* and by someone else. And even just looking at the above poll? 14+36% of 205 people would love to or do use a parasol. And 29% would occasionally like to. That's already quite a lot of people, even as a non-homogenous sample.
Matt Wilcox
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Matt Wilcox • • •@mattwilcox You certainly did not start out saying the same thing, or if you did you expressed yourself poorly enough to come across as wrong, uninformed and even a besserwisser based on these two prior qualities... Now, there's a very high chance I am being cranky because I feel terrible physically and am utterly sick of white men on the internet holding their own opinion as the universal opinion just because it's the opinion they have - but JUST IN CASE I suggest you ponder if you could have maybe used words that mean only the things you mean them with, because oof would I hate to be genuine and be interpreted like I interpreted you on accident.
And of course there are practical reasons. It's just that the fashion and social reasons vastly overpower them, in this case.
In any case, I need to go lie down and not argue with strangers on the internet about things that don't really matter, beyond how we conduct ourselves.
WearyBonnie
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to WearyBonnie • • •@3TomatoesShort They'd probably be much cheaper if they weren't a speciality product, because they're pretty much umbrellas with different fabric and hoo can you get those for absurdly, probably criminally little money.
(I'd say that falls into the inconvenience category, them being expensive. It's not impossible to get one, just deeply inconvenient.)
weird herm
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to weird herm • • •Elena ``of Valhalla'' likes this.
Nanny Frog
in reply to Sini Tuulia • • •Sini Tuulia
in reply to Nanny Frog • • •