Text: Polina Fokina
There is a romantic legend about the origin of the umbrella we are used to - many centuries ago, a Chinese man built his beloved “a roof that is always with her” so that she could walk with a calm soul, despite the scorching sun and pouring rain.
The new invention became known even before the 4th century BC. in China - this accessory was practically no different from our modern and familiar umbrella with knitting needles. Only initially the umbrella looked like a small palm tree - large leaves of trees were attached to a wooden frame.
Nowadays, it is difficult for a person to do without an umbrella - many even keep at home several multi-colored umbrellas with different prints. How was it several millennia ago? In the ancient world, umbrellas could only be used by wealthy families who could afford the luxury of an umbrella. Therefore, by its presence it was always possible to determine the status of a person. In ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs show that kings were always surrounded by servants, who always had an umbrella in their hands to protect their ruler from the scorching sun.
A little later, the umbrella began to be used as the main female accessory. Aristophanes mentioned that only girls carried this accessory with them. In France, girls were fascinated by the decorative patterns that adorned the umbrella. By the way, the fair sex was so in love with this accessory that once the following definition was added to the Kersey dictionary:
"Protection commonly used by women to prevent rain"
At what point did history change? In the mid-1700s, an English traveler Jonas Hanway, despite the ridicule and humiliation of society, continued to use the “female” accessory on a daily basis. But soon the ridicule was replaced by acceptance, and now the umbrella is used by more and more people, regardless of gender and status of a person.
Nowadays, umbrellas are produced by a huge number of famous brands such as Balenciaga, Pasotti, Blunt, Zest, Fulton and others. For example, Balenciaga produces the highest quality umbrellas - they are one of the best in the production of this type of accessory. The brand maintains its own style - more formal and strict. They use only materials of increased strength, but it is almost impossible to call them light. At the moment, there is an endless number of umbrella designs for every taste and color - so at any time you can find your perfect irreplaceable accessory.
