Bring It On

The weather’s been beautiful in Toronto lately. However, like all good things, that too must come to an end. Soon, there will be rain in our daily weather forecasts — which is just fine if that’s the kind of weather you like. I, however, personally feel a little bit unenthusiastic about rain most of the time — particularly because I don’t like carrying an umbrella with me all day. So, I figured that if I’m going to have to go out in the rain anyway — I may as well have some fun with the kind of umbrella I’m going to be forced to carry.



Designer Materious has created umbrellas with handles similar to ones that swords have. I think that this would be a great umbrella for people who like full-size umbrellas. They come with a strap, too, so it’s almost like you’re in your own crazy, kung-fu movie. A few wise words: Please don’t actually use the umbrella as a sword. That’s definitely not the best idea.

Umbrellas from online shop fredflare.com are like a rainy-day companion, and SENZ umbrellas are just way too cool. SENZ umbrellas are designed to prevent them from flipping inside-out, even in the windiest rain showers. They’re reminiscent of a hood for your raincoat, and let’s face it, talking to a stranger about how cool your umbrella looks as opposed to just talking about the weather might be a welcome change.



Another reason I’ve never really taken to the rain is that I used to be prone to getting caught in the rain without an umbrella. The Eco Brolly, designed by Shiu Yuk Yuen, aims to ensure that you’ll never have to use your bag or jacket as an umbrella again — because it uses newspapers. It’s like having the framework of an umbrella, which will allow you to use whatever you want as the skin, so to speak. Shiu Yuk Yuen had Londoners in mind when creating the Eco Brolly, because of the unpredictable weather and the free newspapers that are readily available wherever you go in Central London. It’s also a great way to recycle.

— Kate Aenlle