More Umbrella Options

After putting up my post on Saturday about bespoke umbrellas, I’ve received a few messages about what more affordable umbrellas I can recommend. Fair enough, nobody reading this is going to buy a $700 bespoke umbrella. Personally, I enjoy writing about custom-made high-end goods, and hope you enjoy reading about them, but let’s talk about something you can actually use to cover yourself in the coming months. 





I dislike recommending poorly made items, but I understand that some people are prone to losing umbrellas, and thus wary of investing too much in one. If you have to go with a cheap option, pick up a ShedRain. The problem with cheap umbrellas is that their metal ribs often break or bend, and they invert when a strong gush of wind comes up. ShedRain umbrellas, however, feature a storm vent, which allows the wind to escape. I’ve used one of these on windy, rainy days in New York City, and it worked decently. These will cost you about $15-20 at any number of websites.  





For just a little bit more money, you can get a Brooks Brothers umbrella. I keep one of these in my office just for emergency purposes. They’re built much better than the disposable ShedRains and come in both full and compact travel sizes. Their colorways are the real reason I’m recommending them, however. Brooks makes these in three different tattersalls - one in cream, one in navy, and another in black and white. While solid black is the traditional color for umbrellas, I think having a pattern or bit of color makes using an umbrella infinitely more enjoyable. These will set you back between $50-60, but if you wait until their Friends and Family sale (which I think is in a month), you can get them for about $30. Personally, I don’t think they’re worth the $60 retail asking price, but they’re very good for around $30. If you can’t wait till the sale, but would still like a tartan umbrella that is built to last more than one or two seasons, check out this Barbour umbrella that Orvis is selling. It’s very reasonably priced at $40. 





For a higher priced option, there is Davek. These open and close flawlessly and have great coverage. The real upside, however, is in how much the company backs their products. Davek offers an unconditional lifetime warranty on all of their umbrellas. Plus, should you ever lose yours, they’ll sell you another one for half price. These typically cost about $100, but you can often buy them on Gilt for about $60. 


Lastly, I know these get into the “unreasonably expensive” territory for many readers, but Howard Yount’s umbrellas are probably one of the most underrated and under-appreciated items right now, so they need to be mentioned. This is what I would call a Nubrella - a sweet, buttery, nutty ass umbrella. Yount’s umbrellas are handmade by a third-generation family-owned umbrella company in Italy. Perfectly sized at 36” long with a 42” canopy, these are big enough to keep you comfortable but aren’t so big that you become an obstacle on the sidewalk. Here’s the kicker though - the shaft is one solid stick of chestnut wood, much like those Maglias I wrote about. The wood is also beautifully burnished, which makes it something nice to admire on those dreary days. 

The price for one of these? $165. If that seems steep, compare Yount’s black watch umbrella to this $195 black watch umbrella from Barneys, which doesn’t even have a full chestnut stick. Yount’s offer is also cheaper than Tenue De Nimes and London Undercover’s denim umbrella (yes denim umbrella), which was a streetwear favorite for a while, but lacks all the sophistication and elegance that Yount brings. Here are some more photos of the Yount, which hopefully will make you ashamed of carrying around that ratty ShedRain. 

  1. subsetofme reblogged this from dieworkwear
  2. thesilentist said: Thanks for this post. I’d seen the Howard Yount umbrellas & thought they looked cool, but didn’t know the details about them & if they were worth the asking price. My next umbrella purchase (a while from now) will probably be one of those.
  3. dieworkwear posted this