A Parasol Out of Time
Let’s play a game, are you ready? (Keep this between you and me, okay? Our little secret… if you don’t want to play, that’s okay! The answers are coming shortly).
Step One: Google “China on a hot day”
Step Two: Google “India on a hot day”
Step Three: Google “Greece on a hot day”
Okay, good! Notice any similarities? Maybe not yet… let’s go again!
Step Four: Google “Promenading England”
Step Five: Google “Promenading Rome”
Step Six: Google “Promenading Coney Island”
You might be wondering why you, an unassuming innocent who just wanted to read a fashion article, have been sent on this wild internet Where’s-Waldo-esc hunt where you don’t even know which Waldo you’re looking for! Well, the big reveal… on today's episode of Jeopardy we were looking for “what is… a parasol!” You probably looked at the title, you sly little minx, but let me explain. Within at least one of the first ten pictures of those Google searches, there was a parasol. Parasols have been around for more years than the word “gobbledygook” and for good reason. Their functionality and fashion are so timeless that they have managed to secure a place in every major country since 2450 BC. Parasols are so enduring that in the year they were invented, you couldn't even say, “Oh my God, it's so hot out, let me grab my parasol,” because God didn’t even conceptually exist yet! Jacob Elordi might be the best thing since sliced bread, but God is the best thing since parasols… So who's really winning? With that said, if I’m going to ask you to take my word about the history we are about to dive into, I wanted you to do some research into their worldwide prominence yourself. Seeing is believing, as the kids say.
Despite its dubious morality, fair skin has been a symbol of status in many cultures for generations. A pale complexion showed that the person it belonged to was not a laborer; they weren’t tanning in the sun all day farming, milling, or smithing.
Pale skin, undamaged by the menial work of the day, became a differentiator of those of high status. Accordingly, the parasol became associated with dignity, wealth, and power. From carvings and artwork as early as 485 BC, royalty and nobility have been recorded using parasols as a marker of status and towards the ultimate end of keeping a fair complexion. The use of parasols to convey high social status is believed to have begun in ancient Persia before spreading to nearby Southeast Asian territories. Historians posit that merchants from these nations spread the design, and social import, of the parasol to India, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Upon its arrival in China, the parasol was met with a slightly different reception; it was not only a tool for the rich, but rather a fairly ordinary commodity. This exceptional circumstance resulted from the ancient Chinese belief that pale skin translates into a symbol of purity of morality. This value was specifically enforced on women, leading to widespread female use of parasols to keep the complexion fair. However, only the nobility had the privilege to use parasols made of fabrics or silks. The common people were subjugated to an enforced restriction to only paper parasols.
By the 1620s, the parasol had established a weak presence in France. They were non-functionally cumbersome, needing to be carried by a nobleman's attendant. The lack of parasol presence in Western Europe before then was not due to a lack of interest, but a lack of availability. Marco Polo (yes, that Marco Polo), was instrumental in sparking European interest in Eastern societies with his circa 1300’s publication, “The Travels of Marco Polo”. Though the French had been interested in Eastern fashion since then, the Silk Road no longer connected the East and West by the early 1400s. Come the mid-1500s, maritime trade reconnected the continents, and European interest was renewed. The revival of European intrigue with Eastern societies along with a changing cultural climate made mid-1600s France amenable to influences of foreign fashion. Taking note of the cultures from which the parasol came, the parasol became a silk and frill accessory for wealthy women hoping to literally hold a symbol of status. To recall our earlier searches on “promenading”, my dear friend Mrs. Merriam-Webster defines it as a leisurely walk, especially in a public place for pleasure or display (emphasis on display!) In the 1600s through 1800s, fine cotton, linen, calico, and silk shade providers became a staple in the English and French promenade (thank you Parasol-Where’s-Waldo for kindly demonstrating that earlier). With promenading in affluent neighborhood parks or gardens being a very common way to display a person's status, parasols became an ingrained European symbol of nobility and wealth.
Coming to more modern days, the parasol has been largely replaced by the umbrella. Where parasols once stood as both fashion and function, by the late 1700’s they were swapped out for oiled-silk functions. This was particularly due to the broader Western European acceptance that while parasols were solely for women, umbrellas could be for men.
The first umbrellas began to be mass-produced in the 1850s, ushering in the era of the umbrella and signing the near-death warrant for the parasol. Specifically in the United States, the parasol was never of much social import.
Though parasols did have a place in American high society, particularly on seaside or country promenades, they were largely rejected in a spurning of English culture. Included in this was the rebuttal of the European ideals of light skin. While a fair complexion still represented wealth in the East and Europe, Americans adopted a tan as a status symbol. A deep tan demonstrated that a person had a surplus of money or leisure time such that they could exercise or relax outside. Today, parasols are very rarely used in everyday fashion, replaced by their sturdier cousin, the humble umbrella.
So why’d I tell you all about parasols just to get to the ultimate conclusion that they hardly exist anymore? I would never waste your precious minutes so I will say this much definitely, the parasol is not out of time just yet. In its beginnings, the parasol was not exactly a champion of morality and equality. Rather the opposite, the parasol reinforced hateful societal ideas of skin color, wealth, and worth. Parasols were available only to the rich or noble; even in countries like China where the poor did have them, differences in material still made the parasol a segregational symbol of wealth. Well, we know why parasols used to be important and why that’s bad… good to be all caught up! However, understanding their modern importance? That’s even better! Today, people are redefining the legacy of these lovely, lacy, luxuries through their employ in contemporary subcultures. Once used to keep people apart, parasols now help niche groups of individuals connect through shared interests.
Take the Lolita fashion community, for example. Emerging from Japan, Lolita fashion is a subculture of girl’s and young women’s clothing styles from the Victorian and Rococo periods. This translates into wearing long, lace dresses with petticoats, bows, bonnets, jumper skirts, and (you’ll never guess where this is going) parasols. Due to certain complicated social conceptions of Lolita fashion, the subculture is not always supported by the general public. However, through retro fashion like parasols, followers of Lolita fashion were able to find a community that supports their niche interests. Hand-in-hand with Lolita fashion is Coquette fashion, a 2020s fashion trend that focuses on femininity through the use of clothes with lace, flounces, pastels, and (you will never guess) parasols. Though Coquette is generally esteemed in the public eye, it similarly is a niche subculture defined by vintage European elegance, including parasols.
Aside from complete subcultures, parasols have a place in special events. Namely, parasols are popular for Renaissance fairs and historical reenactments. Often paired with corsets, long dresses, and frills, parasols have become an important part of feminine costuming in ren fairs. Parasols epitomize the vintage elegance of the era that the participants are aiming to emulate through fashion and events. Parasols are a centerpiece for historical reenactments as well. As they often represent femininity and wealth, parasols can effectively communicate a character's social standing or region.
Notably for the recent resurgence of parasols, contemporary views on gender increasingly embrace fluidity, allowing for men to explore and embrace traditionally feminine attire and accessories. When the parasol became popularized in Europe, it went from an accessory for general nobility to a function of fashion for women specifically. Accordingly, men were unwilling to employ them and appear effeminate; when the umbrella became popularized, they succumbed to the indignity of having to protect themselves from the sun and rain. However, the umbrella pushed out the parasol and further ingrained the parasol as a female frivolity. Within the last couple of decades, the Western world has become increasingly open-minded towards people with atypical gender-conforming identities. As gender norms begin to shift away from traditional views, men are increasingly embracing the freedom to sport traditionally feminine attire like skirts, dresses, and jewelry. Lucky for the parasol, it has broken its way into relevance among fashion-forward men.
Within the fashion industry itself, some designers have fixed their attention on taking this old classic and finding it modern day high-fashion relevance. Parasols make their strongest appearances in spring collections, typically paired with sundresses and bright colors. To name a few: the Tracy Reese 2008 spring collection features a bright yellow parasol with a matching-designed dress, the Anna Sui 2007 spring/summer collection does the same with light blues and whites, and even a 2011 Victoria’s Secret runway show displayed a pink and white parasol with a matching umbrella. The influence between everyday streetwear fashion and high-end runway fashion is mutual. When runway shows display parasols, so may the general public be inclined to imitate them. Where the general public shows an increased interest in parasols, so may designers strive to create relevant looks.
Photos by Nathan Chen
As the old saying goes, “It takes a village… to revive a thousands of years old iconic fashion symbol of cross-national, cross-cultural, historical significance.” That’s how that one goes, right? With influences from fashion subcultures, niche interest groups, changes in gender normativity, and attention from the fashion industry itself, the parasol seems to be slated for a comeback. If not a comeback, at least it won’t go the way of the Dodo bird. So, next time the day is unbearably hot, your walk home arduously long, and you happen to be next to one of about three parasol shops in the country, consider stopping in for a quick purchase. I can’t say it’ll last once it starts raining, but I can say that somebody might walk down the street next to you and think, “Huh, that’s pretty cool!”