The Britishers can't do without it. Neither can South Indians or folks from the hills. Thanks to their extremely temperament weather,the umbrella is their constant companion,and now that the city's too witnessed sudden showers and hail storms in the last couple of days,umbrellas of all shapes,sizes and colours have been pulled out of the closet and aired. Be it the hot sultry sun or the dampening drizzle,umbrella is one thing that comes in quite handy,especially when you have a nano second to zip on a raincoat! Now that the weather's changing,and the clouds will soon cover up the skies,we hop scotched to the market and checked out what's new in umbrella-land. While there's always a variety in designs,shapes,sizes and colour,adding to your sartorial taste,these chic and funky umbrellas are well within the pocket range. Enhanced with vivacious shades of pink,blue and sea green,not only are these umbrellas with distinctive silhouettes,but also come painted with names of stars like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,Shah Rukh Khan,Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor! Gone are the days when umbrellas were in demand only during rainy season. Today,they not only act as skin-guard but as a personal guard too! Seriously,it can be quite a weapon! As Ajay Sarna,owner of Feathers,an umbrella shop in Sector 22,Chandigarh shows us around,he adds,"We try to cater the needs of all age groups. We tend to get soft and delicate colours for women,bold and dark colours for men and for children,we have a huge variety this year." Ajay snaps open mini umbrellas with teddy bear shapes and designs of favourite cartoon characters. "From garden umbrellas to golf umbrellas to parasols to everyday use,we have all," he adds how the umbrellas always have a silver coated cloth under the print that serves as a water proof material. For Sanjay of Cap Emporium in Sector 17,Chandigarh,umbrella adds to the accessories used by girls for their styling. "Girls,being regular customers usually opt for glitzy and charming designs that can make them look classy. To match with their dresses,we have got the latest polka dotted designs for the teenage and college-going girls and Barbie umbrellas for children. For ladies,we have fetched colourful prints in sophisticated styles," he adds that the same are available in three folds so that it becomes easy for them to carry in their purses. So what's in store for boys? "We've especially brought umbrellas with Superman,Batman,Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck designs for young boys and two-fold dark coloured umbrellas for teenage boys and men. Old fashioned umbrellas which are light in colour are always preferred by the senior citizens." Ranging from Rs 350 to Rs 450,you can easily buy high quality designer umbrellas this time of the year. Kids can have their choice within the range of Rs 60 to Rs 125,while youngsters and elders can easily dish out between Rs 125 and Rs 290. "We get branded umbrellas from the Delhi based companies which use imported nylon water proof cloth in them. It acts as a strong shield against the sun rays and the rain. For a cool look,we've got colours like light blue and light green in different designs," says Ashween of Jagat Singh & Sons,Sector 17. "An umbrella can double up as a weapon for women in the city. It also protects you from rain or sun while making a great fashionable statement," comments stylist Imam Siddiqui. Go ahead,pick yours!
