Umbrellas are emerging as a stealth accessory for heatwaves, with sightings on high streets, at fashion weeks, and even in Formula 1 paddocks. As temperatures hit record levels for June, the "sunbrella" has become a common sight, with people using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun rather than rain.
Fashion Week and Celebrity Endorsements
At the Dior show during Paris fashion week on Wednesday, guests including actors James Marsden and Mike Faist were handed large cream umbrellas to ease discomfort as temperatures reached 38°C. Earlier in the week, at the Thom Browne show in Milan, models carried grey-and-white-striped golf-style umbrellas on the outdoor runway, while the front row sported black brollies. Lewis Hamilton was also spotted at the Austrian Grand Prix holding a Ferrari red umbrella that matched his race suit, as the event declared a heat hazard.
Expert Insights on Sun Protection
Brian Diffey of the University of Newcastle, an expert in dermatological sciences who invented the UVA star rating for sunscreen in 1992, explains: "An umbrella provides your own personal shade. The main benefit of an umbrella is that it acts as a heat reducer." Diffey notes that while umbrellas block about 50% of UV rays from direct sunlight, the other 50% comes from the sky from other directions. He advises choosing an umbrella with a tight weave for UV protection and a light colour or reflective surface for heat reduction.
Market Trends and Sales
Morgan Cros, founder of Original Duckhead, notes that umbrellas are becoming "much more of a year-round product," with sales steadier through summer due to sun rather than rain. Phil Naisbitt, store manager at James Smith & Sons, an umbrella shop dating to 1830, reports a spike in demand for frilly sun umbrellas, especially for weddings. "We first sold them in Victorian times, but then they went out of fashion," he says. Now heatwaves have led to a resurgence.
UV Protection Umbrellas
Anti-UV umbrellas are gaining popularity. Blunt's "UV Metro" brolly, priced at £85, blocks at least 99% of harmful ultraviolet rays. Solbari offers a £49 "sunscreen umbrella" with an ultra-reflective silver canopy and opaque underside. Uniqlo recently released a compact UV version for £19.90. However, Diffey says a specialist umbrella isn't necessary: "On a sunny day about 50% of the ultraviolet reaching our skin is coming from the sun and the other 50% is coming from the sky. A brand might say it has a UV protection of 50, but what you are actually getting is equivalent to putting on a sunscreen with a factor 3."
Practical Advice
Diffey suggests holding an umbrella as close to your head as comfortable to shield from direct sunlight and keep cooler. A £10 umbrella and a £100 one with similar weaves offer the same UV protection. For heat protection, choose a light colour or reflective surface. Cros adds that "UV protection is becoming a much bigger part of how people choose an umbrella."
