Your teens might be singing the song umbrella, a hit by the singer Rihanna. Your family may have watched the thriller Resident Evil and know that the company which produces the virus which turns humans into zombies is called Umbrella Corporation. Either way, the umbrella has been one of the best creations by mankind.



The clothing line ‘Next' is the biggest retailer in clothes from the UK. Originally, Next was a company known as Kendall & Sons Ltd that specializes in selling ladies wear, rainwear and you guessed it; umbrellas. It was so huge that it has supplied umbrellas to the Royal Family with certain specifications.

Apart from western countries, the umbrella also plays a vital part in the Asian culture. Especially amongst the Japanese. Known simply as the Gifu Wagasa, this traditional paper and bamboo umbrella requires several months to finish. The skilled hands of a dozen seasoned craft workers gently fix the paper over a frame of bamboo. It is then being applied by oil and lacquer for waterproofing purposes. In the olden times, Japanese umbrellas were not only used to shield them from the sun and rain. It was a measure of status, especially among the women. Geishas wielding a Wagasa would be respected and looked up to. However, Wagasa sales have dwindled over the years as the general populations are inclining towards metal and cloth western style umbrellas. The Wagasas are only used during traditional cultural ceremonies such as weddings and tea ceremonies.

The market umbrella are now the belle of your garden, pool decks or patio. It can be used practically anywhere you want to shade. The market umbrellas of today are very unlike the ones sold 20 years ago. In those days, market umbrella are sold with attached tables due to the fact it cannot stand on its own. This made the umbrella very inflexible. Only the ones sitting down on the table can be shade from the sun. Those swimming, grilling and doing other activities in the patio or garden would have to endure the blazing sun rays. Thankfully, all is better now. The market umbrella can stand on its own; can be rotated and twisted to provide shade in any direction. All this improved features eliminates the rigidity of having any form of activity in the outdoor.

A good advice for those wanting to find a good umbrella is to go for popular brand. One of them is the Sunbrella Umbrella which is quite a trusted brand when you expect fade proof, stain resistant and long lasting. You need not worry if your pattern of color would fade if it continually exposed under the sun and rain. Some of these umbrellas are also equipped with lights. Isn't that clever? Now you can even have outdoor feast during night times. Being umbrellas, they will definitely do the job of shading you from the rain. Fancy a tea time under the rain? You can enjoy your tea and also the comfort sound of raindrops too. You don't have to worry about catching a cold or flu for that matter.

With the advancement of technology coupled with man's creativity, the market umbrella may bear many other special feature in the future. This will definitely boost its popularity even more. Who knows, in the near future we might just see that foldable market umbrella or ones fitted with mosquito net.