Everyone has their way of marking the start of a new season. Readers of New York Magazine know it’s springtime when catchy umbrellas start to appear on the pages. Last week’s edition included this lunch craving-inducing number (malt vinegar not included). While we may not be making a beeline for this one, it does come from Any Old Iron, a new shop down on the Lower East Side stocking “offbeat” British menswear. So now that we’ve been to we’ve made a trip to the British provisions emporium, this one’s next on the list.
via hammacher.com
New York’s editors also have their not-so-favourites to share. This week’s Approval Matrix featured the Hammacher Schlemmer “dualumbrella” in the Highbrow-Despicable quadrant. I’m not quite sure what’s so highbrow or despicable….is it the potential for blocking narrow sidewalks while taking smug walks in the rain? Or perhaps it’s the models in their country club attire? Or said models’ sunny disposition, as if they happen to be on their way to play bridge poolside, but happen to have a black umbrella in tow just in case? It’s not clear, but it did bring back memories of every cute couple’s favourite wintertime accessory: Smittens.
But I digress. For now I’ll stick with every New Yorker’s favourite umbrella….the one found in the taxi.
