Brolly Dolly

Not sure if you've noticed....but England has developed this thing called 'June Showers'and they definitely seem to be getting in the way of my summer, as the only time I'm outside is if I'm on my way to work or in a pub garden.

I got of the bus the other day and landed in a puddle, not dressed for the occasion either, wearing flats, leggings and a thin cardigan. Which I can assure you is not waterproof or appropriate Summer clothing. Anyway as I got off my bus, I did what every Londoner should do, reach for the handy umbrella, but I’m not too sure if this was the ingenious idea that I thought it would be as I made those first initial steps of the bus into wetland.


So you may ask why I am questioning the idea of the Umbrella in London. Well as I was rushing (because that’s what you do in London, even if your not running late, your still always rushing and if your not rushing your probably a tourist), I was avoiding the usual hustle and bustle of Oxford street, the tourist, the leaf let distrubutors etc. but trying to avoid all of these as well as umbrellas turned out to be more of a nightmare than I intended. I was dodging Umbrella’s left right and centre, crossing roads was hell, as it would be a sea of concentrated umbrellas. The larger Umbrella for the couples got in everyone way as they had no regard for us singleton umbrellas and we were completely pushed out the way. The people drying out their umbrella’s outside shops were spraying people as they walked past, but the most annoying thing was the people who didn’t have umbrella trying to keep dry under yours….GET YOUR OWN or use a newspaper. So I got to my destination, I was still completely soaked through; my ceramicaly straightened hair turned to frizz and my feet were drowning in my shoes. As I passed the extra trendy “oxford streeters” as I call them, who wear wonderful effortless clothes, look amazing 24/7, wear sunglasses no matter the time of year and are stared at with awe but me and the other fashion wannabes, they had no umbrella and perfect hair- why is life so unfair?


Seeing the sea of umbrella, sprung another light bulb in my head: Umbrella Fashion. Around 90% of the umbrellas on show were the plain small black umbrella, that folds in nicely and fits into ones handbag with ease, and as far as umbrella fashion (and any fashion for that matter) are boring. This is London, one of the worlds fashion capitals, with such diversity and wonderful taste surely us Londoners can resort to something more than the standard small black and plain, come on London, and Oxford Street I am ashamed of you especially. Add some style to your umbrella; after all it is the Essential British Accessory.