Dept. of Why Hasn't Anyone Done This Sooner. Umbrellas are usually so friggin' ugly it should be no surprise that we lose them all the time.
We were just tipped off to Pare Umbrellas by Christian Gloddy over at Obvious Diversion, who has this to say:
Ran into some cool umbrellas at a market the other day in Seattle. Designed in seattle and would look good drying off in the corner of any stylish domicile.
Yes. From in the rainy city, Pare umbrellas cost around $45 and are made of polyester, with wood and imitation leather handles. When we saw their site, we realized instantly that they were right on in pegging that umbrellas should be as well designed as everything else you have in your home (next request: could they be more eco friendly, please?).
If you were to walk by an apartment door with one of these outside, wouldn't you want to know who lives there? (Thanks, Christian!) MGR
Umbrellas will always remain in the community realm of goods. I have a theory that some people are "finders" and other people are "losers" of these goods.
Think about how many pens or pencils, another set of community goods, you have bought in just this past year versus the number that you currently have access to. I will wager that the ratio of bought to accessible is about 14:1. It is commendable that other people want to introduce such a beautiful piece into the community. I can't wait to "find" one on the R train.
For now, I'll keep adding the $3 Canal street specials to the pot...
Personally I'm still craving the light-up umbrellas that Wishing Fish has. They're snazzy and functional!