“Parasol” encompassing any ordinary umbrella carried on a sunny day for the purpose of keeping the sun off one’s skin. “Young woman” meaning any lass under 30, I suppose.
Have you ever seen it?
Do you think the idea is baffling, silly but understandable, or perfectly normal?
And are you male or female, and where are you from?
Male, age 41, live in Springfield, Illinois.
I have never seen this IRL, and honestly didn’t know that this was a thing. Color me baffled. Is this a fashion trend now, or something?
Need more information. Are these young women accompanied in a proper manner?
If I had to guess about the young woman, I’d say she probably inhabits a place with numerous loud pets, keeps the tv on all night for back ground noise and sleeps with her socks on.
So, basically I’d judge her to be a freak.
Where I live now, in the far east, I see it every single time the sun is out.
There is a fear here of becoming brown (I’ve heard because that indicates that you are a peasant). So women carry umbrellas for the express purpose of protecting themselves for UV.
I personally like tanned people so I think it’s silly, but I understand why they do it.
Don’t know why you specify ‘young’ women though. Women of all ages do it.
Male from the UK.
I’d wonder if she was a Gail Carriger fan.
Same here, on both counts. I saw a girl carrying a parasol today and was a bit bemused at how accustomed I’ve become at the sight.
Well, I thought a younger woman carrying a parasol, as opposed to an elderly lady, was doubly incongruous somehow; but that’s just me.
It depends on what culture/which continent. It is very common in Asia.
A young woman would surely have more reason to ‘protect’ her skin than an old one though.
See it more and more often here in Aus.
Highly sensible, given local conditions (Skin Cancer Central)
I’ve seen it on occasion here in Chicago; the women that I’ve seen have all been of Asian descent. (My guess from their clothing styles has been that they weren’t American.)
Same for me, also in Aus, with the added comment that I am not a fan of tanned skin. Looks good if you were born that colour, looks terrible if you were not.
Gets worse as you age. You see a lot of that, eg, in Florida… not pretty.
An outdoor June wedding I recently attended had the bride wear a parasol. It was a very lovely addition to her kind of retro dress. And she was four months pregnant and she wanted to protect her skin from the sun as she was prone to developing “pregnancy mask” (an very uneven and semi-permanent face tan pregnant women can get due to hormones, also called melasma)
I think it’s kind of charming. And you don’t really know what is in their heads. I go out in the sun, and I brown, evenly, and quickly. Someone else goes out in the sun, and they burn like lobsters. Umbrellas are for rain. Ergo, you carry a parasol - a perfectly useful item invented just for this.
Just reporting that I have yet to run across an instance in Nashville, but then I don’t get out in the sun myself in that kind of weather. Male, over 30, married, tend to notice young female behavior.
If I did spot a case, I would wonder if the gal had some sensitive skin or whatnot, before labeling her a nutjob, but that would come in third anyway.
I do it at pagan festivals/campgrounds, 'cause it’s fairly common. Of course, you’ll also find people there in Ren Faire garb, in fairy wings and in nothing at all. I love it, not only because it means I can be a little sloppy with the sunscreen and not burn, but because it’s cooler under there. Yes, really! Even with 95 degree air all around, being shielded from the direct sunlight in my traveling shade really makes it feel cooler.
I haven’t tried it on the streets of Chicago, to be honest. I think it’d be poorly received.
ETA: Oh, and parasols are nice because they’re lighter than umbrellas. Since my packing space is limited, though, I bring the ginormous rainbow colored umbrella. Works for rain and sun, but it does get heavy, carrying it around for hours.
I’ve seen it a couple of times here among the cosplay/goth kinda set. Quite unusual considering how little sunshine we get. 
Another Aussie who sees it all the time amongst Asian women. Seems sensible to me.
I see women of all ages in New York carrying parasols on hot, sunny days–not many of them, but a few a day, certainly. I think it is both smart and charming.