# What do you think of young women carrying parasols? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000 "2012-01-19T12:47:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/41 "2012-01-19T17:51:40Z")
On the golf course there can be times the sun is so baking hot that the golf umbrella is the quickest and easiest instant relief. I’ve used it many times for that. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/42 "2012-01-19T17:51:45Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Of course it’s possible to [take things too far](http://funnycrave.frsucrave.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/lolita.jpg) . . . Valgame Dios! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/43 "2012-01-19T17:59:05Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Umbrellas are for rain. Yes, that’s why the word literally means “little shadow.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/44 "2012-01-19T18:23:15Z")
I’m allergic to the sun. I think carrying a parasol would be the least weird thing I could do. In early summer I generally have to wear a broad-brimmed hat, sun-protective long-sleeved jacket and sometimes gloves. By late summer I usually have built up a tolerance and can get by with just the hat. But the point is, sometimes you have to look ridiculous for your own good. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/45 "2012-01-19T18:44:06Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I’m allergic to the sun. I think carrying a parasol would be the least weird thing I could do. In early summer I generally have to wear a broad-brimmed hat, sun-protective long-sleeved jacket and sometimes gloves. By late summer I usually have built up a tolerance and can get by with just the hat. But the point is, sometimes you have to look ridiculous for your own good. With your username, I have the most amusing picture in my head of martini olives marching forth under the shade of teeny tiny drink parasols… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/46 "2012-01-19T19:03:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Sunblock only works for the number on the label X how many minutes before you’d burn without it MAXIMUM. Also, it only blocks UV; if you are trying to stay cool it doesn’t do anything. > [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I remember my mother said her and her sisters would wear sun hats when they worked out in the fields. Frankly that sounds a lot more practical than a parasol. Depends on how big the parasol is and what your goal is; a 3 foot or more wide sun hat would be both awkward and silly looking. And a parasol can be angled more easily for maximum coverage. But a hat of course leaves both hands free. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/47 "2012-01-19T19:07:38Z")
Several of the foreign students do this at my university. They walk to and from the campus and don’t want to brown their skin. I think it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/48 "2012-01-19T19:07:52Z")
I live near Memphis, TN and I am a woman. When I used to walk my children to school (they go to a different school and take the bus now) I noticed that a great many of the Hispanic mothers and (especially) grandmothers carried umbrellas to block the sun. It gets _incredibly_ hot here, and I always thought it seemed very smart, although I never did it, because I am lazy. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/49 "2012-01-19T19:26:09Z")
I have only seen this done by Asian women. It’s usually on a very hot day,a nd my only thoughts are “What a great idea!” and “A black one would work better than that red/pink.” I think it’s a perfectly sensible idea. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/50 "2012-01-19T19:27:17Z")
I see Chinese women using umbrellas for shade from time to time (including my wife, on occasion). No fluffy/papery parasols, though. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/51 "2012-01-19T19:57:58Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > With your username, I have the most amusing picture in my head of martini olives marching forth under the shade of teeny tiny drink parasols… 😃 I love it! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/52 "2012-01-19T20:15:41Z")
The correct answer is a question: How big are her boobs? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/53 "2012-01-19T21:30:15Z")
> [@](#): > > 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’ve seen women of all ages carrying parasols for quite a few years now. It just makes sense, especially if someone is very fair and/or susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer. And it really does make a temperature difference, and if you have to be out in the Texas heat between noon and about 4 PM, you might really need that bit of relief. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/54 "2012-01-19T22:15:51Z")
I’ve seen women carrying parasols more frequently in recent years here in summer. It makes sense - they’re far more effective than a hat if you want to shade yourself from the sun. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/55 "2012-01-19T22:55:52Z")
I have a white one and my daughter a black one. We bought them at the Huntingdon Library in LA after trying them out and just being really taken with them. (We also bought two really old-fashioned hats). We didn’t use them much because they do look a little silly, but they were also really rather useful; up on the roof terrace my friends and I took it in turns to get some relief from the sun beating down on our heads while still enjoying the sun in general. > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve seen it a couple of times here among the cosplay/goth kinda set. Quite unusual considering how little sunshine we get. 🙂 My daughter is exactly that sort of person (and 13) and loves her parasol, though she’d only use it in certain situations in England - hot and also somewhere she’s unlikely to get teased for unusual clothing. > [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I remember my mother said her and her sisters would wear sun hats when they worked out in the fields. Frankly that sounds a lot more practical than a parasol. Of course the entire purpose of a sun hat or a parasol was to make it look like you didn’t work outdoors. A parasol covers more than a sunhat and doesn’t mess up your hair. Obviously for yardwork it’s not practical. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/56 "2012-01-19T23:06:15Z")
I have a foldable umbrella that lives in my handbag. I use it for rainy days, and extremely sunny days. And yes, I’ve heard of sunscreen and hats. I prefer my umbrella for several reasons. As mentioned above, sunscreen needs to be reapplied periodically, and it needs to be a fairly high UV factor down here, which means it’s not enough just to use the light moisturising lotion sunscreens. You have to use the thicker, heavier stuff. If you want to protect the top of your head from the sun (skin cancers in hair partings are not unheard of) you have to put sunscreen in your hair (eww) or wear a hat. Which on a 40C day is going to make your head sweat more than ever - not something I really want to deal with when I’m on my way to work, or going out after work. Plus a hat only covers your face and neck. Your arms and shoulders - hell, the rest of your body - are still exposed. The sun is also very hot. Which is a bit of a duh statement, but beyond the UV burn, the intensity of the sun down here means that even with longer sleeves on, you can still feel the heat through your clothes. When the air itself is so hot that the inside of your mouth feels cool by comparison, having a portable source of shade can almost be a lifesaver. ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/57 "2012-01-19T23:17:36Z")
I don’t have a special parasol that I use, but on sunny days when I am forced to stay somewhere without shade for long periods of time (e.g. waiting at the bus stop), I often use an umbrella. It makes sense in extremely changeable climates too (like many places in Asia in the summer), as it may well be bright sunshine one moment and pouring down rain the next. If I’m already carrying a small foldable umbrella, it makes more sense than a hat (cute hats generally won’t fit in a purse) and sunblock doesn’t cool you down. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/58 "2012-01-19T23:50:18Z")
This thread is making me consider purchasing a parasol ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/59 "2012-01-20T00:01:34Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > I live in a heavily Chinese part of Los Angeles, so I see it all the time. More common with the older women, but not at all unusual among younger. I’ve known (immigrant) Korean girls here who bemoan the L.A. sun because they’re so adverse to even the slightest tanning, and they try to get excused from PE class specifically because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000/60 "2012-01-20T00:17:19Z")
Now the other thing I think interesting is that no one has batted an eye at the specification of _women_ carrying parasols. Never, ever have I seen a parasol in the hands of a dude, unless he’s using it to shade his girlfriend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-of-young-women-carrying-parasols/610000.md?page=4)