Obsession | 07/25/12

Hot Town, Summer in the City

We don’t know about you, but this summer is driving us bonkers. The triple-digit temps, the way-too-much sun, the stickiness, the power failures—waaaaah! To calm ourselves, we’ve been thinking about old-fashioned solutions to surviving heat waves, and reflecting fondly on inexpensive, off-the-grid devices that used to be common but now have mostly disappeared. Why don’t we carry fold-up fans anymore? But even more urgently, I wish we could bring back the parasol. Talk about a great invention—a personal shade provider that moves when you do, can be positioned this way or that, that weighs almost nothing and requires no lithium battery. Parasols are easy to come by at gift shops in Chinatown, but we also found some terrific ones in a dazzling array of colors and shapes at Luna Bazaar; some of our favorites are shown above. While you’re there, check out the equally inspiring and varied selections of fans and paper lanterns. Backyard party, anyone?

—JOANNE TRESTRAIL

Posted at 12:19 PM in Obsession | Back to all posts