A tiny touch of flair: Paper Parasols

Paper Parasol, $14.50. Pearl River

When I was a child, my Granny would take me to the market with her and she'd have me carry two umbrellas; one for her and another for me, so that we could shade ourselves from the midday heat.

I thought it was the most dowdy and old-fashioned thing I had ever heard of, and wanted no part of it!

Fast forward to today, and when the temps rose to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in NYC, and I started to feel like Barbie on a suntanning bed, the umbrella/shade scenario seemed extremely appealing.

Seeing a lady cooly waltzing alongside me with a flowered, paper parasol didn't help, nor did the fact that I actually had a tiny Chinese umbrella chucked far, far away, somewhere in the back of my closet.

I had even forgotten to carry my little sandalwood fan, one not unlike the selections featured in this month's issue of Au Courant Magazine; ironic for me to be giving out tips that I forget to follow, right?

But enough about me. What about you: would you be stylish - and sensible - enough to whip out a hand-painted paper parasol, when the sweltering heat gets to you?

LMN Harris