City
Town
Country
Country
More than just rain protection
In Britain, the umbrella is far more than a practical shield against the weather - it is a symbol of refinement, quiet confidence, and enduring style. For centuries, the well-dressed Londoner has carried an umbrella not merely out of necessity, but as a mark of character.
And it was never one object. The same shape led three separate lives, and the differences between them were understood by everyone and written down by no one. In the City it was black, narrow, and furled every morning whether or not rain was likely - part of the outfit, and an admission of poor planning if left at home. In Town the rules loosened by a single degree, allowing colour provided the colour was serious. In the country it stopped being carried and started being used: wider, stouter, leaned on across a field and shared between the house and the car.
Three umbrellas, one silhouette. Where you were going decided which one you took.
A History woven into British life
The umbrella arrived in Britain in the 18th century, initially met with scepticism before becoming an indispensable accessory of the gentleman and lady alike. By the Victorian era, the tightly furled umbrella — carried with a straight arm and a measured stride — had become as much a part of the London silhouette as the bowler hat or the Savile Row suit.
From the City banker to the country squire, the umbrella transcended class, uniting British society under a shared appreciation for craftsmanship and propriety.
The Sloane Street Umbrella
At Sloane Street we build to that tradition rather than around it. Our umbrellas follow the proportions the City settled on a century ago, in materials chosen to be carried daily and to weather properly. Not an heirloom. A good umbrella, made well, meant to be used.
And because the tradition had three lives, so does the range. The City is black, narrow and strict, made for the walk from the station and the wait outside the building. The Town is the same silhouette in oxblood or hunter green - close enough to black to pass at a distance, and quietly not the same thing. The Country is wider in the canopy and stouter in the shaft, because it is leaned on rather than carried.
Three umbrellas, one shape. Where you are going decides which one you take.