Pasotti: Luxury Parasols and Umbrellas

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With summertime vacation season here…and Fall 2015 High Point Market just 8 Fridays from today, we thought we’d introduce you, dear readers, to luxury, artisanal Italian umbrella & parasol maker: Pasotti + give you a brief look into the history of parasols and umbrellas, everyday items that we all use.

Well known for their exquisite craftsmanship, gorgeous carved and bejeweled handles and top quality materials, Passoti’s custom umbrellas and parasols are used by some of the world’s top celebrities, style icons and tastemakers, as you can see if you look at their Facebook Page.

Pasotti is a family business, started by the matriarch of the family, Ernesta Pasotti, shown below. Today, her daughter, Nicola, and Nicola’s two sons all work in the business. You can read more about their family by clicking here when you’re finished reading this post and seeing more examples of their unbelievably beautiful creations.
What is the difference between an umbrella and a parasol?
A parasol is typically used to shade oneself from the sun, as shown below in this beautiful painting from 1918 entitled, SUMMER, by Colin Campbell Cooper.

and an umbrella is used to protect oneself from the rain, as shown in this stunning painting by Pierre Auguste Renoir, called *Umbrellas* from 1883.Umbrellas and parasols have a wonderful history going back to earliest times.
Below, a parasol is depicted on the frescoed walls of India’s most famous site for ancient paintings, the Ajanta Caves – dating from 2nd century B.C to 6th Century A.D.

When you’re finished seeing the rest of the gorgeous Pasotti umbrellas and parasols in the balance of this post, click on the picture below to be taken to a 2 minute video from the History Channel on the history of umbrellas. It’s charming & interesting!

The Pasotti family makes a variety of gorgeous umbrellas and parasols, and also can completely customize one for you, if that is your desire. Here are just a few umbrellas we love.

Our favorite umbrellas for spring and summer are these three.

Our favorite umbrellas for for fall and winter are these three.

And for every season, we love this parasol.

For travelling, we think this Pasotti folding umbrella, with its beautiful gold wrist chain, is perfection.

Readers, which one is your favorite? We’d love to know in the comments! And, to the Pasotti family: Thank you for carrying on such a very special and elegant family tradition, something we believe in strongly here at Hadley Court. Good luck at your upcoming tradeshow show in Las Vegas in August.