Frivolity and Modernity: Parasols in the Long Nineteenth Century

The parasol — an essential accessory for women in the nineteenth century — acted as a bridge between traditional feminine ideals and modernizing society, thus bringing the seemingly contradictory aspects of frivolity and modernity into dialogue. Despite their emblematic role, parasols are often overlooked in fashion history and museum collections. This article reassesses parasols as both fashion accessories and cultural artefacts and explores when and why they reached their peak in popularity by combining object-based research with a theoretical approach. Drawing on fashion magazines, contemporary writings and images, this research demonstrates that changing ideologies of femininity played an essential role in the rise and fall of the parasol’s fashionability. By examining the parasol collections at the Art & History Museum and the Fashion & Lace Museum in Brussels (Belgium), the article simultaneously provides a framework to date and contextualize parasols.