Seaside Sophistication

The other day, when I was sitting on the beach alone, looking out over miles of faraway people and sand, I had a revelation. I noticed that there were more striped, fun, classic umbrellas around than I think I'd ever seen: The entire shore looked like an old-timey postcard in the best, most civilized way. It made me wonder if something positive will come out of all this fear of sun exposure—if maybe our seashore experiences will become sophisticated again with big umbrellas and slightly more covered-up retro bathing suits and glamorous floppy hats. I want to be a part of this revolution if it ever comes, so I'm going to go ahead and plunk down $10.95 for this cool early-'60s-esque umbrella, take it with me to the beach, and drink only Coke out of a bottle or perhaps a tall Singapore Sling over ice.