Modern Living: Under the Bubble-Top

THE biggest news in umbrellas since Mary Poppins sailed away with hers is the bubble-top. Made of transparent vinyl that bottles the wearer in his own waterproof demi-jar, the new models have taken the country by storm; and for storms, there is nothing like them. The body may not be fully sheltered, but head and shoulders stay totally dry. People can see where they are going, or who is coming at them. Women can make it home from the beauty parlor without losing their curls to the wind and damp. Only drawbacks: sharing is impossible (not enough room) and smoking both a foggy business (not enough air) and an incendiary one.

The umbrellas come with a variety of names: Storm-Belle, Birdcage, Dome and Giant are some of them. All of them are selling out (at $8 and $9). At Bloomingdale’s department store in Manhattan, 200 bubble-tops went in just one cloudy morning last week. It was almost a letdown when the sun came out.