CHENNAI :EBRAHIM CURRIM & SONS
The evening scapes at Sowcarpet are a sight to behold. Amid the traffic snarl, pavement hawkers and numerous shops that dot the area, a quaint and unassuming 100-odd-year-old building tucked away on NSC Bose Road — the Stag Building — stands tall, drawing customers to Ebrahim Currim & Sons. The shop has wooden racks filled with umbrellas of different sizes, prints, designs and handles, catering to the tastes of people of all ages. “We expected more rain this week, but it has been a disappointment. Though we’ve had a steady stream of customers gearing up for the monsoon, coming in and buying umbrellas and raincoats, we are anticipating the sales to pick up only by next week,” shares Suresh M Shah, manager.
This year, apart from the regular monochrome umbrellas and black thatha kodais, the umbrellas with cartoon prints, rainbow prints, and those with an inverted mechanism have caught the attention of customers. “The inverted umbrellas turn the canopies inside out. This way, the inner dry canopy will cover the outer canopy after it’s closed. The water beads and rolls off the canopy, keeping it dry and clean,” explains a shopkeeper. If you are looking for a utilitarian umbrella while wanting to look your stylish best this monsoon, opt for this style. Models like the gigantic golf umbrella with kilt prints, pretty frill-style umbrellas, and umbrellas with shiny fabrics have also made it to the shelves of the store. They also offer plastic raincoats with floral patterns and the pant-jacket raincoat set.
DECATHLON
Alongside regular sport gears, Decathlon also has an interesting array of monsoon gear for the rainyseason. The collection has raincoats and pants for both men and women, warm jackets that come inwaterproof and non-waterproof styles, water resistant caps and umbrellas. new colours have been introduced to give a variety.Compared to last year Sports enthusiasts will prefer their selections, astheir gear will prevent slush and mud from getting on your clothes.
Expect a line up of waterproof fitness gadgets, watches, jackets, boots and shoes. “We have monsoon collection throughout the year. Some hiking products are available from July to January since it’s a peak season for travellers. Our raincoats and pants are fast-moving, considering the recent rains. Most of our rain gear fall under the sport hiking category. But not many people from the city buy them for hiking, rather for the rains,” said a spokesperson from the store. Decathlon has four branches in the city — one in Mogappair, two on OMR and one at Ramee Mall. They have introduced a shopping app for customers.
PRETTY COLLECTION
This store in Gokul Arcade in Adyar sells waterproof gear laced with felt to keep you dry, warm and cosy. They have a classy collection of umbrellas with printed patterns like checks and stripes. If you are looking for a quick fix this monsoon, you can check out their useand- throw raincoats which just cost `100 per piece and come in primary colours. Their rain jackets look smart and classy and come in black, brown, blue, purple, white and pink. They even have water resistant suitcase covers, which come in quirky prints and colours.
JOONUS SAIT AND SONS
A few feet away from the Flower Bazaar Police Station is Joonus Sait and Sons, which was established in 1905 to cater to all the winter and monsoon wear needs of people from across the country. On a chilly evening, we visit the store located at Rattan Bazaar. Usman Sait, the fourth-generation owner walks in and immediately asks one of his employees to show us the latest entrant — a raincoat set. What’s unique about the set is that it caters to women. The set consists of a knee-length jacket and a skirt instead of the regular pant. “This is convenient for women.
They can even wear it on top of their sari and it can be removed without hassle,” he says, adding that the new model is available in multiple monochrome colours including lavender and green. The raincoat is priced at `1,400. The other monsoon wear is a jacket with an adjustable belt — a culmination of style and comfort. “The regular raincoats and pant-shirt rainwear sets are seeing regular sales,” he shares.
A special ‘baggy’ raincoat model for children is also a huge hit this season. “The raincoat has buttons that can be opened and adjusted to make space for school bags. This way, there is complete protection,” he explains. From fancy printed umbrellas, floral prints, cartoon prints to monochromes with printed borders, the store also features a wide range of umbrellas.
SEKAR EMPORIUM
Go to Sekar Emporium for a rain-safe monsoon. They have a trendy collection of umbrellas which range from plain to floral patterns. For a more secure coverage, you can pick from their collection of two-piece raincoats and water resistant pants. They even have full-length raincoats with designs for men and women. If you are looking for monsoon gear that can keep up with your style quotient, they have water-resistant jackets and windcheaters for bikers in multiple colours. Their gears come in a variety of patterns. Their collection for children comes in bright colours with fun dinosaur and little piglet patterns.