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[Urban Buy]

Umbrella policy
Keep the raindrops from falling on your head

BY ASHLEY WILLARD

THOUGH MARCH BROKE the rules by going out like a lion that ate the lamb, spring has to show up sooner or later. Right? And with spring, of course, come those pesky but inevitable April showers. Sure, I’ll take a drizzle over a blizzard any day, but there’s nothing worse than getting stuck in a downpour, spending the rest of the day soaking wet, and leaving trails of puddles throughout the office. And to think, if you’d just had an umbrella ...

My first boyfriend (okay, so I was 13) happened to be the son of a local weatherman, and since Bruce was always such a nice guy, I have the utmost respect for the field. However, meteorology is clearly not an exact science, so it’s always better to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature might have up her sleeve. But when you depend on your feet and public transportation to get where you’re going, it’s not always so convenient to lug a large cane-like accessory along. Solution? Windstorm’s lightweight flat umbrella ($14.99), at Target, is small enough to keep in a purse, a backpack, or even your pocket, and expands to a full 40 inches of sturdy rain protection. It’s available in a variety of hues for easy color coordination.

For fashion as well as dryness, check out Moschino’s Adeline Umbrella ($60), at Luxlook.com. This stylish and classy creation, available in pink, gray, or amber, pairs the beauty of a classic parasol with the brawn of aluminum. The shapely Retro Clear Dome ($34) at Umbrellas.com comes with either blue or white trim and offers the added bonus of high visibility — very handy on busy city streets, because really, nobody wants to be poked in the eye with your umbrella spoke. Also at Umbrellas.com: a rainbow umbrella ($15) that looks a bit like a giant beanie — sans propeller, of course.

Rain tends to get a bad rap, but it can be fun if that’s how you make it. Cambridge’s Serendipity carries three-dimensional animal umbrellas ($14.99) that simply demand a little puddle-splashing. How bad can things be when your shelter is a giant, smiling green frog? Also in the “who says they’re just for kids?” category is the Splash ’n Sparkle Umbrella Painting Kit ($14.99) at Target, which comes complete with umbrella, brushes, and glitter paints that reputedly won’t wash off in the rain. The ultimate rainy-day activity?

The dorky-looking but ultra-handy Hands Off! Umbrella ($19.95) comes with an adjustable harness that straps around your shoulder so you can hold other things. Imagine the possibilities! Finally, we have to hand it to the people at Goodcatalog.com: their golf-umbrella-size Radio Umbrella ($39.95) has a radio in the handle so you’ll never have to miss Howard Stern on a rainy day.

An umbrella, much like a plunger or a can of Sterno, is one of those things we don’t tend to think much about until we really need one. This season, with so many styles, sizes, and functions to choose from, do yourself a favor: don’t get caught in the rain.

• www.luxlook.com

• www.goodcatalog.com

• Serendipity, 1312 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 661-7143

• Target, 1 Mystic View Road, Everett, (617) 420-0000; 400 Lynn Fells Parkway, Saugus, (781) 307-0000; www.target.com

• www.umbrellas.com

Issue Date: April 5-12, 2001






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