Why the umbrella is your friend

Which of these is the UK’s rainiest city? Glasgow, Cardiff or Manchester? Here in the UK, it rains for an average of 133 soggy days a year. No wonder the humble umbrella has been a must-have accessory for at least the last 500 years!

Sure, brollies have their downsides. They don’t like the wind, can be a bit pokey and have an annoying habit of disappearing when they are most required. But you know what? Their pros far outweigh their cons.

We need them

“Drowned rat” isn’t a good look for anyone - unless you’re Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Only Audrey could manage so beautifully without an umbrella. The rest of us mere mortals need a good brolly to save hair, makeup and outfit from utter ruin. 

But that doesn’t mean we can’t look totally glam! Check out fashionista and blogger Kristabel’s stunning 1970s’ look. Of her shoot, entitled “Rainy Day”, she says: “I grabbed the biggest brolly I could find and posed up a storm.” For us, that big, black umbrella perfectly complements her outfit. It’s a wonderful finishing touch and keeps the rain from ruining her suede.  

They make us dance better

Remember Singin’ in the rain? It’s not just Gene Kelly who can cut a dash with an umbrella. Fashion blogger Carrie certainly makes the most of inclement weather. 

Writing on her blog, Wish Wish Wish, she says: “In England, dressing for the rain becomes second nature. It’s wet out there for the majority of the year, so you can only do your best and have some fun with it.” Can you spot her above?

They brighten up gloomy days

Black is smart and sober but why not take a colour cue from blog author Rebecca? She says she loves her brand new, bright red umbrella because it brightens up the day. 

Children just love bright bold colours and funky graphic styling. That’s why our kiddies’ umbrellas are such a hit! Checkout this pic of kids modelling our Rusty the Fox and Mr Badger brollies. In fact here at dotcomgiftshop we have a whole section devoted to children’s umbrellas. Whoever said rainy days couldn’t be fun? As one of our customers, Mandyle, says: “5 stars for this gorgeous little fox umbrella. My 2 year old daughter loooves it.”

They bring us closer together

Umbrellas make walking in the rain romantic, as Chouette found when she bought our World Map umbrella for her ‘amoureux’: “It's so big that you can enjoy a walk with your loved one under it without any of you getting wet!”

“Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” - just one of thousands of comments posted on social media when this photo of a dad getting soaked while holding an umbrella over his little boy went viral (see pic above). Heart-warming stuff!

They're not perfect, but we forgive them anyway

Like all great friends, umbrellas have their foibles but we wouldn’t be without them. Which brings us to the question we asked earlier - where in Britain are you most likely to need an umbrella? Well, this might surprise you, but it’s not our old friend Glasgow. And it’s not Manchester either.

The UK’s rainiest city? Let’s raise a brolly to Cardiff. According to the Met Office, residents of the Welsh capital get 115.19 cm of rain each year.

14 Beautiful Designs

Choose new umbrellas for yourself and your children from 14 different dotcomgiftshop designs. Here are a few examples:

For adults...

For kids...