April Showers Bring...

...great wet-weather accessories! Betcha thought I was going to say May flowers, right? Well, okay, those too. But for the rainy weather ahead (and now, in many places), what better way to brighten the day than with a fun umbrella or patterned raincoat?

Two umbrellas in particular have just jumped out at me recently. The first is "The Brelli," a fully biodegradable umbrella comprised of bamboo and a clear canopy. At right, you can see how amazing it looks. I love the Asian-inspired feel of it (remember those little paper umbrellas you got in virgin daiquiris as a kid?), and apparently it's very durable, even in windy weather.

The only drawback is that they're a bit hard to purchase right now, unless you happen to be planning a trip to Fred Segal in Santa Monica (their website is really just a placeholder right now) or a couple of small boutiques in New York. I'll keep you posted, though, when it becomes more widely available!

My other favorite umbrella solves the age old problem of where to put a soaking wet umbrella - or any umbrella for that matter - so that it both stays out of the way and is not forgotten when one gets up to leave. Called the "Stand Umbrella," it has this ingenious design by Hironao Tsuboi with little feet at the bottom, so that it stands up without any assistance. Brilliant!

The only drawback is that it's sold on a website that's mostly in Japanese (even the FAQs are all characters) and it's gonna set you back about 4,200 Yen. Which is actually only about 43 bucks, but still, you're going to need a translator to figure out how to put it in your online shipping cart.

Huh. So, I guess I've now told you about two fantastic products that are really hard to purchase. Um, a girl can dream, right? And speaking of dreaming...

Here's my new (fantasy) raincoat for this spring, from Narciso Rodriguez. It's currently available on eLuxury for the bargain-basement price of only $1995.00. Sorry, that's dollars, not Yen. And what I really love about this item is that it's simply listed as "Water-Resistant Raincoat." Because a non-water-resistant raincoat wouldn't really be a raincoat, now would it?

All sarcasm aside, this coat is absolutely gorgeous. It's a far cry from the Gorton's Fisherman's bright yellow slicker, which is what makes it so fashionably fantastic. I love the clean, modern lines; the brownish-gray color that won't show any puddle splash (not that grown women run around splashing in puddles, natch); and the fully pleated back, which can be seen online. So sophisticated.

As everyone else struggles with their turned-inside-out umbrellas from a street vendor and their soaking wet, candy-colored coats, the DCGF plans on strolling calmly down the block in style.

Goodwill’s fashion blog provides detailed knowledge and insight on vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories that are valuable to fashion shoppers. The facts and opinions shared present readers with entertaining, exciting and value based information on vintage and contemporary fashion and shopping trends.