Tools To Looking Chic On A Grey, Rainy Day - Part 2

Two of my favorite bloggers, mother and daughter duo Judy and Jane Aldridge, are off visiting Tokyo right now, and have been chronicling their trip online at Atlantis Home and Sea of Shoes. The umbrellas people were carrying in Judy's rainy day street shots caught my eye—they're gorgeous!

Bright, unusually shaped, and often patterned, they're a long way from the basic black disposable ones you see everyone with here in New York. Scouting around for an authentic Japanese umbrella of my own, I found this old fashioned dome style with fine red pinstripes and a dainty curved handle from umbrellas.net. I'm also digging the options from this Japanese company, Rakuten Ichiba, that ships to the States (Conveniently, there's a shipping calculator on the

site. A 3 pound package costs about $30 to ship to the US—steep, but the umbrellas themselves are priced reasonably enough and are so special I think it's actually worth it): likethese, with solid exteriors lined with intricate florals.

The color block umbrellas are another favorite, as is this lipstick red version with graphic black boning.

PS: Jane is launching a line of shoes she designed for Urban Outfitters (not bad for a 17 year-old living in suburban Texas)!. Stay tuned for more when they hit stores.