I woke up yesterday to the pitter-patter of raindrops on my apartment's rooftop and thought to myself, Luke, brother, it just got real.

Real awesome!

Most people lament the passing of Summer, but for stylistas like myself, it marks the seasonal debut of the best that one's closet has to offer.

I picked up / my parents bought me a pretty stellar trench from New Man in Paris a few years ago, and I still delight in slipping into it every time the heavens open up.

But...

I moved apartments last month, and in the process, lost my umbrella. Quel desastre! I mean, what's a boy to do?

Well, faithful FF readers (hi Mom!), the silver lining to the nimbus clouds overhead is that I get to go shopping for a new one. And, on the off chance that you, too, find yourself stuck in a downpour with nowhere to hide, I thought I'd share with you the best that Google shopping has to offer:

Lets begin with the obvious:

The puppeteers behind our beloved Rihanna decided to capitalize on the success of her hit single, and came out with a not-half-bad line of brollies for FW08:

Courtesy totes-isotoner.com

Running for about $25 a pop, it's a cheap way to avoid the wet look.

If you're looking for an up-market, decidedly feminine parapluie, Jean Paul Gaultier has got you covered (pun very much intended):

Courtesy lovejoys-ltd.co.uk

While you may feel badly about forking over $200 to snatch one up, at least the knowledge that JP used synthetic fur will help to assuage your guilt.

Of course, for the divas out there, nothing is going to beat Pasotti's cheetah-print umbrella:

Courtesy lovejoys-ltd.co.uk

But for yours truly, it's gotta be Burberry. They've been the lions of designer rain wear since poor saps suffered in the soggy Flanders trenches of WW1.

Courtesy burberryusaonline.com

This Shimmer Check Walker umbrella will cost my Visa $350. But hey, who can put a price on feeling beautiful when the weather turns ugly?

Posted by LUKE