SPRING BRINGS SHOWERS OF UMBRELLAS

Bursting with color, they bloom when sprinkled with cool spring rain.

Some boast rainbow hues, others copy the muted shades of an evening horizon. Some feature crayon-like brilliance.

While their counterparts in nature have their practical uses, umbrellas, likewise, play valuable roles.

Beyond its practicality, an umbrella can make a fashion statement.

"People are looking at umbrellas again," observed Patty Ball, Hecht's counter manager for Estee Lauder cosmetics. "They've come out with umbrellas that have much more personality."

Umbrellas have a rich history of reflecting personal taste. The parasol, a relative of today's umbrellas, was once considered a fashion must.

As fashions change, so do accessories. Umbrellas made from designer-like fabrics and styles are new versions, Ball said. Cottons, once the material of choice for umbrellas of years past, are again appearing. Yet, the color mix is different from the parasols of old.

"They're doing things with umbrellas like they do in homes now," Ball said, referring to use of coordinating fabrics -- florals and stripes -- in umbrellas and paired accessories.

As with any accessory, form and function vary among umbrellas. Technology has not been lost on the invention. Automatic umbrellas burst forth at the push of a button. Some compartmentalize into sizes that are easy to carry and store when spring rains give way to summer's dry days.

Personal tastes are wide-ranging, so are umbrella styles.

The medium size, automatic umbrella continues its reign of popularity, according to Jeanne Shrum of Hartford's. Styled with a heavy plastic, grooved grip, the nylon umbrella is easily opened and stores neatly in a carrying case complete with a cover. "We find most ladies like this because it's not in their way to carry and it does have a little hanging strap," Shrum said.

Colors like red and navy and black are popular because they coordinate so handily with outerwear, she said.

However, not everyone selects an umbrella with fashion in mind. Simple necessity can dictate the choice. Plus, some folks could care less how the umbrella looks as long as it keeps them dry. For many people, function is more important than form.

Maybe it's because there's less investment, but these cousins of the pricer versions share uncanny characteristics, according to those who scramble furiously when it rains to find just one umbrella from among their collection.

They lurk in dark closets and under desks. They sneak into automobile trunks and become invisible in car floorboards.

When they're needed, they're nowhere to be found. In some homes, umbrellas share a strange kinship with socks. Perhaps there's a black hole in the universe where single socks and wind-warped umbrellas float in a cascade of colors, patterns and sizes.

Heroes and heroines of grand and graceful stature are needed to overcome the odds. In the tradition of Mary Poppins, leave it to children, or children's wear, to save the day. All the top characters, from Beauty and the Beast to Barney, are popping up on cloudy afternoons.

"They're a steady seller, especially when it rains outside," said Marc Edwards, sales floor department head at Toys R Us. While Barney remains a popular character found on the child-size umbrellas, an old favorite has made a comeback. "Lambchop is probably our newest one," Edwards said.

"Children don't think about raincoats, parents are the ones that think about raincoats" and related wear, said Mary Lou Hinton, retail manager of All American Kids.

The shop began carrying the kids-size umbrellas last fall after a buyer spotted them at market, Hinton said. The plastic umbrellas were popular in the primary colors last year, she explained. This season, the character umbrellas are among the favorites.

Once children get a look at them, they catch on fast, Hinton observed. She tells the story of one woman who returned for two more purchases of the novelty umbrellas for use as birthday gifts because of their growing popularity.

Children's rainwear may even outdo adult styles in the pieces available. "We carry the matching raincoats plus over-night suitcases," Hinton noted.

Tots and the younger set generally have strong preferences among the characters, Hinton and Edwards agree. Selection "depends on the individual child," Edwards said.

The same goes with grownups who take interest in their outerwear accessories.

Some women are warming up to spring with umbrellas fashioned from "hotter" colors than last year, Ball said. "We're seeing warmer colors like hot orange, lemons and limes. There for years, it was pinks and mauves."

"The colors are still soft," Ball said, "but they're more muted instead of pastel."

Early spring and early fall are the top seasons for umbrellas, Shrum said. "They'll get their's out and find it's broken and it's time to replace it," she said.

Regardless of the style, size or cost, buyers count on usefulness above all other attributes that may be found in the umbrella.

After all, Ball said, just like flash floods, "it's a spring thing."