The humble umbrella is making a comeback as the latest "must have" fashion accessory.

The word umbrella has come to be used to mean many things. From the simple rain umbrella to walking umbrella to garden umbrella to golf umbrella to wedding umbrella to umbrella charities and organisations; the list goes on and on. Anyone with even an o'level in French knows that the word umbrella obviously originally mest stem from "ombre", meaning shade or shadow. So its strange that something which was originally meant to protect from the sun has become known as something to protect you from the complete opposite i.e. the rain. Actually the French have still got it right - parapluie means against the rain and parasol means against the sun. For that matter the Germans have also kept the distinction. Regenschirm and Sonnenschirm. The Italians, though, like the English speaking nations have fallen for the same trap with Ombrelli.

Actually,. Umbrellas have come a pretty long way. They're mostly made in China and Taiwan these days. People claim still to make superior quality umbrellas in some Western European countries like Great Britain, Italy and France but the truth is the quality of umbrellas made in China is generally just as good. These Western European countries like to perpetuate an image and reputation of traditional skills and superior quality, but the truth is they are simply attempting to justify the higher labour costs and are trying to maintain higher prices in order to cling on to their margins. You would be surprised. Many so called traditional British umbrellas or stylish hand made Italian umbrellas are in reality made in China or at best simply packaged over here to get round the trades description acts. I say, hell, what's wrong with Chinese umbrellas? If you read your history of umbrellas, you'll learn that, that's where they first originated anyway.

There are some amazing recent developments and innovations in the world of umbrellas. My favourites include the Witch umbrella, the Kiss umbrella, the Lurve umbrella and the Squarella from www.UmbrellaHeaven.com which is a division of Rob McAlister Ltd from Leighton Buzzard in the United Kingdom.

The Witch umbrella, so called because of its slight resemblance to a witch's hat is rapidly becoming an iconic and very popular fashion statement for fashion connoisseurs throughout the world. It has a very distinctive shape that really sets you apart from the ubiquitous and frankly boring traditional, conventional shaped umbrellas that you see just about everywhere. The Witch umbrella really stands out from the crowd. I say if you're going to buy an umbrella, don't buy any old umbrella - buy a special umbrella.

The Kiss umbrella is a more subtle version of the Witch umbrella. This is a particularly elegant umbrella. Its attractive feminine lines make it particularly appealing to the younger female generation.

The Squarella, as the name suggests is a really cool, square-shaped umbrella.

The Witch, the Kiss and the Squarella are all great fun umbrellas that really put a smile on your face. Moreover, they all benefit from the worldwide- patented Double Dome wind-resilience technology. You see, with these innovative umbrellas, its actually what's on the inside that counts. They each have not one but two sets of spokes. Think about it. Twice the number of contact points with each of the umbrella ribs must mean twice the strength, right? Certainly, when I tested them in a near hurricane, I found these to be very robust umbrellas indeed. Eventually, they will blow inside out. Actually, if you think about it, they need to - for safety reasons. But what I have found with these new high tech umbrellas, is that, when this eventually happens, unlike traditional umbrellas, they do not break! Yes, I'll say that again - they do not break. I think this just could be the world's strongest umbrella, the world's first unbreakable umbrella. This is because of the unique design. Each of the twin spokes has a tiny hinge, which means that these amazing umbrellas actually "give" in high winds. They can be recovered time and time again in the event of wind inversion. How cool is that? This is a real umbrella for life - in both senses! An umbrella for living and an umbrella that should last you a lifetime.

Umbrellas that combine fashion with the latest wind-resilience technology - surely this has got to be the way forward?