Picking the Right Umbrella for You

Neopia is within the grips of summer once again and you may find yourself having trouble dressing up your pets and making them look unique. Well, friends, I am here to inform you of a great under-appreciated accessory for summer that you can use in any of your future customizations: UMBRELLAS!

There are quite a number of fabulous umbrellas and parasols that Neopians can use to customize their pets. Thankfully the range of colours and shapes does not limit them to a summer accessory only! In this article I will detail some of my favorites and why.

Purple Petals Parasol

This pretty little umbrella is a NeoCash item that was given out by the NC Mall event Edolies Phantastic Finds. It has a trendy green and purple design and features flower petals on top, a frilly edge design and a vine winding down towards the handle. This parasol would be perfect for flowery or forest customizations.

Shenkuu-Inspired Paper Parasol

This popular umbrella is quite expensive to acquire but is well worth the effort. It has a timeless design and matches easily with just about all the looks you could imagine. With this little gem you get what you pay for: great quality and an elegant appearance. I would add this parasol to a customization of a royal pet to give them a touch more extravagance.

Parasol of Unfortunate Demise

Unfortunately you cannot use this item to dress up your neopet; however, it is a nice little weapon for the Battledome. The parasol of unfortunate demise is a full light blocker and at approximately 500 NP is a must-have for every Neopian. The Mysterious Negg Cave is also giving out this item if you want to try your luck there.

Chocolate Umbrella

While you can't actually wear this umbrella either, it makes the list by being tasty and functional (theoretically). Though maybe it is not the best idea to try this Umbrella in the sun, it could melt and would become more of a delicious mess than protection from the sun. Best keep this one inside the house in a cool but dry environment.

Shoyru Rain Umbrella

Even though this umbrella is species specific, it is absolutely adorable... if you own a Shoyru! Not only is it cute and wearable but it is also guaranteed to protect your Shoyru from a light drizzle. I guarantee that it will survive in a heavy downpour, but it's better than nothing right? As a neopoint item it is available for all Neopians to acquire and looks great with watery customizations.

Cotton Candy Umbrella

Edible umbrellas seem to be a hit but unlike the Chocolate Umbrella this one is also wearable. The Cotton Candy Umbrella was a Secret Meepit Stache (NeoCash) prize and is popular among sweet enthusiasts. It goes perfectly with many edible-type customizations and does not look out of place in a girly look either. The umbrella itself is lovely and fluffy with a blue trim. A lovely pink and blue bow placed on the handle completes it. If you or your pets have a sweet tooth, it may be wise to invest in one of these soon!

Delicate Lace Parasol

I absolutely love this NeoCash umbrella, as it will go with everything. It is of a neutral color and you could use it in just about any customization conceivable. Not just a lady's parasol; you could also apply it to your dapper gentleman as well. Dress it up with a evening dress or suit, alternatively, dress it down with a skirt and an up-do.

Gothic Parasol

Now this parasol is probably a bit misunderstood and under-appreciated. The gothic parasol goes well with any manner of spooky or Halloween customizations but use your imagination: Black looks good with anything after all! This is also a NeoCash item, so be advised that you can only purchase it with real money. If you can get it though, I guarantee it will be a great addition to your closet. Just watch out; it could start sulking in the corner if you don't use it enough.

Baby Lady Blurg Umbrella

We wouldn't want the baby neopets left out, now would we? This is the perfect accessory for them! It will protect their delicate skin (or fur) from the sun or rain and as a bonus it's also fashionably-cute! It obviously features a Lady Blurg design but unlike the petpetpet you cannot simply pet cannot simply 'catch' this umbrella as it is a NeoCash item and requires you to purchase it for them. If you own a baby pet and require an umbrella, there is really no other choice but this umbrella.

Braided Metal Umbrella with Silk Flowers

One of my personal favorite umbrellas, this metal creation is simply great. You can use it for many different customizations as the harmony between metal and flowers provides versatility! This was one of the first prizes to be created by the Crafting Faerie and is therefore a NeoCash item. It will not be very suitable to protect your neopets from the rain but at least it looks cool, right?

These are only some of my favorite umbrellas but there should also be some... dishonorable mentions. These are almost completely useless and defeat the purpose of an umbrella, but that is half the fun!

The Water Umbrella, a very cheap neopoint item, is made out of you guess it: water! This has to be the very top of my list of useless yet fascinating items. I love that the umbrella is made out of the very thing it is supposed to protect you and your pets from: the rain, ingenious! I have no idea how it retains its form but if you own one it's probably best to keep it in some kind of container... after all, you never know when it could spill.

Also getting a dishonorable mention is the Snot Umbrella. There is not much to say apart from it's made from snot. Ladies and gentlemen, there is a very good reason that is probably the cheapest umbrella. Nobody would dare use this and if I didn't collect umbrellas even I wouldn't own one. There is no way to know where the snot came from, and honestly you probably don't want to know. Lets just leave this umbrella alone.

I hope after reading this article you have gained a new or renewed appreciation for umbrellas and parasols and will use them more frequently in your customizations and just enjoy them for what they are: functional, cute and creative. As my favorite items in all of Neopia I have to thank TNT and their creative genius for creating such diverse collection of these little beauties.