NEW YORK -- On the warmest, sunniest day so far this season, I took a parasol for a spin.

Parasols, aka sun umbrellas, had a noticeable presence on the spring runways, have seen sales grow and are carried by -- or for -- celebrities trying to shield their skin from harmful UV rays. Why shouldn't I try one?

I chose one that was feminine but not too girlie. I'm not Scarlett O'Hara. It was a black-and-white floral print with a little subtle lace at the edge by Totes. I'd definitely use it as an umbrella on a rainy day.

But there is something much more intimidating about opening an umbrella when there isn't a cloud in the sky. I thought everyone on the street would stare. I thought people might laugh. Even though I've seen parasols at fashion shows and in the stands at the U.S. Open, I can't recall ever seeing someone walk down the street with one.

Opening it was the hardest part. What were other people thinking?

Apparently, not much. I didn't get one strange look, not one gawk. With each step I took, I was that much closer to forgetting that I was carrying it. Underneath it was bright, just not sunny, and not at all dreary.

I couldn't really see using it every day, but maybe I'd bring a sun umbrella to my daughter's soccer game or a long walk on the beach.

If anyone strolling around Madison Square Garden at lunchtime did take note, maybe they thought I was the smartest of all, protecting myself from the sun.

It's more likely, though, that my parasol didn't even register because they had other things to think about. This might be a lesson for any new style I'm afraid to try.