Umbrellas are useful – if you know how to handle them properly. Flickr/Garry Knight Though many men have now switched to the flimsy, collapsible, disposable umbrella, there was a time when a sturdy, pricey umbrella was as much of a gentleman's status symbol as Gucci loafers.

And at that time, there was an etiquette associated with these accessories that has been forgotten in our transition to the disposable.

So April, the rainiest month of the year in much of the U.S., is the perfect time for a reminder.

Angus Kidman of Lifehacker Australia reminds us that, by virtue of their form, Umbrellas expand our personal space and the room we take up on the sidewalk. Most of umbrella etiquette revolves around this fact.

But there's more to it than that.