Summer’s here. Season of barbecues, Putt-Putt, and poolside piña coladas.

Unless you’re a pessimist. In which case it’s the season of lighter-fluid flare-ups, West Nile mosquitoes, and chlorine-induced damage to hundred-dollar highlights.

Before you turn down deep-end penny dives or Marco Polo, consider protection. Slip on a rubber flower cap by Speedo in rainbow or precious peach. The kitschy-cool topper has the vintage appeal of ’50s-era bathing beauties, while it shields pampered tresses from chemical despair — not to mention other swimmers from a mouthful of fur. (Um. Ewwww). It may at first remind you of your Aunt Rita doing water aerobics at the Y, but another glance should convince you that it’s actually very Esther Williams.

See? That pool-half-full mentality is making a difference already.

Available online at speedousa.com.