Sunglasses are a must have accessory, especially with summer just around the corner. Insiders from the sunglass industry say that the sunglasses we are expected to see are oversized, colorful and gaudy.
Nothing is too big, the bigger the sunglasses the more protection you will be getting. This year you will not have to sacrifice style for eye protection. The oversized shades will have more crystals, bling and an overload of colors; therefore you will have plenty to choose from.
Jean Scott, vice president of product development for the Luxottica was quoted saying, “This is probably the most colorful year I have ever seen.”
Even though we see sunglasses as an accessory, we have to think about its most important aspect which is protection. When purchasing a pair make sure they have 100% UV protection, don’t think this will make the shades more expensive, there is no relationship between price and protection.
Sunglass lenses come in every color, black, green, yellow, pink etc. So which color protects the most? They all protect the same! Color has nothing to do with UV protection, the UV protection is simply a coating placed on the lenses. So just choose a color which compliments your skin and you love.
A lot of sunglasses are coming as wraparounds, they curve towards the ear with either a wider lens or frame. Even though the main benefit of this is to give the eyes more protection, designers use this extra room to add embellishments and male the shades standout.
SUNGLASSES PRICE RANGE?
A good pair of shades will cost anywhere between $30-$400+. You’re probably asking yourself can you really get a good pair of shades for $30? The answer is yes. You will always be (I don’t want to say always but if you look, it’s ‘most likely,’) be able to find a sale on a pair of shades.
While the high end brands retail for $180+ price point, that doesn’t mean that other brands are of lower quality or material. In fact, many times, when it comes to high end sunglasses, or even mid-level brands, you’re paying for just that, the brand. We’re not afraid to admit it, that’s just how it is. It’s not just for sunglasses but anything really. Granted, there are different types of quality when it comes to sunglasses.
ITALY OR CHINA?
Not all sunglasses are either made in Italy or China. However, the biggest manufacturers in the world manufacturer in one or the other. This goes back to the issues of quality. While the Chinese quality may not be as good, some of the manufactures really do use the same exact material and machinery as they would use in Italy but there are reasons (you can guess labor, maybe) why they would manufacture in China.
For example, Ray-Ban manufactures in both China and Italy. The Chinese frames aren’t really of less quality. I have a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses form Italy and RX frames from China, both of great quality.
WHAT COLOR SUNGLASSES SHOULD I WEAR DURING THE SUMMER?
Summer is typically a season for fun shades which means it’s all about COLORS. Take for example the famous, classy, chic and popular Ray-Ban Wayfarers. While you may have the classic black or tortoise frames, you might want to consider WHITE or RED for fun trendy summer looks.
You can wear all sorts of colors OR you can wear multi-colored frames as the RARE PRINT Frames that Ray-Ban put out with its Ray-Ban Wayfarer collection.
