Sunglasses : A Guide

Sunglasses are a form of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the eye pupil in order to prevent strong light and uv rays and increasingly blue light (“blue blocking”) from penetrating.

• Protection against the Sun’s damaging UV rays which can cause permanent retinal damage.
• UV rays can pass even through clouds so one should worry about them even during overcast conditions.
• People may also wear sunglasses to hide an abnormal appearance of their eyes.
• Fashion trends can be another reason due to the “cool” image of sunglasses.

Ask your optician for advise regarding the style and colour of your frame to match the shape of your face. Some other considerations :

1. The bridge of your frame must fit correctly on the top of your nose.
2. In case your nose is short or stubby, the bridge should be light in colour and set high on the nose.
3. Use a bridge frame of a medium tone and position it low on a long nose.
4. For eyes that are close-set, the bridge of the frames should be colourless.
5. s a deciding factor for the line of the frame, always follow the shape of your eyebrows.
6. Shallow frames generally suit short or small faces.
7. A deeper frame would go well with a long face.
8. A frame with heavy corners goes well on a square face.
9. If you are one of the lucky few with an oval face, you can choose just about any shape.
10. The sides of the frame should be just the correct length to fit well, but they should not block your side view or be too broad for the face.
11. You must also make sure that the frame you choose goes well with your hairstyle. So in case you have a thick fringe it is more advisable to wear contact lenses if possible, because any kind of spectacles would look awful.

1. Aviators

• Aviators are a sunglass design with oversized teardrop-shaped lenses and a thin metal frame.
• The design was introduced in 1936 by the company Ray-Ban for issue to U.S. military aviators (pilots).
• Their popularity with pilots, military and law enforcement personnel in the United States has never wavered.
• In addition to pilots, Aviator-style sunglasses gained popularity with young people in the late 1960s and continued to be very popular with only a brief fall in demand during the 1990s.
• Aviator sunglasses are carefully designed to offer maximum protection to the eye.
• Aviators are a classic style of sunglasses which have truly stood the test of time.
• While Ray Ban remains the brand most closely associated with aviator style, most of the big designers have added aviators to their sunglasses collections.
2. Navigator

• Navigators are a smaller more rectangular version of the aviators.
• They were made for exactly the same purpose as the aviators, but they just became smaller with the changing fashion trends of sunglasses.
3. Wayfarer

• Introduced in 1952 by Ray Ban, the trapezoidal lenses, wider at the top than the bottom, were famously worn by James Dean and other actors.
• The original frames were black; frames in many different colours were later introduced.
• They are thought to be the bestselling sunglasses design to date mainly due to how long they have been around for and also because of their exposure in films.
• Since the mid-2000s, the sunglasses have been enjoying a revival.
4. Teashade

• ‘Teashades’ (sometimes also called “John Lennon glasses” or “Ozzy Glasses”, after Ozzy Osbourne) were a type of Psychedelic art wire-rim sunglasses that were often worn, usually for purely aesthetic reasons, by members of the 1960s drug counterculture, as well as by opponents of segregation.
• Teashades are rare to find in shops today.
5. Mirrorshades

• Mirrorshades are sunglasses with a mirrored coating on the surface.
• Their popularity with police officers in the United States has earned them the nickname “cop shades”.
• Firstly, they block out most of the road / traffic glare when driving. And secondly, they completely hide the officers eyes which gives them an edge when questioning offenders.
• There are two popular styles for mirrorshades. One is a dual lens set in a metal frame (often confused with Aviators), and a “Wraparound” style.
6. Polarized

• Polarized sunglasses are designed to reduce the glare from surfaces like water, snow, and glass.
• They can be highly useful for sports, driving, and fishing by helping the participant in these activities to see more clearly, allowing for the avoidance of potential hazards.
• While they may be somewhat more expensive than conventional sunglasses, some consumers prefer polarized sunglasses because they selectively block out glare, rather than making the whole field of vision dimmer, which can be dangerous in some situations.
• Polarized sunglasses are unfortunately not as useful when the sun is directly overhead or low to the horizon, because the angle of the reflected light waves changes from the horizontal configuration.
7. Gradient/Faded/Graduated Lens

• Faded lenses go from a darker shade at the top to a lighter one at the bottom, so there will be more protection from sunlight the higher you look on the lens but the farther one looks down the less protection one gets.
• The fashion advantage is that one can wear them inside and not fear tripping over something and also allowing the user to see.
8. Fit Overs

• Fit Overs are sunglasses that are worn over regular prescription glasses and are generally a wrap around style.
• They are quite large and bulky but are definately handy for those who can’t see without prescriptions.
9. Clip Ons

• Clip Ons serve the same purpose as Fit Overs except Clip Ons are generally a thin metal frame that clip on to the top of prescription glasses and are simply flipped up or down depending on what the wearer is doing.
10. Rimless

• The most common use for rimless sunglasses is sports.
• Many sports enthusiasts love how lightweight and comfortable they are to wear.
• Rimless sunglasses are also a current fashion style. They are usually oversized with a gradient lens.
• Great care needs to be taken when you own a pair of rimless sunglasses. As there are no rims or frames to protect the lens, they can easily be damaged, scratched or broken.
11. Wraparound

• They are characterized by a single, smooth, semi-circular lens that covers both eyes and much of the same area of the face covered by protective goggles.
• They prevent damaging UV rays from getting in through the sides, top and bottom of them.
12. Oversized

• Oversized sunglasses are purely a womens fashion item and were first noticed in the 1960’s when Jackie Onassis used to wear them.
• Oversized sunglasses seem to go in and out of fashion every 20 years, they were popular in the 60’s then the 80’s and now in the 00’s.
• When the right lens is fitted in them (ie. one that blocks 100% UV rays) they are actually quite good sunglasses as not much light can get in. But as they are simply worn to be a fashion statement, most of them don’t offer much in way of eye protection.

Ref :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunglasses
http://www.bluevsunglasses.com/History_of_Sunglasses.html
http://www.allaboutvision.com/faq/sunglasses.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-polarized-sunglasses.htm
http://www.indiaparenting.com/beauty/beauty007.shtml

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting