If there’s one accessory that tells us summer is finally here, it’s a pair of shades. The vogue for supersize sunglasses and aviator styles continues this year as does the trend for wraparounds and cats’ eyes.
Conventional wisdom dictates that round faces suit angular frames, oval faces wider frames and square-jawed faces suit round frames – but the trick is contrast and balancing facial features. Knowing what suits your shape is the key to getting it right, whether with clothes or specs.
Sunnies are not just great for summer protection against UV light but are also useful for hiding tired eyes or for those no makeup days for a quick fix without mascara and eyeliner. On the catwalks recently, some styles caught the eye, whether biker, sporty, tinted, visor or even jewelled affairs with pearls and crystal to reflect the light.
Victoria Beckham and Anna Wintour have always favoured oversize shades – for day or night – Wintour’s from Chanel, Beckham’s in tortoiseshell, brown horn, black, grey or khaki that will set you back more than €300. Chanel’s cat eyes, squares or rectangles or Dior’s current purple to pink squares carry even heftier price tags.
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Photographer and film-maker Conor Horgan is a big fan of Lindberg sunglasses, the handmade ultralight Danish brand, founded in 1986 by architect Henrik Lindberg and his optometrist father Paul Jorn Lindberg, drawing from elements of architectural design. Horgan’s dark glasses always draw comments, including one from someone who said he saw a man in a cafe in San Francisco looking like him – it was Liam Cunningham, who wears the same brand. “I think it’s because we were both young punks in the late ‘70s,” says Horgan.
Sonya Lennon’s oversize big specs are very much her signature and she has a big collection of glasses, including vintage pieces as well as some from Specsavers. “I look at frames as potential prescription lenses because that opens up a whole new world of standard eyewear. I like a soft graduated tint because it creates a bit of depth – and does the job of makeup”. Bake Off presenter Prue Leith once admitted that when getting dressed, she chooses her specs first, then the clothes to match.
Irish brand everamber offers quality “performance” sunnies for runners, cyclists and other athletes. These blue light “running” glasses have lightweight frames and come with anti-fog nylon lenses. Finer specs done in light graduated soft browns or graduated grey tones can be good for winter wear. They have the advantage of UV protection coupled with protecting dry or watering eyes from the elements. A lot of people who sail or fish see the benefit of dedicated polarized lenses and invest in a separate everyday pair of standard lens UV sunnies.
When it comes to protecting your eyes, as long as the glasses can provide 95-100 per cent UV protection, you are safe. An eminent US ophthalmologist, Ashley Behrens from the Wilmer Eye Institute, makes the case for wearing sunglasses outdoors all year round, as extended UV exposure causes about 20 per cent of cataracts. UV is not sun-related, it’s about the glare – and you are exposed to it even on grey days. Remember that the CE mark indelibly marked on glasses means that they meet European safety standards.
As an accessory, sunnies may be small but they carry plenty of power and can make an impact at a fraction of the cost of an expensive handbag.
