Utterly failed to keep myself out of this shot.
Sunglasses aren’t a summer-only accessory for me. Eyes need protection from the sun year-round, and I’m always carting at least one pair around. Here’s the current rotation:
1. Vuarnet square aviators
2. Vuarnet retro cat-eyes (wearing here)
French brand Vuarnet uses high performance glass mineral lenses (albeit in kind of cheap-feeling injected nylon frames), which can be selected for a bunch of different light contexts. The lenses really are incredible, protecting the eyes without compromising visibility whatsoever. These pleasant brown-toned lenses kind of make the world look like one big sepia photograph.
3. Spektre Nulla Etica Sine Aeshtetica (wearing here – and all over)
An Italian brand using advanced polymer lenses. This was the ideal mix of orange mirror lenses and a tortoiseshell wayfarer-style frame – which was exactly what I was looking for. These are not cheap, but they don’t feel or look cheap, either.
4. Ray-Ban aviators (wearing here)
Another Italian brand, though a global one for a long time now. Love these gold frames and warm brown lenses (this frame is available with orange mirror lenses, too, though, and I keep going back to stare at them…think about them…though I do not need them…), which seem like sunglasses a baby lion would wear. Aviators aren’t for everyone but they are one of my favorite silhouettes, especially the more trapezoidal ones (as opposed to a teardrop/triangle). Imposing and somehow serious.
I investigated but could not find this one incredible pair of aviators from Italian brand Breil Milano (when it comes to quality sunglasses, Italy evidently has a gift). Some discontinued model…isn’t it always the way.