It seems like these days, fashion is as important to men as it is for women, and this is true even when it comes to sunglasses. More and more men are ditching those no name brands for designer products, even though these may cost hundreds of dollars. Maybe they last longer, maybe they provide better protection. You would certainly hope so, considering the cost.
So what ARE the most popular brands of men’s sunglasses? It seems that are many different favorites, and it really depends on your individual taste. Armani, Ray Ban, and Versace are among the top brands, but there are also Christian Dior, Gucci, and even Chanel offer sunglasses for a man. How much can you expect to pay for these designer glasses? Well, depending on the designer, the materials they are made from and the protection you can expect prices on these brands to start at around fifty dollars, and that is being generous. You are more likely to pay far more.
So what do you look for when buying a pair of designer men’s sunglasses? Well there are some basic components to start with. There are the frames, which can be made from plastic, stainless steel, and titanium. Seems a bit much for sunglasses to be made from titanium, but there are. Your plastic frames are going to be the lightest, but not that durable, Stainless steel, will be durable, but somewhat heavier. Titanium really combines the best of both worlds, but is a going to cost more.
Lenses are also made from different materials, plastic, glass and polycarbonate. Plastic is going to be light, but can be safer than glass products. Glass is more durable and more resistant to scratching, but not only are they heavy, but can be dangerous for obvious reasons. If you want to find a happy medium, the pick the polycarbonate lenses. Then there is the tint, and protection from the sun.
For this there are a variety of different features. For maximum glare cutting action, you are going to want polarized lenses. Then you have gradient lenses, which have a different permanent shading, and lets you see in different types of light, and then there are transition lenses, which adjust tint automatically. No matter which of these features you want, make sure that they have the highest UV and UVB protection possible.
Then you have your different styles of sunglasses. This also depends really on your own individual taste. Sports enthusiasts often choose the wrap around, or oval style of sunglasses. The are rimless glasses, which were popularized by the late John Lennon. There are aviator glasses, as well as many others. You either know exactly what you’re looking for, or you can find pictures of many examples online, or at your local sunglasses shop.
The real question when buying designer sunglasses is what you are willing to pay. If you end up losing sunglasses a lot, do you want to have to spend $50-$100 every time? However, if you are one of those people who are meticulous about your shades, then maybe a more expensive designer brand will bring out the style in you you’ve always wanted.
Jason Thompson writes for PolarisedSunnies.com.au specialising in mens sunglasses