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Sunglasses- Fashionable and Practical

If you remember the song, ZZ Top advised listeners to “get yourself a pair of cheap sunglasses.” This is good advice if you’re really hard on your shades, like sitting on them, stuffing them in your jeans pocket, or leaving them to bake on your car dashboard. But today’s sunglasses have come a long way from aviator and cat’s eye styles. The Great Sunglasses Revolution began with Tom Cruise’s “Risky Business” Ray-Bans two decades ago, and gained speed with the “Men in Black” movies where Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were so smooth in their black “Panthers,” also made by Ray-Ban. These sunglasses styles are still around and in great demand, selling on eBay for hundreds of dollars!

Visit a mid to high-level optician’s office and you’re sure to find sunglasses made by Dior, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Maui Jim, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Sophia Lauren, and many other uber-sophisticated designers. These classy-looking sunglasses can cost up to $400 for the frames alone. If you’re merely seeking a designer brand, you should be prepared to pay the price. However, these high-priced sunglasses aren’t merely attractive in design, but are most often made with hand-crafted precision and superior-quality materials. Unlike cheaper sunglasses these designer frames can last for years if cared for properly; you can change your lenses if your eyesight changes.

In design, you have many choices with both discount and designer sunglasses. Frames can be metal, plastic, even wood. The aviator style is still very popular among men, while more and more women are choosing rectangular turtle-shell – real or faux – frames. But in addition to choosing a “cool” design, sunglasses can be serious business for some, an issue that supersedes looking stylish.

Millions of people have problems with glare from many sources, ranging from computer screens to asphalt highways, to sunlight. Sunglasses that have not been specially treated to reduce glare for the wearer can cause eye damage and vehicular accidents. For example, the coastal states of Florida and California’s Highway Patrol divisions attribute as many as 14% of fatal car wrecks as being glare-related. Similarly, the Rocky Mountain states of Montana, Utah and Colorado attribute many auto wrecks and ski fatalities to glare from the sunlight on the snowpacks. Glare-treated sunglasses could save your life and/or the lives of others!

The second issue related to sunglasses for drivers is bifocal and/or distant sight. If you wear regular bifocal glasses, it’s advisable to consult your optician about your eyesight driving needs. Most prescription driving sunglasses are “distance” lenses, or single-vision rather than bifocals that the wearer needs when they’re not driving. Thus, you may need both “distance” sunglasses and bifocal regular glasses.

Whatever you vision needs, you are certain to find sunglasses that are stylish, functional, and durable within your price range.

Bart Jennings has been collecting sunglasses since his teens. You can find him at Shades Ferret, and pick up some cool sunglasses for yourself in the Sunglasses Store.

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