How to Shop for Sunglasses

How to Shop for Sunglasses That Flatter

There are a few things that you'll need to consider when looking into sunglasses purely based on fashion:

• Face shape: Oval faces can wear just about any shape of sunglasses. For other face shapes, it's all about balance. If your face is angular, don't choose frames with sharp corners. Round face? Stay away from big round frames. Long faces need lenses with height whereas shorter faces can benefit from the elongating effect of shorter frames.
• Coloring: Blondes and redheads look great in amber shades; most brunettes look best in black frames. That covers the neutral colored frames. If you're shopping for sunglasses that give you a pop of color, determine whether you have a cool or warm skin tone and choose your sunglasses accordingly.
• Your style: Don't buy a pair of bright blue hippie sunglasses if your wardrobe's fairly conservative and expect them to mesh well with your look. One option is to have a large selection of sunglasses if your wardrobe is eclectic, but that could be expensive, so a classic pair may be your best bet.

Why Do You Need Them?

You won’t know how to shop for sunglasses until you determine what you need them for. You may even find that you need multiple pairs of sunglasses just to cover your needs. Here are a few reasons to shop for sunglasses:

Driving

For driving, you may want to consider polarized lenses that are dark gray or amber. These will give you the sharpest contrast against glare from the sun while driving. This will also increase your reaction time since you'll see obstacles sooner than you might otherwise. These could also double as sunglasses for fishing and other sports.

Everyday Wear

These are generally for driving, walking around outdoors, and for looking good. They may not be the trendiest since they're for every day and should go with almost every outfit. A pair of giant blue sunglasses won't do that. A few options to try include:

• Photochromic lenses: If you wear corrective lenses already. Keep in mind, these will not work well as sunglasses in the car, but they will work great while you're outside.
• Aviators: They're generally neutral in tone and flatter almost everyone. They're also trendy enough to scratch the itch of the fashionista.
• Big Sunglasses: Like the aviators, big black sunglasses are a crowd pleaser, and they can hide a late night due to their size. They also cover a good bit of your facial skin so you'll be better protected from the sun.

Vision Correction

Just because you need to wear corrective lenses, that doesn't mean your eyes should have to suffer because you can't wear cheap sunglasses from department stores. Call around for specials that offer a discount on the second pair of glasses and simply add a tint to your second pair of prescription lenses. You may even get to walk away with the second pair free, or just pay for tinting.

Fashion

As mentioned above, sometimes people just want sunglasses to finish off their look for a day. If that's the case, you may invest in an actual sunglasses wardrobe. Check Target or small boutiques for colored lenses, varying shapes, and a wide array of frame prints, metals, and more.

Sports

For almost every sport, there's a sunglass. Popular options are goggles and wraparound frames. Shop for polycarbonate lenses for everything from motorcycle riding to target practice, and on to golf. The reason it's important to shop for polycarbonate is its very small likelihood of breaking and making its way into your eye. Polycarbonate breaks in a spider web pattern (think of what it's like to peel a hard-boiled egg. That initial crack is how polycarbonate looks on impact). Plastic and glass can shatter, sending shards of material into your eye—and you to the emergency room.

Protecting Your Eyes

In all honesty, unless you're planning to wear your sunglasses at night or indoors, the most important thing to look for when you're shopping for sunglasses is the UV protection. You need 100 percent UVA and UVB protection, at least. UVC is optional. UVC rays are generally not an issue except perhaps when you're at high altitudes, like when you're skiing.

Getting the Best Deal

Of course your first impulse may be to visit an optical shop if you're in need of prescription lenses. However, if you have your prescription in hand, you can even order online and get absolutely fabulous deals. Check out Zenni Optical and 39 Dollar Glasses for starters.

When ordering online and unable to try before you buy, check the website to see if there's a true to size printout to hold up to your face. You may be able to determine if the frame is too wide or thin for your face just by using that. It's not as good as trying on the real thing and checking the mirror, but in a pinch, it'll suffice.

Not shopping for prescription lenses? You'll still benefit from shopping around at sunglass stores in person and online. If you can, visit a store and try on a pair of sunglasses in person before ordering online. You may find that the store doesn't have the best price, but at least you'll know if it's worth the hassle of ordering them. Who wants to deal with an unnecessary return by mail?