Selecting Sunglasses

Although there’s a few days left in Spring yet, I’m already in the mood for Summer. Maybe it’s our unseasonably warm weather, maybe I’ve been eating too many cones, or maybe it's because I’ve spent the last hour googling possible holiday destinations. In any case, I’m going to run with the mood and discuss something summery today. And that topic is sunglasses!

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of shapes, colours and styles, there are a few key considerations to bear in mind when selecting specs:

• Protection: Always choose lenses that have 100% UV protection.
• Scale: Choose glasses that are proportionate in size to your face ( i.e. small face – small glasses, large face – large glasses).
• Shape: Choose a frame shape that is in contrast to your face shape (e.g. round face – angular frames).
• Width: Choose frames that are as wide or slightly wider than the broadest part of your face.
• Eye Position: Your eye should be positioned in the middle of the lens.
• Brow Position: You shouldn’t see your full eyebrow above the frame.
  

Choosing the Right Colour:

• Hair Colour: Any frame that is similar to your hair colour will suit you e.g. gold frames flatter those with blonde hair, silver looks great with grey hair and brunettes look good with brown/tortoiseshell.
• Eye colour: Observe the flecks of colour in your eye (brown, blue, olive, gold, grey etc.) and try out frames in complementary colours.
• Skin tone: If you have a warm skin tone, try gold, tan and warm browns. Cooler skin tones will suit black, mocha and silver.
  

Choosing the Right Frame for your Face Shape:

• Oval: All frame styles suit you. Rectangular or square will look especially good. Celebrities: Cheryl Cole, Cindy Crawford.
• Round: Go for wider, rectangular shaped frames. Avoid round shapes. Celebrities: Christina Ricci, Kate Bosworth.
• Square: Choose rounded styles which will soften your angular features. Avoid angular styles. Celebrity: Demi Moore.
• Heart: Choose rounded, narrow styles. Avoid wide, top-heavy frames or decorative temples. Celebrities: Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston.  
  

Styles of Sunglasses:

You will notice that I have selected designer examples below. Note that there are loads of pocket-friendly equivalents on the high-street so you don’t need you flash the cash in order to get a great pair of sunglasses.

Aviator Sunglasses: These promise to be the most popular style for Summer 2010, inspired mainly by Carrie Bradshaw’s ‘all that glitters is not gold’ look, featured in Sex and the City 2. They're a great style as they suit nearly everyone. Try these Gucci Aviators on for size:

Round Sunglasses: Suitable for all except those with round faces. I really like these Gucci Round Frames:

Square Sunglasses: Ideal for those with rounder or softer faces. Again, Gucci comes up trumps with their Square Frames:

Rectangle Sunglasses: Again, these are tailor-made for anyone with a round face. I like Ray Ban’s Rectangle Shades.

Butterfly Sunglasses: Over-sized butterfly styles are flattering for those with larger faces. These are Ray Ban butterfly shades:

Cat-eye Sunglasses: This vintage style is recognisable by it’s signature outer corner angles. Suitable for heart and square shaped faces. These are Gucci’s Cat Eyes:

Last Few Tips:

• Shop around & don't be afraid to haggle as sunglasses tend to vary wildly in price. Don't forget about Airport Duty Free, where there are great bargains to be had.
• Try before you buy.
• Use proper cleaning cloths to clean your glasses.
• Store your sunglasses carefully.
• Visit an optician if you require prescription lenses.
  
  

Happy shopping!

Yours in style,
Caroline