Also, why does a polarized filter run “slightly upward to the outside edge”? Shouldn’t the filter run horizontally to block out maximum glare?
My sunglasses have become wild and unruly! They don’t do their chores, they talk back, they dress like little sluts and they stay out all night drinking and having sex indiscriminately with all manner of eyewear! I’m at the end of my rope!
Can you help me? Maybe you know a good sunglasses boot camp I can send them to?
While in general Oakley lenses provide the best clarity, they may not necessarily be the best lens for you. As noted above, I’d say the Maui Jim ‘rose’ lens is the finest high-contrast lens available. Also, only Serengeti produces exclusively photochromic (reactive lenses: the brighter it is the darker the lens gets) glasses, and some people refuse to wear anything else.
In terms of pure clarity, it goes: Oakley, MJ, Costa Del Mar- which you probably don’t have in Thailand either, Bolle, and then Serengeti, Persol, Ray-Ban, Revo (H2Optix) and so forth all sort of jumble together. Arnette, Black Flys, and Dragon usually bring up the tail (out of manufacturers who sell glasses on their lens technology, at least).
Ray-Ban, Persol, and Revo are the only three makers of polarized glass I’m familiar with which you might have available in your area. There are probably a few more though.
I’m not entirely sure why polarizing filters are set at an angle. I think it has something to do with the curvature of your eye, but that’s just an educated guess.
Maury Povich is setting one up as we speak; stay tuned to find out how YOUR sunglasses can make it onto the show.
First, let add my thanks for all the wonderful answers. Second, regarding my previous question, do people not like the styling of the Mars, or is there something else that I won’t notice until I actually see a pair in person? I personally like the way they look in the photos I have seen, but the camera adds 20 lbs. or so they say.
Here’s a question that you might be able to answer:
The only sunglasses I ever liked much were Ray-Bans with G-15 lenses. It’s not the frame shape I care about, it’s the lens.
I’ve been at the point for a few years now where I have to wear my prescription glasses all the time, so I have a pair of prescription sunglasses. As corrective lenses, they’re fine. As sunglasses, they suck.
The lenses are polycarbonate, and no optician has ever been able to get the tint right. They always seem kind of reddish, no matter how much I stress that I want a gray/green tint just like Ray-Bans. And they just don’t seem as effective.
Does Ray-Ban (or Bausch & Lomb) make its lens material available to opticians for prescription glasses? And if so, can bifocals be made out of the stuff?
I will never mock the Sunglass Sellers of America & World again.
Here I thought they didn’t know jack.
Color me embarrassed.
How in the hell do you guys stay in business year round in a dreary enviroment area…say…Michigan?
Do they make the wrap around frames ( I refer to them as NASCAR frames) for people with smaller faces? I would like a pair for outdoor work, and have a hard time finding something to fit my widdle head.
OTOH, I’m partial to a Buddy Holly Birth Control Retro style sunglasses style for the * Uber Feminist Lesbian Punk Vintage * look that I like. My personal dress style is vintage Garage Sale. Wrinkled Vintage Garage Sale. Whatcha recommend, under $30…some of us gots to eat! Oh Sunglasses Consultant.
What’s the deal with the current fashion of sunglasses with lenses the size of a quarter? Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose? I may be (oh hell, I am) hopelessly unfashionable, but I like big-ass aviator lenses that actually shield my eyes from the sun’s rays.
I’ve heard, anecdotally, that sunglasses that don’t provide sufficient coverage may actually be worse for your eye because they’re dark enough to make your pupil dilate, but not large enough to stop harmful rays from entering.
Is there any sign that the fad for ultra-tiny sunglasses is going to end soon?
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Again, no problem. You hit the nail on the head. I agree that the look rather spiffy in pictures, but they look… goofy… up close, and I haven’t seen a single person who looked good in them. They just aren’t shaped well for the contours of a human face. The rest of you guys can see a picture of what he (she?) wants here.
Simply reducing the size of the lens wouldn’t do anything but provide less coverage; you’re right about that. However, most of the “new-style” small-lens designs are shaped to fit much closer to the eye (to the point that lots of people have trouble wearing them because their eyelashes brush the lenses when they blink). Thus, the lens doesn’t have to be as big, because it still blocks a relatively equal area of your field of vision. There was actually a big run among the fashion makers to sell really freaking huge glasses last year, mainly inspired by those stupid one-piece glasses J-Lo is so fond of. That seems to have fizzled out, though. We’ve still got big-ass aviators anyway; Ray-Ban and Serengeti are still making 'em. Oh and I’ve never heard the dilation without coverage thing, but it sounds plausible.
Eh… a lot of sunglass sellers don’t know jack. Girls can usually sell a guy on a pair of glasses with the “Wow… those look amazing on you” line; I can do that with women to a degree, but usually I have to sell people on technical stuff. Thus, I spend a lot more time than everyone else in the store (it’s me and five women) reading up on frame materials and so forth; plus, I actually find that stuff interesting, because I wanted to do industrial design for a while. I don’t know how we stay in business in Michigan; I live in Florida, so I don’t have to worry about the dreariness. In fact, almost a third of our business is made up of Brits and North/Midwesterners who can’t get nearly as good a selection in their own respective retailers, so maybe we don’t stay in business up there.
By wrap-around frames I think you mean flares… the kinda glasses Lance Armstrong would wear, in other words. Most manufacturers sell a single frame but with a variety of lens shapes and sizes; problem is, those things tend to look goofy on most people, no matter how small the lens. As far as a particularly small frame of that style, I can’t help you, although you might try a cheapie kid’s glasses rack.
As far as the Vintage Garage Sale stuff, there’s a style called the Noise from Electric; we have it for $40ish, but if you shop around online you can probably find it cheaper. It’s the only thing I can think of in that price range which will fit widdle heads. I don’t know if they’re uberfeminist lesbiany enough for you, but they’re the glasses I’d buy if I became a contract killer, so they might work for you.
To be honest, I don’t know. If the G-15 can be made into a prescription lens, it’s likely that only a Luxottica factory location can do it, meaning you’d have to send them your prescription and they’d send you some glasses. I’ll call their rep when I drop by the store over the weekend and find out for you. Chances are not good on the bifocals, by the way; layered lenses generally don’t lend themselves well to multiple curvatures.
Whoops. That should be the Digit by Electric, not the Noise. The Noise is huge and ugly. See the Digit here.
Are you guys done, then?
I’ll take that as a yes.
I have to say, after reading your OP, that your new handle is really appropriate.
A “Sunglasses Consultant”. Called “Really Not All That Bright”, no less.
A belated congrats on your new name. 
Thank you and I have to agree, your user handle and job seem quite apropo.
What a coininkydink.
Good Lord, I love my Oakleys. I use to get the Frog Skins, but once I ran away from plastic frames, I fell right into the arms of the A Wires. I don’t care if I look cool in them; hell, I feel cool.
Yeah, I noticed that shortly after I opened the thread… maybe I’ll pretend that’s why I picked the name.
The number of people who say basically the same thing about why they buy Oakleys is astounding. They don’t care how silly bright orange mirrored lenses look because they get attention.
For the record, I wear Costa Del Mar’s Filament in black for everyday wear (they’re incredibly light and comfortable) and Oakley’s Square Wire 2.0 in dark carbon for when I’m a little dressed up. They just exude cool.
Ok, you’ve convinced me. I was starting to get the feeling that maybe the picture wasn’t telling the whole story on the Mars style. My question then becomes; Of the metal frames (since my Frogskins were broken by my 4 year old), what are the styles that DO look good on most faces. Either X-Metal, A-Wire, or that Square wire looked nice. I do prefer somthing with full side coverage, as I believe I am a bit light sensitive. I liked the Frogskins for the full wrap-around effect, but as with SkipMagic, I am going to stay away from the plastic frames from now on.
Recommend Oh Master of Luminous Filtration.
Okay, specific “functional” type question here for you!
I am a volleyball player (recreational/competitive leagues, not AVP!) and I am about to begin outdoor sand volleyball from Spring through the Fall in a league. I need a new pair of sunglasses which:
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Provide good protection from bright sunlight as I am frequently looking up into the spring/summer/fall sky at or very near the sun to play a ball. Spotting a ball in the sky with the glare of the sun is difficult, shifting my vision back onto the court which may or may not include shaded areas is also difficult after bright sunlight.
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Provide adequate protection from impacts, specifically fast moving volleyballs. Flexible and “bounce back” ability I guess.
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Decent “scuff” resistance as sand can be well… abrasive.
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Designed for wear during athletic activities. In other words, I sweat… a lot. I don’t need glasses sliding all over my face because my nose, face, and sides of my head are sweaty.
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Reasonably priced, 150.00 max but as inexpensive as possible. (If you can, avoid suggesting 3 pair that are 149.99.)
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Oakley is okay but for the most part the various styles do not look very good on me so I’d be interested in alternatives too. I do very much like the Square Wire style you linked to.
Any other factors you can think of that may need to be considered for this activity would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the awesome thread!
MeanJoe
Why can’t I get a pair of prescription sunglasses in something like an Oakley style with those mirrored lenses?
“X-metal” is a collection (as well as a finish color), not a specific frame. It’s split into the Mars (wire), Penny (small), Juliet (medium), XX (large), and Romeo (gigantic). The Penny and Juliet look good on most people; the XXs only good on the giant-headed. The Romeo and Mars don’t look good on anybody.
As noted above, I wear the Square wire, so I’m extremely fond of them, but the lens shape doesn’t provide the same kind of coverage that the X-metal frames do. The A-wire is a little in between. The Half-Wire, which is a semi-rimless frame, looks pretty good on most people too. The other Wire frames- E-Wire, C-Wire, Wiretap, and Big Square Wire are all niche models- ie. not good for most people.
Does that help, my Luminous Filtration Padawan?
MeanJoe, I’m afraid I have bad news for you. There are no quality sunglasses lenses I know of which will stand up well to sand. However, I can recommend some stuff which will do everything else you wanted. Most importantly, you’ll be needing a plastic frame. There are VERY few metal frames I’d recommend for that kind of activity; the Oakley Mag Switch is the only one, in fact. The square wire is no good because it has regular nosepads, like eyeglasses; a hit in the face is going to make those dig into your nose, which isn’t comfortable at all. Plus, they probably wouldn’t be wearable after a heavy hit.
Which brings us to plastic frames. You need plastic because the nose contact points are integrated into the frame, which means more “stuff” touches your nose- less slippage, and less pain when you get hit in the face. You also need a polycarbonate lens, because glass is liable to shatter and leave you short an eye.
Maui Jim’s MJ Sport line would be good, but all the frames are kinda ugly. They run around $139ish. Arnette’s Iron Fist is comfortable and not bad looking. They’re under $100 too. Then there are a half-dozen Oakley styles which might work: the Twenty would be my recommendation: excellent coverage plus rubberized nosepiece, which most Oakley plastics don’t have. Starts around $100. Lastly, there’s the Scoop by Spy Optic, which is available in an entirely rubberized finish for maximum unscuffability and stay-on-head-ness. Prices usually between $75 and $90. If none of those are really your style, say so and I’ll see what else I can come up with.
Oh, but you can.
Step 1) Find the pair of Oakleys you want.
Step 2) Visit your optician and get your eyes checked out.
Step 3) Contact Oakley’s customer service department and tell them which frame style/color and which lens color you want.
Step 4) Give them the specifics of your prescription. They’ll turn out a pair of glasses in your prescription in about a month, usually.
How can I get some of those fancy shmancy sunglasses like Cyclops has? Destructive red energy beams recently started shooting out of my eyes, and I’ve wiped out, like, half the city as a result. Even worse, I can’t look at porn anymore! Thank God I’m such a good typist, or I wouldn’t be able to even type this cry for help!
Destructive BLUE energy beams have started shooting out of my ass, but I guess that’s really not your field of expertise.