I’ve got 2 pairs of raybans. One for the car that never leaves and another one for when I’m hiking/at the beach/at the river/etc. Square frame wayfarers for the car and aviators for the outdoorsy stuff.
I used to be the cheap, dollar store glasses guy for the longest time but looking back at it, it was a miserable life decision. They fit badly (big head alert), I always lost them, and I don’t think I saved too much by repeatedly spending $8-15 every month or so. I needed to spend $150 just to psychologically value the shades and not lose them regularly.
Several months ago someone posted a photo of me in high school. I was wearing big ski glasses that were popular in the late-'70s/early-'80s. Oh, the pain… I need to find the original lenses for my first pair of Aviators from the early-'80s. The frames have prescription lenses in them now, but my vision has improved since then and I can’t wear them. (Far vision, anyway. I need glasses for reading now. )
The AmberMatics seem not to darken enough, compared to the standard ‘grey’ lenses. But when I was wearing them, I found that they actually did darken enough for the desert glare.
Oh, I did replace the broken lens in the HGU-4/Ps. I still need to find two of the blue plastic cases.
I had a pair of the original Sunclouds with glass polarized rose lenses. Great for skiing in flat light. Its hard to find that combination these days. I really like glass over polycarbonate.
I don’t consider sunglasses to be a fashion statement. I second the Blu Blockers. I have a pair of clip-ons I bought at Walgreens for $15 and they are, as you say, fantastic. My prescription glasses automatically darken, but not in the car, so I find the Blu Blockers to be indispensable.
Part of it is that my shades were expensive, so I took care of them. Not that I ‘babied’ them, but I don’t abuse them. Replacement costs have become outrageous, too, so I don’t want to break them. Another part is that I have more sunglasses than a reasonable person should have. They last longer because each pair doesn’t get worn as much as they would be if I didn’t have the others.
Now the cheap sunglasses… I try not to abuse them either; but I tend to wear them where there’s a chance they’ll be damaged or lost. But that’s what they’re for.
I have trouble finding sunglasses that will 1) fit me without 2) looking like Edward James Olmos glasses–with the nerdy double-bridge that hipsters wear ironically, but I cannot pull off at all. I like big Lady Gaga sunglasses because they flatter me while keeping out *all *direct light. But those are mostly made for ladies with smaller heads than mine. So I treat sunglasses that fit me like gold. Since I don’t own any *actual *gold, though, I can’t afford custom-fit shades. I’ve had the same $15 pair of sunglasses for three years now. I just always keep them in my purse or on my face.
I bought another pair recently, because the old ones were getting a bit scratched-up. They were $18. No pictures, but they’re nothing fancy. I think I got my last pair at Lane Bryant and this one at Walmart.
That’s what I like about Aviators and HGU-4/Ps. They never go out of style. Or if they do go out of style, they aren’t actively un-stylish. Not that I care about fashion. My enormous ego won’t allow it.
I was a cheap/no sunglasses person up until last year because I lost them all the time. Then I broke three pairs of $15 Target sunglasses in a couple of months. Normal use, and one of the earpieces would just fall off if I breathed on it wrong. I realized at that rate of breakage, I would soon have spent the cost of nicer, more expensive sunglasses on getting more cheap crap, so I bought a pair of Oakleys. I’ve managed not to lose them or break them for a year now, which is a personal record.
I’ve got three pairs of Oakleys, and I think combined I paid for them what one pair would normally retail for. It’s not too hard to find deals on them if you’re patient; not grey market or anything either, just the Oakley online outlet clearing out inventory, which are exactly the same as this year’s models for most of the classic styles that I’m after. The other nice thing about having multiple pairs is that if one goes missing/broken (which happens rarely, but does happen), I don’t have to get another RIGHT AWAY, I can wait until… the next outlet sale.
I like the Oakleys mostly because they’re a good fit for my face, there are some relatively classic and subdued styles in amongst the “extreme” stuff, and they hold up well under activity. I don’t exactly punish my good sunglasses, but if I can’t wear them while I’m out for a run or playing volleyball on the beach or whatever, what’s the point of having them?
I like Rudy Project. Lots of styles & colors w/in a model, including prescription ones. Great service & spare parts available, from different lenses, to nose pieces, to ear tips.
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