Fashion Real Talk: The Case Against Designer Sunglasses

by Julia Rubin | 5:32 pm, June 23rd, 2011

Summer is not always kind to our sartorial needs. The heat and humidity make jeans and sweaters a no-no. Sometimes it seems like wearing our birthday suit would actually be more comfortable than braving the great outdoors in any sort of fabric, breathable or otherwise. There is one thing summer is great for, however: sunglasses.

Glasses in general are a thing we feel strongly about, but sunglasses bring a whole different host of issues. If there is one thing you need to know about sunglasses, it is this: expensive designer sunglasses are not worth it. At all. There are several reasons.

First of all, sunglasses are a thing you take on and off and on and off all day. (Or at least you should, because you look super dumb wearing them inside and/or at night.) Shades get thrown in your bag and taken back out, often without the use of a glasses case because those things are bulky! Your glasses get knocked around, scratched, and generally mistreated. Why would you possibly spend hundreds of dollars on a single pair?

But let’s say you’re one of the few who treat their sunglasses with the utmost care, utilizing that bulky case and being sure not to overextend the temples. You might be able to justify spending a ridiculous amount of money on somewhat-seasonal eyewear. But, you shouldn’t. Because here’s a secret: designers don’t generally design their own frames. When you buy brand-name sunglasses, you’re really buying the designs of a licensing company like Luxottica or Safilo. (Safilo owns the rights to Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Armani, Balenciaga, Valentino, Marc Jacobs, and a ton of others.)

Okay, so maybe you don’t care who is designing your glasses, so long as they look cool. And that’s fine. But have you ever actually seen a pair of designer sunglasses that are so much more awesome than ones that cost a fraction of the price? Probably not. Most actually look really similar to each other, albeit with different embarrassingly flashy logos on the side. Have we convinced you yet? Cheap sunnies really are the way to go.

It’s not about quality, because you’re tossing them around so much anyway! And if they’re cheap, that means you can get all sorts of pairs, which is really the point of sunglasses anyway. We’re not suggesting you get some knockoff Chinatown shades, because knockoffs are never cool. There are plenty of other great options though! As much as we hate on American Apparel‘s management and advertisements, they have a sick selection of frames in the $25-50 range. Many of them are deadstock, which means they’re never-been-worn vintage items. Urban Outfitters also has a fairly decent and super cheap array of shades (that start at $10…!).

That is all to say, when it comes to sunglasses, go cheap. Go plentiful. Go non-designer. You’ll thank us.

American Apparel American Apparel sunglasses cheap sunglasses designer sunglasses Luxottica Sunglasses Urban Outfitters

LM

While I totally agree in principal (I go through many pairs of Target sunshades throughout the year) I do have a love of Ray-Bans for some inexplicable reason. I know they’re probs overpriced/overrated but I love them. Maybe it is because of the brand and the retro-nostalgia associated with the brand. My everyday prescription eyeglasses are Ray-Bans and I’m looking into getting some prescription Wayfarer sunnies (when I wear glasses most of the time I don’t like the clip on sun attachments and going double glasses is awkward).

Also on a different note, as I’m sure you know, TOMS just released an eyewear collection and most of them are pretty sweet (classic, nothing original but still cool) and though they’re a bit pricey (about $100) the proceeds go to helping provide sight-related care (glasses, surgery, medical treatment) to people in developing countries. So it might be worth the price for the philanthropy. I might get a pair of their aviators for that reason.
J L

This is such a completely absurd article. It’s quite scary that just anyone can publish any opinion on the internet.

First off…these are your eyes people! Many of the knock-offs and off-brands are not optically correct. Don’t mess with your vision people! Manufacturers like Safilo and Luxottica use high quality lens materials that put less strain on your eyes and offer better overall vision.

As far as the designer argument…this is the most laughable. Does Christian Dior sit down and sketch frame designs? No. However, many of these designers have representatives who work closely with the manufacturers to bring the style and essence of the designer to the collection.

Some designers and fashion houses are more hands-on than others, but no doubt, they all have input on their collection. Does Ralph Lauren hand-place each little horse on every shirt? No. But it’s still a Ralph Lauren Polo. Does Giorgio Armani draw-up every t-shirt that I buy from Armani Exchange? Nope. This is no different.

Even the famous artist Jeff Koons employs 100′s of people to help create HIS art.

As far as value…well, that is subjective. Can you get some cool homage frames for $50? Sure. But they are junk. They break…then what? Now you’re in for $100. Again? $150. Companies like Luxottica and Safilo offer a 2 year warranty, so in the rare even that their high quality frames break…you’re covered for 2 years.

On another VALUE note: You can buy some Gucci shades for around $300. Have you tried to buy a Gucci belt? Try $700. A purse? +$1000. A shirt? $350. A Suit? Thousands. Those prices make the glasses you wear on your face everyday are a bargain at just $300.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1434411350 Patricia Morena

You said absolutely NOTHING… The only focus was to make ADVERTISEMENT, at the end, for cheaper sunglasses from American Apparel and Urban O… The point please?
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If I spend hundred bucks on Designer sunglasses, well, it’s my own business and I don’t need to feel dumb because others can’t do that! 0_0
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I really tried almost everything and I can say that my eyes feel great when I’m wearing my Guccis. I have no headaches nor tired eyes! Although I had bad moments with cheap sunglasses because they are not only CHEAP, nope, they CAN BE VERY BAD!!!!!!! Bad quality lenses and materials, etc. Hence I cannot believe Designer sunglasses are “nonsense”. BS. Quality has its price.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ana-Montoya/100001384866292 Ana Montoya

Before you did such a disservice to your readers by suggesting they overlook quality, did you stop to think about the fact that the reason sunglasses were created in the first place was to protect the eyes from the harmful effects of ultra-violet (UV) rays? Did you know that cumulative exposure to UV is what causes cataracts and many other eye health problems? This is why sunglasses are worn. Sure, fashion plays a huge part, but more than an accessory, sunglasses are also a medical necessity. People SHOULD be concerned about the quality of the lenses in their sunglass frames. They need to look for at least 99% UV protection and if they spend a lot of time driving, on the water or snow, then they should also look into the benefits of polarized lenses which don’t come cheap. The eyes are a terrible thing to waste. Wish you would have done your research before publishing such horrible advice.
knth

I worked in the optical industry for many years and have a couple problems with this article as well as with the comments so far. Most of those Safilo and Luxottica glasses are made in China (probably at the same factory that your street vendor sunglasses are from), although their lenses are probably of a *slightly* higher quality… Just a simple stamping of “Made in Italy” and poor consumers think they’re buying some top-quality Italian shades. Not only that, but Safilo and Luxottica pretty blatantly copy their designs from other designers. And let’s not forget that Oliver Peoples is also one of these lines.

With that being said, how can you so easily discard the hard work of independent eyewear designers around the world? The people who have their frames hand-crafted out of the best materials possible materials? The ones who create the original designs that are copied by huge companies and then trickle down to the street vendors?

Oh wait, you can’t take care of your things (really? it’s too hard to put your sunglasses in a case?) so let’s just tell them all to forgo their talent and seek work elsewhere.
http://www.facebook.com/stepherev Stephanie Erev

Okay, honestly…it is absolute nonsense that Luxxotica and Safilo use better quality lenses than the ones sold in CVS. I’m a financial analyst and I can tell you that the margins these companies make on their designer frames are absolutely unreal. There is virtually no incremental value to them, save of course for that lovely logo.

(Don’t get me wrong, I’m probably the worst kind of designer sunglasses shopper out there: I actually know exactly how much I’m over-paying and still go ahead and buy them…I want to kick myself every time I put on the pair of Tom Fords I bought this year…)
Sweaty

I’m amazed I read this article on a website called ‘styleite’. The central argument seems to be- buy cheap so you needn’t look after things, and can buy more. You’re essentially justifying only ever shopping for clothes at Target.

As other posters have rightly mentioned ‘expensive’ sunglasses offer more than just fashion- UV protection/ polarization offer medical/ performance benefits that cool, cheap, vintage sunnies simply cannot (or for that matter clothing)

As for your ‘design’ argument you clearly haven’t seen the Prada Baroque sunglasses or the upcoming Dolce Lace collection (which use the actual lace from the Dolce runway collection) just two of the many great examples of collaboration and examples of product that simply cannot be found in cheap knockoffs.

If you’re trying to make a case against something it might be worthwhile spending a couple of mins on research. This was lazy.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001681102396 Heather Chandler

From NYC To LA, Deadstock Sunglasses Are Now Cooler Than Ever. Especially Those From The 80′s & 90′s. I suggest checking out our favorite source for cooler than cool vintage shades at super cheap prices. http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmericanDeadstock What Is Deadstock? Deadstock is a type of product that has never been worn, used or sold and has been in inventory (usually a store room or warehouse) for an extended period of time. It often has original packaging and tags. Also defined as NOS (Never Off Shelf) or (New/Old Stock) So you can imagine why a box of re-discovered sunglasses from your favorite era are hot ticket item…Especially at $12.Now get out there and catch some rays! : )
http://twitter.com/EyeglassLenses ReplacementLensXprss

In the optical industry, there has been a long history of 200-400% profits on designer frames. Now you can contact Replacement Lens Express to get a quote for your favorite designer frames for significantly lower prices! Our overhead costs are very low and we are able to pass that savings along to our customers. Not to mention, we also offer prescription eyeglass lenses starting at $25 and other custom work, so we are a convenient one-stop-shop!
johntelsi13

Hi there,

I found this on the internet – http://yfsunglasses.com.au/blog/once-you-go-designer.html

I think the title of this article made me think of something I used to say – “Once you go cable!” – where I’m referring to cable internet speeds back in the dial-up internet days.Imagine having to go back to dial-up speeds and using it day in day out.

It all comes down to how you use your sunglasses in my opinion – you might not use the internet a lot so the higher price of cable internet will deter you. But if you use it a lot then the daily benefit of the speed may be a no brainer.

Same goes with sunglasses – if you wear them everywhere and want to look and feel good all the time – then the extra cost will only be marginal for the immense use and pleasure you get out of the sunglasses!

Cheers!

John

Fashion Real Talk: The Case Against Designer Sunglasses

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