Men’s sunglasses are a shady area…
Every year a bloke has to invest in a new pair of sunglasses, this investment recurs annually due to periodic, catastrophic death of the old pair. You’ve either sat on them, sent them through the washing machine, left them on the beach or broken them whilst fending off a crocodile from a group of gorgeous Aussie babes (yeah right…).
Your investment in sunglasses has to be a measured one. You want to avoid looking like the seedy bloke down by the pool, but equally don’t want to look like a 10 year old who’s splashed the cash in Claire’s Accessories.
To keep things simple, we’ll look at three types of glasses that you could purchase.
The clubmaster.
The name of this category of glasses is accurate in every sense. The minimal frame on this nature of sunglasses makes them wearable for long periods of time, more importantly there’s no denying that when worn correctly you can look pretty dapper in them too.
Sport your clubmasters by the pool, beach or even in some casual attire. You can’t go wrong.
If you’re looking to impress the waves of blonde surfer chicks with a brand, opt for these clubmasters by Ray-Ban. However if you’re a pretty calamitous chap like myself, you might want to buy the cheaper ASOS Alternative.
Unfortunately with sunglasses it’s not just the category or style which you have to consider, the colour also must be selected. With the clubmasters if you’re looking for versatility I’d stick with black frames. If you can pull-off styles a little more adventurous than your average lad (be honest with yourself..) you may want to try out some tortoiseshell frames.
Aviators
I’m sure you will all be aware of aviators. The aviator is probably the category or sunglasses that has never been particularly unfashionable, and never will be considered hideously “last year” to coin the familiar cliché.
The main thing with aviators is to consider the size of the lense. If you have a
smaller or thinner face, don’t dwarf it with a gigantic pair of glasses. Take a look
at Tom Cruise in Top Gun- one of the most famous aviator-sporting celebrities).
In this iconic film Cruise has their size spot on. He might not be the voice of
reason in terms of common sense, logic, or height, but he wears his aviators like
a boss.
Nobody of any age would get funny looks in a pair of these glasses, however in
my opinion they tend to look better on the older man. You younger folk should
consider our other options (but heck, what do I know?).
You can purchase a pair of aviators almost anywhere; pick up a cheap pair from ASOS here.
Wayfarers
These shades have been knocking-about since the 50s and received a huge revival in their popularity in the last decade.
These come in a plethora of colours and designs which you can experiment with.
I personally like to stick with a traditional black pair and a tortoise shell set for the
days when I need to make an outfit that bit more elaborate.
If you’re looking for a branded pair turn to those made by Ray-Ban, alternatively if
you’re more interested in splashing about in the pool look no further than ASOS.
PS: If I catch any of you wearing a pair of these whilst not competing in some form of sport you will be cast into the fiery embers of fashion hell.
