On Style: Sunglasses...

It is important, nay, imperative, that you own at least one good pair of sunglasses. And by good, I don’t just mean some unbranded piece of crap you paid more than you were comfortable with because you were desperate: I mean reputable, reliable, guaranteed if possible, shades from a world-renowned dealer. And yeah, they are gonna cost you a bomb.

But it’s a bomb worth dropping. You can’t put a price on the health and safety of your peepers, so why skimp on a piece of kit that can not only protect their functionality, but make you look awesome in the process?

There are a couple of brands I would advise giving some consideration: Top of the list for build quality, range diversification and classic chic are Ray Bans. If you want the Aviator look, buy Ray Bans. If you want lightweight wire frames, buy Ray Bans. And seeing as you NEED a pair of Ray Bans Wayfarers, you’re probably going to have to buy RAY BANS.

As for those staple Wayfarers (that I might have mentioned you NEED) there is now plenty to choose from, in comparison to the more barren days of old.

The classic black frames (in Medium or Large, but not Small…don’t ask) now come in less classic, but twice as cool, red, blue, green, yellow, pink etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…

Coolest of all, though, and probably the second most wearable (after the black, which tend to go well with most things), are the tortoiseshell Wayfarers of the collapsible variety.

These are the pinnacle of nineteen-fifties, road tripping, rock ‘n’ roll, quiff-sporting modishness. They come in a sweet leather case, in which you can keep your near indestructible specs in when not in use, and they look classy with damn near everything you team them with, by virtue of their muted tones and dark lenses. About £140 from retailers, but cheaper online – hunt around and get yourself a bargain.


My personal favourite for Italian elegance, are the windscreen-esque shades from fashion stylist John Varvatos. At £170 a pop, they aren’t cheap, but they are sexy. They are also good for your eyes. A scientific study released over a year ago, lauded the benefits of large, screen like sunglasses that cover, not just the eye, but the surrounding area. Such overstated styles can vastly reduce the damage to your eyes and, if worn whilst riding a scooter or motorbike – pastimes for which their style would suggest they are tailored – they will keep the bugs out of your eyes and the eyes of passers-by on you.

For sport, choose Oakley: pricey but damn near indestructible and still the sleekest thing on the market by far. The new styles are more form than function, but they style feature Oakley’s trademark build quality. Be wary of smaller styles – especially ladies. I own a pair of Oakley Darts, which look great and fit well, but the lenses are not the top end and distort the bottom range too much for my liking and the price. Stick with the balls to the wall sports models like the Romeo and Juliet styles. You can’t go wrong.


Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.

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