Fashion Friendly & Frugal: Sunglass Hunt

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Sunglass Hunt

Sunglasses are a great accessory for everyone because no matter what your face shape, there is a pair of sunglasses for you and your personal style. The downside to shades is what you may be sacrificing in order to own a pair of sunglasses that you truly cannot live without. You can either empty out your bank account for the perfect pair of $200 designer sunglasses, or spend $10 on very inexpensive and sometimes very awkward-looking glasses. I am not usually a fan of counterfeit apparel, but when it comes to the delicate frames I continuously put on and take off, I have nearly no problems with the cheapie and sometimes knock-off styles. Here are my tips to finding the right pair at the right price:

1.) As with everything else in your wardrobe, try sunglasses on. You will never know what looks the best with your face shape unless you try on many different styles and colors.

2.) H&M and Nordstrom have great sunglasses for great prices (all under $12) that are pretty sturdy. Be creative where you shop for glasses!

3.) Use the Internet. Search out a pair of sunglasses that you are interested in that may be out of your budget (check out what the celebrities are wearing and what the style magazines are advertising). Once you find a pair that catches your eye, shop around until you find a price point that matches your budget and your research.

4.) Spend less and own more! Obviously the less you spend on something so small like sunglasses opens the door for you to own more pairs!

To make a long story short, I once purchased a pair of Gucci sunglasses and they fell apart nearly a year later. Although I took great care of those flimsy things, they still ended up broken. They retailed for $300 and I hustled my way down to a mere $150, which still did not help my bank account. In then end, I have strayed away from expensive sunglasses because they are such a fragile accessory.

Designer sunglasses are beautiful and always unique, but my wallet cannot handle the real deal right now. This is why I have turned to my $10 Ray Bay Wayfarers and $12 Aviator knock-offs, my cat-eyed $6 H&M jump-offs, my $24 fake Chanels, and my most favorite, over-sized, 70s inspired and Gucci inspired, $12 sunglasses. If they break, oh well! At least I can go to sleep at night knowing their cost-per-wear was worth it. Someday, I will indulge in the real deal, but for now, I am very happy being Fashion, Friendly & Frugal.