Vintage Glasses

For some, the word “vintage” evokes thoughts of small, musty-smelling shops with jumbled merchandise, where everything is a little bit stained or broken or intolerably ugly. But the stylish among us know that most of the “hot new trends” have their roots in the past, and that looking at what the designers were doing the first time around will often bring a unique twist to your look.

Retro Sunglasses

Since most vintage sunglasses are available only in very small quantities (and since you have literally decades worth of styles to choose from), it’s unlikely that you’ll see ten different knockoffs in mall kiosks, on department store racks, on your entire circle of friends and acquaintances… since the style will have that “not off the rack” look, it’s quite likely that people will ask where you got them, and being able to answer “they’re vintage, so they’re hard to find” is always a pleasure.

WhySince styles seldom come back in quite the same way, there’s always an element of dress-up or costume to vintage sunglasses that many people enjoy. I may never look quite like Audrey Hepburn, but if I can don a pair of massive shades and a black dress, I’m a good bit of the way there.

Unlike buying vintage eyeglasses or spectacles, which I’ll write about more in the future, sunglasses are fairly low-stress and low-commitment. Unless they’re prescription (and for most, they won’t be) you can slide them on and off at will. Save them for bright days and hangovers.

I’ve had quite a bit of success finding beautiful, unique pairs over the internet – which saves me from having to paw through a bin full of scratched-up lenses and bent temple arms. I’m looking forward to posting pictures of my favorites!

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