Believe it or not, the first "sunglasses" were made in China
sometime in the 1400's. The purpose of these sunglasses was far
from protecting the eye from the sun. It seems that Chinese
judges wore these glasses into court in order to hide their eye
expressions while listening to cases. Hmmmm, gives new meaning
to the phrase "who is that behind those Foster Grants" doesn't
it?
Today, sunglasses are worn by millions all over the world. They
come in hundreds of colors and styles. There is a pair of
sunglasses out there to suit every budget, fashion desire or
sporting necessity. They range from the $2.00 a pair plastic
knock-off's available at the Weir's Beach boardwalk to Maui Jim
Whalers priced at $335.00 to the Smith Interchangeable Series,
that have a dozen different colored lenses available.
For a lot of people wearing sunglasses is a fashion statement.
It seems that it's the designer name and style that hits the
spot. "Just think of how those tortoise Alma J-Lo sunglasses
will set off my new pink Juicy tee." There are many different
designer sunglasses out there. All the big designers have
sunglass lines, Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Versace, Prada, Fendi,
Salvatore Ferragamo and the list goes on and on. Even Stella
McCartney has put her name on a line of designer sunglasses with
prices up in the $400.00 range.
For the hiker, biker, kayaker, skier, golfer, or anyone else who
spends time outdoors partaking in any type of sport, eye
protection, as well as lens filtering is key. As with the Smith
sunglasses mentioned above, the lens is the most important
aspect of most sports sunglasses. There are lenses specifically
designed for sunny conditions and lenses specifically designed
for flat light conditions. Dark lenses and rose colored lenses
are best for sunny conditions. Yellow or orange lenses are best
for low light conditions. Some popular sports sunglass
manufacturers are Bolle', Smith, Rudy, Adidas, Body Specs and
Spy Scoop. As with the designer sunglasses mentioned above,
there are an endless array to choose from. Shatterproof poly
carbonate lenses are what most sunglass manufacturers use. The
Food and Drug Administration has ruled that all sunglasses, for
fashion or for sport, must have impact resistant lenses.
In the end though, it appears what really counts in choosing
your sunglasses is not the designer, color of lens, type of
frame style you choose or the price you pay. It's the UV light
protection. It is as important to protect your eyes from the sun
as it is to protect your skin from the sun. Although it is still
debated, some medical professionals believe that daily exposure
to UVB rays may cause cataracts. There are government standards
for lenses that claim to have UV protection. The darkness of
sunglass lenses is not an indicator of UV protection and has no
effect on UV rays. What are called "UV Protective" sunglasses
actually have a lens that absorb the rays. Look for sunglasses
that offer at least 98% protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
Most importantly, have fun choosing!
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