Sunglasses 101

If god told me that I could have only one accessory for the rest of my life and asked me to pick one, I would choose sunglasses.

I say this because I have learnt it the hard way over the years. I come from a country where temperatures drop below 25 degrees very rarely and its sunny all the time. i.e. India. Growing up, I thought sunglasses did not suit me and people stared at me when I wore them. As a result, I avoided wearing and this meant there was a lot of squinting in the sun and terrible headaches involved.

Over time thankfully, I have grown out of my strange, awkward phase and now love sunglasses. I have even managed to collect a decent mix of high street and designer sunglasses.

The ones below are my current favourites.

Bottom Left: Chanel; bottom right: Tom Ford; mid left: Michael Kors; mid right: Ray Ban; top left: ASOS; top right: ASOS

My friends always ask me how I manage to have so many pairs, but the truth is I have collected these pairs over the past five years. Taking good care of my sunglasses has prolonged their life ensuring that I have a variety to choose from.

I often give my friends these three simple tips to protect their sunglasses and although these things might seem like common sense, you might be surprised how more often or not, most of us do the don'ts of this list.

1. Keep you sunglasses in a protective case. Throwing them in the bag without a case is NOT advisable as the lenses will get scratched. Even if they are not expensive sunnies, scratched sunglasses don't look good on anybody!

This Forever 21 pouch (Link), and is inspired by Rebecca Minkoff (Link). I love the Rebecca Minkoff version however I wanted a pouch for my highstreet, inexpensive glasses and hence did not want to spend a lot on the pouch.

2. Do not wear your sunglasses over your head! Yes, this is convenient and can look cool sometimes, but it loosens the hinges of the frame. You don't want your sunglasses drooping over your nose. That look never really works for anyone, unless you are playing the role of a strict grandma in a film!

3. Keep the cleaning cloth that comes with your sunglasses in the case. This might sounds like silly advise, but this cloth helps clean the lenses and is a protective cover for you sunnies in the box. (Yes, I know about the OCD of protection IN the box, but it works!)

I also often get asked how to pick a frame.

I'll be honest, I have a very narrow and small face and often find it hard to find sunglasses that suit me. But, over the years I have leant to make it work for me.

When picking sunglasses always try and stick to classic frames. Trends come and go but frames like Aviators and Wayfarers never go out of style. If you are feeling more glamorous, then big frames could be ideal for you. 

People say that different face shapes should wear certain type of frames and although it makes sense to an extent, I don't think anyone should restrict themselves to rules like that. If you have the confidence to carry off a frame you like, go for it, confidence is after all the ultimate accessory!