Now that summer is in full swing (!), it seems that more and more people feel the need to don their Ray-bans or Superdrug specials - but not necessarily when the sun is shining....
Even in the strongest sun, I've never felt any need for sunglasses - though my other half can't live without hers. I do have a pair of rose-tinted spectacles which come out occasionally - but that's another matter altogether :-)
So who thinks they're essential - or just for poseurs?
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Is this the sunglasses that you balance on top of your head? Or should I say on top of your greasy hair.
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The only time I've felt the need for them is when reading in the full glare of a Mediterranean sun.
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Some people need to wear sunglasses even when not bright to avoid damage to their eyes. Most you refer to don't need to. I saw someone in the gym yesterday in the cafe wearing sunglasses! He actually made me think he looked like a cross between Kenny and the police officer in South Park.
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I wear them to avoid squinting in the sun, but, I don't give a hoot what they loook like - I had a free pair of Raybans which were decidedly "Dame Edna" in appearance, but, as I would protest to anyone who would listen, the lenses were very good!
>>Wayfarers on, Baby
10/10 for including a Don Henley lyric in the backroom!
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I find close-fitting ones stop my eyes watering due to hay-fever.
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As a glasses wearer, I find driving in strong sunlight quite uncomfortable with my conventional specs on. I therefore have prescription "sunnies" which I don in good weather (if we ever get any, mind). I also wear contacts occasionally, and this allows me to indulge the rare (to me) novelty of being able to wear reasonably priced sunglasses, bought on a whim in any store. The latter is just posing, and being sad, generally. :-)
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Thanks, N_C :-)
"Out on the road today, I saw a dead head sticker on a Mondeo...."
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If it's bright mine are on. The aygo has a very bad reflection from the dash so polaroids are required, the jag heated screen catches the sun and glasses stop this problem.
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10/10 for including a Don Henley lyric in the backroom!
He only did it co's he's the New Kid in Town.
Martin
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I always drive in suglasses in daylight - all that sky makes my eyes tire much sooner if I don't. For 20 years until recently these were always Raybans with G15 (15% light transmission, neutral grey) lenses. These are the gold standard to me - the colours are absolutely true, no sense of tinting or loss of contrast. If you find a tint tiring (I do) but like to wear sunglasses for a long drive, just try them.
Now I am starting to need correction I had some prescription sunglasses made up, and asked the optician to use a neutral grey at 15%. They aren't as good, there's a definite tint I'm always conscious of.
EDIT - and yes, they were usually Wayfarers!
Edited by Manatee on 03/08/2009 at 22:02
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I have some brown and gold polarised modern renditions of aviators. The polarised lenses are a boon while driving, especially in late afternoon, or during this rainy summer weather. I think they were <£25 from USA off the no.1 online tat bazaar.
Edited by Hamsafar on 03/08/2009 at 22:39
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I use a pair of USAF issue pilots sunglasses, optically perfect, and great for driving in bright conditions. Im too ancient to pose, and drive a bog standard Focus, zero street cred. :-)
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A Focus has a lot of street cred, it shows you know how to pick a car wisely! Or was that geek cred?
I don't wear sun glasses, I can't afford to I would need special glasses as I can't see a damn thing without my normal glasses.
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No idea what wayfarers are
i find mine in cars ,give them a good cleaning and see if they look right on my face.
My fav ones are john lennon ones but give a funny yellow hue while driving on the motorway.
Wayfarer=itinerant person who goes on a journey according to the wifes library
i thought it was a pub
Edited by bell boy on 04/08/2009 at 00:26
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I own a pair of RayBans but hardly ever wear them. Lenses are spot on, though.
Most cars have sunglasses nowadays, anyway.
Mine wears Shaded Soft Ray Safety Flo Lite
Is Sundym still going?
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I used to have distance (i.e. driving, TV and general walking about) glasses that went dark in the sun. They were really good, and had the charming side effect, being round and thin-rimmed, of looking smaller the darker they got, so that in bright sunlight one could pass for Trotsky in disguise and rather a bad mood...
When one of the lenses popped out and got lost I quickly had to get some new ones, and being broke ended up with non-blackening specs that make me look like the madder of the Kray twins, anyway where the specs are concerned. Trouble is, to have decent specs you have to have bottomless pockets. Even these carp ones cost about ten times what they're worth.
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When one of the lenses popped out and got lost I quickly had to get some new ones and being broke ended up with non-blackening specs that make me look like the madder of the Kray twins anyway where the specs are concerned
I'd bet you would get served rather sharpish in The Blind Beggar though, eh, Lud?
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My eyes are very sensitive to light and I have to wear sunglasses even when it's just a little bit bright. I have two pairs of RayBans, one very old pair of Wayfarers which I use when gardening, and the other just to keep in the car as a spare pair. My main ones are Serengetis, one drivers pair with amber lenses when it's not too bright and the others are much darker 555 lenses which are polarised. They are not cheap but are excellent for driving.
In answer to the question it's certainly not for posing.
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I do not wear sunglasses any more.
My varifocals ( I have a couple of pairs in different styles for work and evening ) have the transitions type lenses so I don't have to keep changing them.
When I did wear sunglasses they were always Ray Ban Aviators , mainly due to style being the best to disguise the rather large size of the helicopter conk ..........
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>>> I'd bet you would get served rather sharpish in The Blind Beggar though, eh, Lud? <<<
No, not if he called Ronnie mad he wouldn't.
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To those that need them, good sunglasses are important. I hate glare & find it most wearing - especially on 'cloudy-bright' days & in low winter sun.
I'd second the poster who recommended the Serengiti brand - tip top optical quality glass lenses with practically zero distortion & perfect light polarisation. Mind you, they cost what some people on here pay for their cars!
I'd also second the 'look cool' / posing concept. Everyone I see on a sunny day without sungalsses is scrunching-up their eyes & looks generally stressed - think of the crows feet you're building for the future! More importantly though, macular degeneration & cataracts can be the result of unmitigated & prolonged glare in later life - just as with skin, you can have too much sunlight.
Good shades don't have to be particularly dark & light stopping - just good UVA/B filters & polarisers. That way, you don't need to take them off to see when light decreases, but glare persists. My Serengitis have photochromic lenses - you can see quite effectively even in low light & look way cool too!
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The Supreme Being, in its infinate wisdom, designed a perfectly adequate iris and eyelid to cope with various light conditions - you never see a Fish or a Wildebeest wearing Raybans.
I know a fool who paid £200 for a pair of Revo's (and I don't even wear them!)
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>...you never see...a Wildebeest wearing Raybans...
Well this large grazing animal finds them indispensable.
};---)
I'm going to bite on the 'design' thing too. The eye has evolved independently at least five times - no design or supreme being required. But one has to take account of the failings of human designers - such as a windscreen that shows a reflection of the top of the dashboard in bright sunlight. Nothing like a pair of polarizing lenses for counteracting that.
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>>> >...you never see...a Wildebeest wearing Raybans...
Well this large grazing animal finds them indispensable.
};---) <<<
Cor! I've been awaiting your post WillDe :-)
Re: polarising lenses, I well remember the patterns on the old toughened windscreens!!
I used to use them for fishing as well (coarse of course!)
So, do they neutralise the reflections in the windscreens then - I didn't know that! see - you're never to old to learn :)
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Essential accessory for me I'm afraid. Rarely leave the house without them if there's a hint of brightness in the sky. Must have 10/12 pairs in total for various pursuits ? cycling, running, walking, gardening, car-washing, general pavement-cafe posing ? hah!
Best bargain I grabbed last year were a pair of M-B branded incorporating Carl Zeiss lenses ? RRP: £170, TKMaxx price: £16.99. Extremely effective. I love 'em...
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Best bargain I grabbed last year were a pair of M-B branded incorporating Carl Zeiss lenses – RRP: £170, TKMaxx price: £16.99. Extremely effective. I love 'em...
Sounds like an excellent buy! ..and I thought TKMaxx were only good for orange trousers & purple shirts, rarely find such bargains out here in the sticks. A man can never have too many cashmere jumpers or nice sunglasses in my view..
Edited by woodbines on 05/08/2009 at 12:36
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I don't like the quite bright cloudy days and always wear sunglasses then, which strangely isn't so much of an issue on bright sunny days, although I wear them as well, as it stops you squinting and causes less problems with direct sunlight when you're driving.
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>>> I don't like the quite bright cloudy days and always wear sunglasses then, which strangely isn't so much of an issue on bright sunny days <<<
An Optician once told me that shades are advisable in bright overcast conditions, because of the glare - which ya don't get when its sunny.
The worst thing about cheapo shades is that they just darken *everything* whereas good sunglasses actually enhance vision.
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