Shady looks
Cover those eyes before the facing the world
By LaReeca RuckerBaton Rouge natives Mary Alice Roy and Candace Pocorello, both 19, spend a lot of time in the sun playing softball for Hinds Community College in Raymond.
They don't wear sunglasses while batting and running the bases, but off the field, they'll be sporting large aviator-style shades this spring that they bought at PacSun in Northpark mall.
The glasses retail for around $15."Big sunglasses are in style," said Roy, "not the little bitty aquare ones. The ones I got are kind of like the aviator style, but they're a little on the dressy side."
Pocorello opted for a similar pair of shades by Kirra called Vector Black Shield Sunglasses with a smoky lens and an adjustable nose piece, but if she had around $200 to blow, she'd buy Gucci or Dolce & Gabbana shades.
Either way, she's cool."You just feel cooler with shades on," she said. "And if you don't want to wear makeup, you can throw on some sunglasses and hide your face. Maybe that's why big is better, because you can hide behind them."
According to the Vision Council of America, 192 million Americans wear nonprescription sunglasses, and just like cars and handbags, shades have become an American status symbol.
Sunglasses in some form have been around since the 12th century, but they went mainstream in the U.S. around 1930 when the Foster Grant company began selling them on the beaches of Atlantic City, N.J.
In the 1960s, the company developed an advertising campaign that boosted their popularity. Today we recognize them as a key accessory that's helped create some of our most iconic figures.
From James Dean's Ray-Ban Wayfarers, a style later worn in the early 1980s by actor Tom Cruise in Risky Business while sliding across the floor in his underwear - to the large frames that became part of the signature style of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and John Lennon's round teashades - the sunglasses we choose are an expression of personal taste.
Chip Anderson, an optician at Anderson's Optique on I-55 North in Jackson, said his most popular sunglasses are Ray-Ban, Versace and Columbia.
"Most women get them for the look, especially the most fashion-conscious," he said. "Most men get them for the effect."
In the mid-1930s, Ray-Ban became the first company to create polarized lenses for aviator shades that were issued to military pilots. Customers buying shades today should look for polarized lenses, a feature usually mentioned on the label, Anderson said.
"They work kind of like a Venetian blind," he explained, adding that polarization helps block reflected glare. "Sunglasses without this only darken things."
Deborah Ainsworth, an optician at Elite Optical on Lakeview Drive in Clinton, also recommends buying shades with polarized lenses.
"Most people don't realize that when you have on a pair of sunglasses, and you're still squinting, it's because of the glare," she said. "Polarized lenses take away the glare."
She said lens color also matters when engaging in certain activities. While gray lenses are better for fishing, brown lenses are better for golfing and driving.
"They say with the brown, you can see the curve of the ground better," she said.
Maui Jim is Elite Optical's most popular line of sunglasses, followed by Guess. Ainsworth said many customers who referred big sunglasses last year are now choosing medium-size shades.
"The curve is in right now," she said. "The sunglasses curve back around their face, and the sun doesn't reflect in on the sides."
Sunglasses are also good eye protection, Ainsworth said.
"UV rays can make your cataracts mature quicker," she said, "so you definitely want as much protection from the UV rays as you can on your eyes."
Cleve Barham, owner of Fine Eyes in Ridgeland, said Maui Jim shades are his most popular brand, followed by Oliver Peeples. He also carries Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera. When he goes to market in New York next week, he may bring back a line of Emilio Pucci sunglasses that typically cost $250 and up.
"I'm also looking at another line called Chrome Hearts that retails for $1,500," he said, adding that high-end sunglasses sell well, but customer spending varies. "Some want bling, and some don't."
North Jackson resident Markeshia Powe, 22, has a future so bright, she has to wear shades while attending classes at Tougaloo College. She's also into the aviator style.
"I think the most I ever paid for a pair of shades was $200," she said. "That was probably my only pair of really expensive shades. While the brand is important, to me it's all about the look. If you find a hot pair of sunglasses, just go ahead, get them and wear them."