Stuff 101 – Sunglasses The Past And Present

Sunglasses are not only a fashion accessory they are also a good source of eye protection. In this article you can read about popular types of sunglasses through history.

Sunglasses are a form of protective eyewear that helps to eliminate the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. UV rays are known to cause several serious eye problems and healthcare professionals have been recommending wearing sunglasses whenever outdoors. A good pair of sunglasses is not only fashionable but it should also be able to block up to 100% of harmful UV rays.

The first ever ‘sunglasses’ were made from walrus ivory and date back to prehistoric times. Inuit peoples fashioned flattened walrus ivory with narrow slits to help protect their eyes from the harmful rays of the sun. In arctic regions unprotected eyes will be affected by what is known as snow blindness.

The first recorded use of sunglasses dates back to the early 12th century in China where flat panes of smoky quartz were used to protect the eyes.

In the mid-18th century James Ayscough began experimenting with tinted lenses in eyeglasses.

It wasn’t until the early 20th century when the use of sunglasses became more widespread and in 1929 Sam Foster began mass-producing them for the American public. Around 1936 polarized sunglasses became available after Edwin H. Land, the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation, began experimenting making sunglass lenses using his patented Polaroid filter.

Types of Fashionable Sunglasses Throughout Modern History

Fashion usually dictates what different types of sunglasses are trendy. This can be most prevalent in designer sunglasses. The following 5 models of sunglasses have been fashionable at multiple times throughout modern history.

1) Aviators
The Aviator design was introduced in 1936 specifically for U.S. military pilots and was not made available to the public until a few years later. In 1986 Tom Cruise popularized Aviators as ace pilot Maverick in the movie Top Gun.

2) Oversized Sunglasses
Oversized sunglasses first became popular in the 1960’s when women purchased them to mimic the ones famously worn by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. They have recently made a comeback once again in the 21st century and their popularity is largely due to fashionistas like Paris Hilton.

3) Teashades
Teashades, also known as John Lennon glasses, were very popular in the 1960’s, but have largely fallen out of fashion since then. It is rumoured that they are making a comeback with recent paparazzi photos of famous actresses and musicians sporting the teashade frames.

4) Ray-Ban Wayfarer
Created in 1952 Ray-Ban’s Wayfarer sunglasses opted for plastic frames rather than the tradition metal ones. Originally developed for pilots, Wayfarers quickly became popular amongst Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. In 1961 Audrey Hepburn wore them in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Tom Cruise sported them in the 1983 film Risky Business. Even today the Wayfarer is still a popular model of sunglasses.

5) Wraparounds
Largely first made popular in the early 1990s wraparound sunglasses are the number one choice for athletes, from regular teams sports to extreme sports.

Lens Colors And Their Benefits

When it comes to sunglasses it is not just fashion that dictates the color of the lens. In fact each color lens actually has specific benefits for the wearer. The following are the most common colors and their benefits:

Blue – mainly cosmetic
Brown – minimizes color distortion, increases contrast
Green – maintains true colors
Grey – minimizes color distortion, maintains true colors
Orange – minimizes color distortion, increases contrast, increases depth perception
Purple – mainly cosmetic
Red – minimizes color distortion
Rose – minimizes color distortion, increases contrast
Turquoise – increases contrast, minimizes color distortion
Yellow – minimizes color distortion, increases contrast, increases depth perception

Whether your choice is due to fashion or simply to protect your eyes from the sun, sunglasses do not have to be expensive to work properly, but they should at the very least protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.

Resources:
Corey Rozon is a freelance business writer from Canada.
This article about the brief history of sunglasses was written for Olympic Eyewear, a sunglasses company specializing in selling wholesale sunglasses, such as wholesale brand name sunglasses.