Ok, so I’m a couple days late with this. June 27th was National Sunglasses Day. As a sunny-junkie, I’m not pleased with myself. Regardless of my tardiness to the party, I thought I would bring you some fun sunglasses facts as well as picks to keep those peepers safe while you enjoy fun in the sun this summer.
- The history of sunglasses can be traced back to Roman Emperor Nero who watched the gladiator competitions through polished light emerald green gems held up to his eyes.
- Elton John is thought to own the largest personal collection of sunglasses in the world at around 30,000 pairs. He even inspired the 1998 play ‘Elton John’s Glasses’.
- Edward H. Land invented the Polaroid filter and by 1936 he was using it in the making of sunglasses.
- Ray Ban sunglasses were originally designed for US Air Service pilots by medical equipment manufacturers Bausch and Lomb and were intended to reduce sickness and headaches caused not by the glare from the sun but from intense hues of the sky at high altitude. They mainly used the above mentioned Polaroid technology and a green tinted lens to create them.
- Sunglasses commenced to filter into the US mass market in 1929 and by late thirties, were considered a cool accessory. Life Magazine, in an article about growing popularity of sunglasses, estimated that only around 30% of those purchased were worn to protect the beautiful eyes. The rest, like today, were mainly considered a fashion accessory.
- Just one Luxury Goods Company produces 75% of the world’s designer sunglasses. Labels such as Chanel, Burberry, and Ralph Lauren are all designed and made by Italian company Luxottica. They also own Oakley and Ray-ban brands.
- Cheap round sunglasses can be just as good at blocking harmful sun rays as expensive sunglasses, but more expensive sunglasses tend to combine all of the protective technologies required for complete eye protections, including eliminating specific frequencies of the light for use in specific conditions.
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