Buying women’s sunglasses online can be a real challenge–there are a lot of online shops that offer various designs but it can be very difficult to decide on a pair that fits your personal style and makes you feel good. If you don’t have prescription sunglasses, check out dailies aqua comfort plus contact lenses which can be worn under your stylish sunglasses you’ve been dreaming of buying.”
Another common obstacle to buying sunnies is not knowing if they fit your features. Unlike when you’re in a shop in a mall or store, you can’t try the sunglasses on when you’re browsing from your laptop or smartphone.
In this article, we give you a step-by-step guide to overcoming these challenges and finding the best pair for you. We spoke to Josh from Great Southern Sunnies who operates a rapidly growing online sunglasses shop in Australia and we got some advice.
1. Getting Started
The first step to buying sunglasses online is to know what you want. This might seem very basic but a lot of people who browse through online shops haven’t actually listed down their requirements for the perfect pair of sunnies.
They might have a vague idea of what they’d like–something stylish, something that looks good at the beach–but they most probably don’t have a style peg or inspiration that they can refer to.
There are a number of great websites like Pinterest or Instagram where you can save some looks that you like. You can even make a digital collage or drive with the type of glasses that you have in mind. This will serve as a guidepost when you start to browse through online shops and their selections.
2. Choosing a Shape
This isn’t just about face shape–it’s also about your personality. Through the years, sunglasses have become iconic because of the stars who’ve worn them in films, galas, and airport runways. Do you want to be elegant like Jackie O or a debonair like James Dean? The choice is yours. Here are some of our favourite sunglasses shapes that you might want to consider.
Aviator Shades
These glasses were popularized by icons like James Dean and Tom Cruise. Although they’re often associated with male movie stars, they’ve recently gained a feminine twist thanks to stars with androgynous styles like Kristen Stewart and Cara Delevigne. These have a large, looped shape and often sport fashionable coloured lenses. Choose these if you’re looking for something that says bold and adventurous.
Butterfly Shades
Made famous by Jackie O and Marilyn Monroe, slipping on a pair of these oversized beauties will instantly make you feel like a million bucks. These are usually rendered in muted patent shades–blush, mauve, brown, black, and tortoise-shell. They put a feminine twist on any outfit, whether it’s a trenchcoat or a pantsuit. Slip these on and put an instant flirty twist on your personal style.
Cat Eye
Nothing says mischievous and playful like a pair of cat-eye shades. Brought into the limelight by Audrey Hepburn in her classic role as Holly Golightly, this shape brings an instant pinch of glamour to any ensemble. You can wear it with a plain white shirt and you will get that boost of je ne sais quois that instantly makes you look elegant and put together.
3. Deciding on UV Protection
Gone are the days when sunglasses were only a fashion accessory. These days, they’re also a way of staying protected from the sun’s harmful rays. Make sure that the glasses you choose have both UVA and UVB protection. Although UVA rays are 50 times more common than UVB rays, UVB rays can be very bad for your health. They cause cancer, irreparable skin damage, and facilitate aging. Protect your eyes and choose sunglasses with a broad protection spectrum.
4. Picking a Frame
Choosing the material your frame is made of depends heavily on your lifestyle. If you have very acidic skin, then plastic frames will make your sunnies last longer. If you have a lot of heavy reading to do, then steel frames might be better for you because they can accommodate thicker lenses. Fashion is also a good thing to consider when choosing your frames. If you’re usually in neutral colours like white, brown, or black, then maybe you can opt for red frames that give your outfit a pop of colour. On the other hand, if you’re the type who wears very bold outfits, choosing a neutral frame allows your clothes to make the statement.
5. Using MyFit
MyFit is a feature that a lot of online stores use to help customers “try on” their glasses, albeit virtually. It allows you to upload a photo of yourself which the software then measures against the dimensions of the sunglasses. This removes the possibility of you buying a pair of glasses that are too big or too small for your face shape. Furthermore, MyFit doesn’t just show you what you look like with these sunglasses on, it can also recommend the specific dimensions that you need for the sunglasses to complement your features.
6. Selecting Your Lens Colour
Lens colours vary from black to deep brown to light amber. Sportier models also carry reflective lenses that help deflect sunlight. When choosing your lens colour, make sure to consider the colour and material of the frames. Trendier, metallic lenses look great with sleek, plastic frames, while classic colours tend to go better with vintage metal frames.
7. Double-Checking Your Cart
Online shopping is convenient but it isn’t immune to technology’s glitches. Make sure that you always double-check your cart to make sure that the sunglasses you chose are the ones that have been saved by the site. This step seems simple enough but it could save you a lot of trouble in the long-run. If you’re gifting these to a friend, you can also get the option to have the gift-wrapped at check-out.
Shopping for women’s sunglasses online doesn’t have to be hard. It just takes a bit of research and practice. You can land the perfect pair of shades once you know what you’re looking for. If you have a good idea about the steps you need to take, navigating online shops like Great Southern Sunnies can be easy. Make a statement and develop your personal style by growing your sunnies collection. Follow our ultimate guide to buying women’s sunglasses and you can’t go wrong!
