Feb

1

Best Hollywood Sunglasses

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One of the hottest films of late, Sherlock Holmes 2, displays an amazing number of sunglasses on the primary character played by Robert Downey Jr. This despite the fact that the film takes place in 1890. Still, the shades he is wearing have the distinctly cool look of a bygone era despite being excessively modern.

For a similar look, try Oliver Peoples’ bold circular lenses, which Larry David has made more popular in his TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Not to mention the popularity added by the success of the Harry Potter empire. Still, these slightly more modern rounded shades are hard to pull off when not on a set. Consider a more approachable option with something less film prop and more functional. This is especially true of the tiny, square framed lenses Holmes wears in the film. A similar look by Police sunglasses are a more adaptable and preferable.

Some of the other looks to emulate in a more modern way include the looks made popular in Bridesmaids, where sunglasses are used more as a hangover tool than as a means of blocking the sun. Still, the oversized shades popular in Prada or Dior remain a top seller for beautiful women, especially those with a propensity for the drink.

Robot boxing flick Real Steel with Hugh Jackman shows us once again why Jackman was one of the hottest men alive. His fashion is always simple and stark, and yet approachable. Flannel shirts, white T-shirts, jeans and simple men’s sunglasses by Serengeti or Police make him one of the most simple fashion looks to mimic.

Jan

12

Fantasy Fashion Fads

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With the success of the Game of Thrones, True Blood, Skyrim, Twilight, Harry Potter and many more fantasy sitcoms, books and games fantasy fashion is on the rise. Braided hair is as popular now as it was in the Middle Ages. Large, leather belts are back in style, boots are somehow chic to wear year round, and jewelry is getting so large it’s bordering on comical. Still, blending these fantasy fashions with high-end gear may actually result in decent fashion. Pair Serengeti sunglasses with your leather vest and perhaps you’ll look chic instead of a tad on the creepy side. Or, slip on Prada shades with your giant leather belt and boots and you may look like Angelina Jolie rather than an odd Renaissance geek.

Still, the turn to more traditional looks are not unnatural considering how confused so many people are going broke, losing faith in the future and wondering what has happened to the world around them. The return to traditionalism is natural in hard times, especially in a once-thriving economy like the western world once enjoyed. Expect to see more white lace, innocent designs and less slutty stuff. Leather and large belts, boots and other Renaissance gear will stay in fashion. Sweaters, knits and especially all-natural fabrics are likely to be the rage in 2012, as fantasy fashion takes the place of real, modern looks and a turn towards traditionalism sweeps the once infallible western world. For sunglasses fashion, consider more traditional looks by Ray Ban, or subtle looks like Serengeti or traditional Tom Fords. These looks are timeless and have the effect of avoiding pretention.

Jan

4

Dumb Sunglasses Designs

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Every once in a while you’ll run across a celebrity (Lady Gaga comes to mind) who will wear anything flamboyant to get attention. That isn’t fashion, it’s a middle child’s attempt at garnishing adult attention, and it’s amateur. A-listers hardly ever have to go to extremes to get media attention, only the celebs who know they don’t really “have it” have to jazz up their media coverage with silly fashion statements. For example, Will.i.am is a decently famous musician, but what’s with the silly attention-grabbing Mykita sunglasses (image right)? These look like something a director for a B-level movie would commission for a film about badasses on Mars.

And check out Whitney Port in these ridiculous Karen Walker-Bunny shades. They look like something that would have come out of a candy box in the 1930s. I like retro flashback fashion as much as the next aficionado, but this is over the top, and a cheesy attempt at something nostalgic ill-achieved by using cheap plastic. Also, if you don’t know who Whitney Port is your in the majority, and this goes to prove that only B-listers (or C or D listers) will try to grab attention with silly wardrobe flare while out in public.

One major celebrity who defies the odds is the queen Lady Gaga, now I’m no fan of her brass, baseless music but I do recognize a certain Madonna-like manipulation of the media that is amusing. She comes out in public dressed in clothes made of meat, rags, cross-dressing, and all the while the joke is on the public for consuming her banal offerings like wolves in a chicken coop. While Will.i.am and Whitney Port wear flamboyant shades for attention, Lady Gaga has the whole persona going, and that at least garnishes some respect. Not in the fashion sense, but in the sense that she really has committed to this alter-ego and is running with it, crazy sunglasses and all.

Sep

29

Ten Signs You Need New Sunglasses

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If you’ve been putting off buying new glasses for a while, take this little quiz to see if you’re ready to splurge on a new pair. From gas station crap to MiuMiu fabulous. If you answer yes to more than four of these questions it’s time for you to buy a new pair of lenses, and fast!

1. Your lenses are so scratched cats pass you on the street and nod in approval.
2. 2. Your lenses are constantly smudged, oily and dirty. Oscar the grouch has cleaner possessions in the trash can he call home.
3. Your last pair of glasses look exactly like the styles worn in Mad Men. 1950s retro chic is cool, but not if they are actually the same frames you’ve actually had on since birth. Time for a change.
4. If your only lenses are a bold color other than brown, black or white, its time to upgrade to something you can wear with every outfit you own, not just your wacky sweatpants.
5. If your glasses were purchased on a whim (or, more likely during resolution season around the new year) you’ll probably find they don’t exactly suit the person you are, but the person you wanted to be. Time to be realistic.
6. If you think Buddy Holly, Lady Gaga, The Blues Brothers or Brad Pitt are good role models for eyewear fashion, it’s time to toss your shades for something fresher.
7. When your eyewear are held together by tape or pins, or in any way modified with any adhesive element it’s time to upgrade to something that can stand on its own.
8. If your glasses are made of plastic and peeling on the temple bars, it’s time to upgrade.
9. If your glasses are in any way shape or form larger than a reasonable amount of your face (think: Willy Wonka) it’s time to upgrade.
10. Finally, if you hate your glasses so much you resort to going without them, it’s time to find a style that you love and won’t neglect.

Sep

22

Funny Sunnies

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Sunglasses are a necessity, but they can also tend to be a bit awkward, funny or downright stupid looking. It’s important to know what looks good and what is a fashion fail and when something is just ridiculous. Fendi sunglasses can be high fashion and fun, but most of the time unless your entire world is fashionable and all of your clothes can support your high-end look than it’s better to steer clear of brands that look that ridiculous. Like Fendi.

Another brand that is hit or miss is Versace. Sometimes they just get too big, too fancy and too ridiculous. This isn’t really fashion anymore, it’s overt attempts at newness and unique actualization. It isn’t fashion if it makes the human body look ridiculous. It isn’t beautiful if it the focus isn’t on making better the already unique and exciting human form. Thus, if shapes are too big or too overt they fail as a unique and fashionable concept. Keep that in mind while look at oversized sunnies.

Glasses that are too much of any one shape are always silly. Think Harry Potter’s round circle glasses and how silly they make poor Harry look. If only he had a bigger range of eyewear to choose from at Hogwarts. Oliver Peoples has a similar style of shades and eyeglasses and for some reason they sell. We don’t know why. But the same goes for glasses that are too square, too small, too bright or too dull. Extremes are never fashionable, balance and qi is.

Jul

20

Funny Sunglasses Photos

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There are so many hilarious photos of people in sunglasses that its hard to think of where to start. First, Elton John’s crazy Oliver Peoples-style sunglasses on stage are a funny look for a square faced singer, and they do little to flatter his form or hues.

Kanye West, although a fashionable and sexy individual, often strays from the hot and into the weird with his sunglasses choices. Remember the shutter shade fad? Yeah, we wish we could forget it, too!

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, whom we always talk about in pairs since we can’t tell them apart, keep wearing oversized, bug-eyed, Jackie-O sunglasses that make them look like underage anime characters. I think this is what they are going for because they also have a coquettish look on their faces.

It wouldn’t be a list of oddballs if Lady Gaga were not mentioned. She keeps wearing big, square and boxy frames that make her look even more alien than normal. Her long, angular face demands smaller glasses (think Celion Dion) and not the larger round or square ones.

This brings me to any male actor who isn’t in perfect shape with chiseled abs and a hot body. If you are not sexy, don’t wear Police sunglasses. The look is meant to be hot and young, with a slight touch of dignity that only the likes of Antonio Bandaras could add to any campaign. If you have a beer belly and mustard stains on all your shirts then opt for Carrera, and leave the Police shades alone!

Jul

7

Suit and Tie Fashion Mistakes

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Remember the scene with Stanley Ipkiss (The Mask) where he meets the diva and all he can talk about is his power tie. Don’t be that guy. If your tie defines you then you have a long way to go to make a passable, girl-friendly personality. Instead of the tie, lets spice up the suit with better, more adult accessories like Serengeti driving sunglasses, which are dignified, bold and casual without being corporate. This is a hard look to pull off. Most people look like they are trying out for the M.I.B if they wear a suit and glasses. You don’t want to be that guy either so stick to casual or sporty sunglasses and you’ll be displaying to the world that you are more then a business man, you are an adventurer along the lines of James Bond or Steve McQueen. That’s what women want to see, and other men will respect a look of steel based on these action adventure giants.

Another mistake people make with suits is with their belt and shoes. They remember their mother saying that they need to match. This simply isn’t true, sorry Mom, but 1960s fashion tips don’t apply to the 21st century. Instead of matching you want each piece in your wardrobe to say something about who you are, or have a story. A belt from a safari you did to Africa would be far cooler then a matching, generic black belt. Shoes that are a bit flamboyant are okay—they say you have the kahunas to try new things. Maybe don’t go over the top with flashy shoes, but women respect a man who tries new things and most men’s shoe collections are abysmal.

Jun

16

Boy’s Summer Fashion

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Justin Biber is a young guy, and he looks even more young in these sunglasses by SUPER. We would have much preferred to see him in adult sunglasses, possibly even Police or Serengeti sunglasses, which are what adult celebrities are rocking these days when not in Ray Bans. Unfortunately, Justin comes across looking like he is about 8 years old in this picture, and meanwhile his hit songs, like the totally inappropriate “baby oh” make him seem like a little boy with a dirty old man’s mind.

Meanwhile, there are other young guys who managed to walk the thin red line between youth and totally looking like a kid. Remember the young look that Tom Cruise had when he first hit the scene? What about Leonardo DiCaprio, whose youthful look in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape wasn’t diminished once he walked off set and into the real world. He emerged as a man at the première, and was ever after respected as a real actor. Smart move Leonardo, well played. Justin, you get a pathetic F next to this media genius. You have to manipulate the press, and dressing up with a kid’s hairstyle and children’s looking Mr. Potato Head sunglasses was the wrong move all around.

Real men wear brands that are not as clunky and bold as these (and also not flaming white, which is usually for women and children). So, slip into Ray Bans, Serengeti or Police for real manly attire that won’t leave you looking like a tot at daycare.

Jun

9

Finding the right look

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Nobody can say clearly what their fashion or style is without having to think about it. There are simply not enough words to describe a complete image. We can say someone is vintage, (Johnny Depp for example) but is that really all they are in the true sense of fashion. Johnny wears modern Oliver Peoples shades, so is that really vintage, or can modern looks be blended to form one complete look?

Finding your look is a lifelong goal. Some people who have the time to dedicate non-stop (think: Paris Hilton) have discovered that they can locate their exact look. Paris has a definitive princess wardrobe of pink, frills, lace and basically nothing practical or clean-lined or simple. Meanwhile, if you walk on to any dorm room floor in the Midwest you’ll find women in sweatpants and ponytails who are her exact antithesis. Perhaps these people define themselves by what they are not, that is to say, Paris Hilton is not a dorm room co-ed. And the girl in sweatpants would never be caught dead in Paris’ pink frills.

Finding the right look if you are not a celebrity and don’t have a team of people helping you define yourself can be troublesome. Yes, there are online resources for fashion lovers, but there isn’t really a place to start where you can upload an image of yourself and people say ‘you should do this, or that.’ And there are limited guides on how to find sunglasses for your look. True, you can always find a celebrity that looks like you and try to copy them, but then all the similar looking people would have similar fashion and of course then fashion would become useless. Perhaps this is where we are headed.

Apr

26

How Modern Men Look Sexy

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We can all agree that James Franco is a sexy beast. But most sexy men can’t pull off creative eyewear and still look manly. Franco manages to do just that wearing Dolce & Gabbana 4133 style shades. This isn’t a style most men can effectively wear. For example, imagine The Rock or even Bruce Willis wearing these feminine, tiny shades and you’ll be rolling on the floor in laughter. They only work on a dignified, educated-looking man. And while Willis and Mr. The Rock might be educated, that isn’t the look they strive for on stage.

Franco has a tendency to push his chin into his neck, a look that is superior if not snobbish. And that kind of action is what makes it possible for him to pull of these Dolce & Gabbana shades. They look like something a blonde woman could wear on the beach, but on him they look somehow perfectly fit.

Modern men, unlike any time prior in history, are now able to play around with fashion in new ways. They can wear sunglasses as a creative accessory and really play with their look and character feel. Since men don’t yet feel comfortable accessorizing with necklaces, earrings and make-up the sunglasses are all they have to give their face an edgy look. Notice how many tough men use sunglasses to define their personalities—Elton John, Kanye West, Robert Downey Jr., the list goes on and on. All of these men use sunglasses to define themselves in a new, rich and almost feminine manner. Think about Antonio Bandarez, who wears Police sunglasses to add a tough, edgy feel to his already masculine look.

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