Sunglasses
"With my sunglasses on, I'm Jack Nicholson.
Without them, I'm fat and seventy"
Jack Nicholson
Sunglasses are the main investment item for the summer. Who cares which flip flops you wear, it is the sunglasses that really matter in the chic stakes! 
Sunglasses shopping can be fraught with difficulty. To begin with, shops rarely provide a decent sized mirror to look at even though you may be parting with a substantial amount of money. A big danger zone for sunglasses shopping is at an airport in duty free! A lovely friend of mine recently went a bit overboard whilst waiting for a delayed plane and spent £250 on sunglasses. Thankfully for her, she got lucky and chose well and the glasses suit her face shape. Sunglasses can be cheap or expensive but they are crucial for adding to your FCaNK look and so it is worth spending a bit of time choosing the style and look that gives you that touch of fur coat style at any price.
Fur Coat sunglasses
We have to say it. Fur Coat sunglasses are just fabulous! Well most of them. Some of them have so much hardware on them, you can't see out of them! Watch out for the brands who have gone overboard with the hardware. There is only so much room on a pair of sunglasses.
A good pair of sunglasses should last you a lifetime. My father gave me his pair of Raybans in the 1980's. He had had them since the 1960's! I am ashamed to say that I did rather destroy them and they died a terrible death about 2 years later. My husband is like my father. His sunglasses are with him for life.
So, if you are like my father and my husband, invest in a "Fur Coat" pair of sunglasses.If, however you are like me and treat your sunnies like rubbish, take a long hard look at your bank account before purchasing your fur coat sunnies.
Alternatively, wait until they go on sale or shop at an online discounter. A word of caution as always. Watch out for the fake sunglasses sites parading as genuine suppliers. We have listed some of the online stores that we know supply genuine sunglasses.
No Knickers Sunglasses
If you are buying cheaper end glasses they must not have any bling or designing on the side. The stuff on the side of the frame is a dead giveaway that you haven't got many pennies in your purse. There are very few cheaper end sunglasses that are subtle enough to give you the classic chic you are looking for. It is worth hunting them down and if you find a pair that suits you at a valuable price, buy two pairs because they are bound to break within a year. If you cannot find classic chic, go for all out retro high fashion glasses that are free from bling but might have bright coloured frames or exaggerated shaped lenses. This is so much better than your average cheapo tat.
The great thing about cheap sunglasses is that you can afford to buy several pairs for different outfits and occasions. They are a fantastic accessory to any outfit.
You need to be wearing the sunglasses not the sunglasses wearing you. Too much plastic on some faces just looks hideous and the bling can be contemptible.
Do not expect them to last more than a season. I purchased some great sunnies for £25 on the ferry to France in July 2007. They were great. No bling. Plain tortoiseshell. Biggish lenses. Summer 2007 went by without a hitch where the sunnies were concerned. A few scratches but nothing more. Summer 2008 was good too. A few more scratches but I could still see out of them! However a holiday in Greece in September put paid to any longevity in the glasses. By the end of the holiday, I couldn't see out of the glasses! They were so scratched! So the moral of this story. Buy your cheaper sunnies. Enjoy them for a year as that is all that they are likely to last!
Choosing your sunnies...our tips!
If you are really serious; take a mirror!
It is extremely difficult to choose a decent pair of sunglasses whilst peering into a tiny mirror. Why not take along a hand held, face sized mirror so you can really see what you look like. You will probably find other people will be flocking to use it too! Small mirror worst offenders are Boots, so shop equipped with your loooking glass !
Your face should wear the sunglasses
Not the other way around. It doesn't matter how much you spend on glasses, if they do not compliment your face, you will look awful! The frames should line up with the outside of your face. They should not go beyond the outside of your face. You do not want to look like a fly. Whatever your face shape is, choose sunglasses that are opposite in shape. For instance, if you have a round face, angular glasses would suit you better than rounded sunglasses. Make sure that they are not too big!
Frame Colour
The colour of the frame will have a dramatic impact on your look. Look at your tones in the skin and hair. I have golden tones in my skin and hair so tortoiseshell frames suit me. Black frames tend to wash me out a little.
Lens Colour
Beware lightly tinted shades as they may not offer as much protection from the sun as darker shades however, some faces do not suit dark lenses and dark frames and more subtle neutral tones suit them better
Block out those harmful rays
Check labels to make sure the sunglasses provide 100 percent UVA and UVB protection.
And Finally
Try on as many of sunglasses as you can. You will eventually find the style that suits your face and personality!
Helpful web sites
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The web site, maximumeyewear also offers a good guide to sunglasses shapes.
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For a general meander around the world of sunglasses, go to www.sunglassesinfo.com.
FCaNK Recommends
Top Price Fur Coat Sunglasses £90+
- David Clulow or a good high street optician. They will often be very helpful and have good discounts towards the end of the summer.
- Sunglasshut helpful staff ,good mirrors and discounts throughout the year!
- Tom Ford
- Mosley Tribes if you are at work, turn down your speakers, this site has a sountrack!
- To find your fur coat designer sunglasses these department stores have great choice and are very helpful..on the whole!
- Selfridges for a great selection of designer labels
- Harvey Nichols for a great selection of designer labels
- Duty Free
Mid Range Fur Coat Sunglasses £40+
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Karen Millen Watch out for weird zip bling on the side!
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Boots have designs from FCUK, Jane Norman and Jigsaw that often come out cheaper than they would in their own stores. They also often have a two for one deal towards the end of the summer so you can go halves with a friend and double up on the joy!
No Knickers Classic Sunglasses £2+
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TKMaxx are a nightmare environment for purchasing sunglasses . Having to try on a pair of sunglasses with a giant security tag on is ridiculous and even more ridiculous is that you have to wait to have the tag taken off and stand by the till in case you steal them. This is not a FCaNK feel good moment! To be quite honest even though you might get your paws on a heavily discounted pair of designer sunglasses, the arms on the glasses may be over stretched and not sit correctly on the bridge of your nose. No matter what the label, wonky looking sunglasses just look stupid so be careful and shop intelligently.
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Lillywhites , Hargreaves or their online sports shop sportsdirect can actually have some very wearable Dunlop classic designs for only a few pounds. They are cheap and inoffensive and free from any bling.
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M&S have some great designs at very cheap prices £5+ Just watch out for the plastic coated chrome effect at the side...this is far too tacky
No Knickers cheap end retro madness £5+
In Summary:
- Avoid hardware and bling unless you have paid a lot for it and even then...it can look a bit dodge!
- Know which sunglasses suit your face shape.
- If you are going really cheap, retro glasses are a savvy cheap buy.
- In the worst case financial scenario get the free sunglasses, the Tatler August edition often contains quite funky sunglasses. Beware as they can be a bit tight around your skull!
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