~ Chapter 17 ~ Gothic Sunglass Trends

Vampires Wear Glasses Too

Sunglasses aren’t just used to protect your eyes anymore but have become a growing fashion trend and an accessory to enhance style and add personality. I’ve filtered through the major trends that have been emerging in fashion to add a new twist to your gothic fashion. Glasses are being designed in a wide range of shapes, colors, and their frames accessorized with intricate details. With so many choices it can be overwhelming to shop for the right ones, so I’ve chosen the top three that will help get you started in your search for the perfect pair of sunglasses.

Victorian Vampire Opticals

These rather tiny sunglasses are meant for style more than protecting your eyes from the sun. Contradicting to the name, these are appearing everywhere and can suit just about any face shape because of their unique shapes. In a vast array of colors and designs the most common style are small rounded frames with a prominent noseband that stretches across the face. The bridge gently rests on the lower half of the nose or can be pushed up further to cover the eyes. This style is great for those who want an edgy fashion that is bold and daring to capture attention to their unique style. Like a stunning piece of artwork they add some special flare to your personal style.

Steampunk style

Just like the Victorian style vampire glasses these are just as showy but much larger and noticeable. Steampunk style sunglasses are traditionally rounded with a mechanical robotic theme. I first thought this trend would die out rather quickly, but almost five years later and it has evolved into a style that is fun and creative having an almost cosplay vibe to them. The more extreme versions are wrap around types with showy artistic lenses. They can be worn on the forehead or as regular sunglasses. With this type there are a few things you should consider when buying them. Since they are wrap around they will cause dents in your hair or leave marks on your face and forehead even if the elastic is loose. Also, since they are pressed close to the face take into consideration the spacing distance of your eyes. Are they close or wide set? Make sure the sunglasses fit the distance between your eyes correctly or it may be uncomfortable. If you’re worried about this, there are other various type of these glasses that have the traditional ear rests. Steampunk glasses are great for those who like over the top fashion and fantasy. If that’s not your style they do have a more toned down version of this style that can suit a more casual wardrobe. Let’s take a look at the last emerging trend, rounded glasses.

Rounded glasses

This trending style has so many names that I’ve chosen to just call them rounded sunglasses. They are very similar to Steampunk style but are more of your daily wear type of glasses. You’ll find a huge variety of this style both in stores and online and in so many colors it makes it hard to choose. I always keep a black pair for daily use and then a few colored ones to match specific outfits. If you’re worried about your face shape not matching to the round frames there are many other unique shapes that are trending and easily found. Take a look below at the simple charts to find the right sunglasses for you.

Quick guide to face shapes and glasses:

(Please note: These charts are just for reference from an artist’s perspective to give a face proper balance when wearing sunglasses. In no way should your style be limited to these charts, but if you’re a beginner to sunglass shopping they are indeed helpful in narrowing down your choices. It’s best to try on the glasses to see if they suit you or not.)

~ A few quick tips about what to check when buying sunglasses ~

As a bonus I’ve added a small checklist for things to consider when buying sunglasses that will last longer.

~ Quality. Always shop for quality first and not brand name. A name doesn’t make the quality any better so do thorough research on the materials used when shopping online, read reviews, and when shopping in person take a close look at the sunglasses construction.

~ Back reflection. Internal reflection from the inside lens can damage your eyes when the sun hits the inside of the lenses. This can burn your eyes. Luckily it’s not common, but some cheaper sunglasses do have this unwanted feature. Test your sunglasses in real sunlight if you can before purchasing.

~ UV protection or just style. Make sure you think about whether you want UV protection or just ones for style. Buy two separate pairs if you must for both sunny days and style.

~ Lens support and strength. It’s so important to see if the lens are supported correctly by the frames and that they aren’t too thin. One drop and the lens will pop out. The thicker the lens the more protection and durability it’ll have. Those without a frame on the bottom, the lens is most likely glued in and tends to break more easily.

~ Lens material (plastic lens shouldn’t be first choice for fashion!). While plastic may be more durable from scratches and great for temporary fashion, glass looks more professional and just has that lovely shine of authentic quality.

~ Plastic vs. metal frames. Either frame type is ok depending on what kind of activities you’ll be doing. Choose plastic frames if you want durability and are more active or will drop them frequently. Metal frames require delicate handling as the metal heats up and bends. This causes the frames and ear pieces to stretch and they’ll fall from your face. I don’t recommend wearing metal frames on your head otherwise the shape will become lose and stretched.

Fashion changes constantly and then seems to recycle itself as the latest trend. If you find your sunglasses have fallen out of fashion, wrap them up nicely and store them away for when they become vintage. Because of this ever changing fashion, I tend to buy my sunglasses with the intention to keep them for at least 3 years. You don’t have to spend a lot on sunglasses to enjoy fashion and quality and most importantly select sunglasses that make you comfortable and confident when wearing them.

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