The Top Sunglasses

Long ago, early sunglasses served a unique purpose. No it was not to block the sun’s rays. To understand, let’s go back to China in the 15th century. Smoke tinting was the first way of darkening eyeglasses, developed in China prior to 1430. The darkened lenses were not vision-corrected. They initially intended to reduce solar glare. For centuries, Chinese judges had routinely worn smoke-colored quartz lenses to conceal their eye expressions in court. A judge’s evaluation of evidence as credible or mendacious was to remain secret until the trial ended. Then as time passed, smoke-tinted lenses came to serve also as sunglasses. However that was never their primary function. Then around 1430, when vision-correcting eyeglasses were introduced into the country of China from Italy, they, too, were darkened. Again, it was mainly for judicial use. Later on, James Ayscough began experimenting with tinted lenses in spectacles in the18th century. These were not “sunglasses” as such; Ayscough believed blue- or green-tinted glass could correct specific vision impairments. Protection from the sun’s rays was not a concern of his at that point. The popularity of sunglasses really became a twentieth-century phenomenon. The American military, which played a role in the development of sunscreens, also was at the forefront of sunglass technology.

Sunglasses were officially invented back in 1929. The inventor is not as famous as say Thomas Edison or Benjamin Franklin, and for probably good reasons. However, Sam Foster, founder of Foster Grant Company sold the first pair of shades in 1929. How long do you think it took for sunglasses to become popular? Less than one year later, sunglasses were all the rage in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

It is thought that sunglasses became cool during World War 2, when people viewed photographs of prominent military figures such as General MacArthur wearing them. The popular wartime image of a GI in sunglasses made sunglasses cool with young people all over the world.

Since then sunglasses have become so popular that people can be seen wearing them even when it is not sunny, such as indoors. Movie stars and musicians can be seen wearing them all the time.

Recently Oakley introduced the Thump range with an integrated audio player. An now sunglasses have taken another step forward, with many other producers following suit. The recent introduction of ‘transition’ lenses can give the sunglasses a new look when the lenses are exposed to bright light.

Today there are hundreds of different brands. You can spend a fortune on a trendy pair of Oakleys or Versace, but many people prefer the replicas. They look just like the real things, but at a much more affordable price.

Yes, the history of sunglasses is quite colorful. With increasing concerns over the effects of the suns rays and the continuing trends, the future of sunglasses looks assured and many more wonderful sunglasses are sure to result.