Trish Carmen Fashion
Sunglasses are the most high-profile accessory you will put on your face all year. Their transformative powers are so strong that they even make movie stars FEEL like movie stars. Sunglasses can give you instant cool if you are a guy and an instant glam look if you are a woman.
Today, sunglasses are more about fashion than function and are a summer essential no matter what your plans are or where you live. You have to possess a pair of sunnies for summer. With a variety of styles on the market from the seventies inspired cat eyes, to the mirror round shapes, it can be daunting to find the perfect pair for yourself. What’s important is knowing what to consider when shopping for sunnies.
Like colour when it comes to clothing, so does it apply to eye-wear? It’s important that you determine your skin tone, whether you are cool or warm skinned toned; do you have a dark complexion or a light complexion?
Dark-skinned people can pull of dark colours, while fair-skinned can pull of bright shades be it the rim or the lens.
If you are warm skinned stay away from gold, bronze, and tan those colours do nothing for you.
Cool skinned toned people can wonder towards sliver, black purple, and grey colours. When it comes to the frame picking a frame that contrasts your face shapes one trick to know when choosing the best sunglasses for you.
The best shape for you is one that contrasts it. So if you have a round face, go for a square frame, if you have a square face go for round frames and if you have a triangular face, oval frames will suit you best.
The most common mistake in sunglass wear is when people wear sunnies that are completely disproportionate to their face shape., If you have a small petite face you can only wear a frame so big, and larger faces should avoid tiny frames.
To compliment and enhance your face only go up or down by one size, if the frames look too big or too small they probably are. Now-like shoes and clothes your sunnies must be comfortable when sitting on your face.
My advice would be to always try on a pair before your purchase, even if they look good on you yet not comfortable don’t buy them rather not purchase them at all, you will end up not wearing them because of the discomfort.
Lastly, no matter how awesome a pair of sunglasses are they should never compromise your eye health. Make sure that your sunglasses have 100 percent UV protection.
As much as we are thinking colour style and frames the lens your sunglasses must be polarised too because this reduces glare which means you can see better especially if you drive.
Like a timepiece freak I’m a sunnies freak too, and I say it’s OK to own more than one or two pairs of sunnies for different moods, because you can lose a pair, scratch a pair or even break them and sometimes you never know when your mood change or when an occasion may call for something bolder, so an extra pair is a good fall back plan.
Now for those who possess sunnies already, what do your sunglasses say about you? If you are wearing yours right now and are close to a mirror just look at yourself as I tell you what they say about you.
Oversized means you are a larger than life type of girl, chic and glamorous and a bold fashionista.
Aviators: These have become a unisex style so think Tom Cruise.
These masculine inspires sunglasses say I’m powerful and confident.
(If you have a narrow forehead and a strong jawline this shape is good for you)
Classic: Sunglasses with a black or tortoise-shell frame and ovalish or rectangular rims are understated and timeless, and portray effortless elegance.
Small and round: Small, circular frames are reminiscent of the sixties era (a la John Lennon) and thus often associated with creativity and being artsy. Although round is not for everyone , these say I’m creative and artsy.
So when it comes to sunglasses the factors to consider when picking sunglasses are, know your face shape, know your skin tone,know the style, know the colour of the lens and frame. With these guidelines don’t be afraid to try new a bolder colours especially if you always buy the same exact frame shape and colour all the time.
Try and break out of the box by trying a design on the edges of even a new shape, just to notch it up in a subtle way.
Look cool, sassy and trendy in those sunnies. Till next week, ciao!!!
- Trish Carmen is a Zimbabwean Fashion designer and hostess of The Front Page on Star FM. Her fashion Brand Trish Carmen has been showcased at SAFW, Durban Fashion Fair, Durban Designer show case, HIFA, Harare Jazz festival & KZN Fashion Council Fashion Showcase. Feedback :[email protected]



