I have never been someone who lusted over sunglasses, I’m much more of a handbags and shoes kind of girl. Many friends of mine would cut off a hand for a pair of Ray-bans, but I’ve always been more drawn towards a £2.00 pair from Primark, that can then be thrown to the bottom of my handbag. Or used to keep my hair off my face whilst I apply my factor 50.
However recently I started a new job working for Luxottica the company that own Ray-Ban and Oakley. I am situated in John lewis (Glasgow) as a concession, which has caused much confusion so far – trying to explain to customers, without sounding rude, that I don’t work for John Lewis. If you’re from Glasgow you should pop in, we don’t have all stock out at the moment due to issues with the glass display cabinet we were sent – it has no shelves…yeah. But, if you ask nicely I’ll get the Prada and Tom Ford out the drawer. It is also cool that you laugh at my irony of having to sell sunglasses whilst it is snowing outside. My fingers are crossed for sunny weather soon, or at least no snow.
One of the first questions I asked when starting the job was ‘What is the difference between cheap and expensive sunglasses?’. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to convince someone to spend £80> on a pair of sunglasses when I myself was not convinced that there was any difference.
On close inspection though you can tell the difference. The first difference is the weight of the glasses, expensive sunglasses are made from a hard plastic called acetate, which is very durable. People always say ‘I’d end up breaking them’, expensive sunglasses are much harder to break than cheap ones. Sunglasses in some ways are similar to umbrella’s – we all know how rubbish cheap umbrella’s are and how a more expensive one will get you through the winter…it is still a grudge though.
I’ve also heard a lot of people saying ‘I’d end up sitting on them‘. However, usually when we buy a luxury product whether it be jewellery or make-up we look after it more than we would a less expensive item. You aren’t likely to sit on your sunglasses if you put them back in their case – which you are likely to do.
The glass in the lenses is also offers a higher level of protection for your eyes. Although less expensive glasses do meet the criteria needed, they often just pass the required level of protection. An expensive pair (more so Ray-ban and Oakley) will protect your eyes from rays, polarised glasses are especially good for driving as they reduce glare. I have a fantastic app on the work I-pad that demonstrates this. I also have a fabulous Ray-ban app that takes your photo – so if you fancy doing a sunglasses post give me a shout.
The lenses are also highly scratch resistant, this is the aspect that has surprised me the most. Most of the glasses are merchandised on self-selecting spinners and they do have a tendency to occasionally fall off, but no scratches. This in itself has convinced me that making an investment in a luxury pair of sunglasses is the way forward. Now, someone needs to make a phone screen that is as scratch resistant.
In the last couple of weeks I have tried on most of the glasses, as have my work mates. We all have a favourite pair. My favourite pair happen to be one of the most expensive at £220..trust me to pick the expensive ones. We are due to get a lot more stock in, and more brands such as Michael Kors and Tiffany’s, I am rather excited. But, I will leave you will some of my current favourites to ‘ohh’ over.
Gucci – GG3548/Havana Sunglasses – £220.
These are the pair that suit me the most, different types of sunglasses suit different face shapes. I suit big frames that cover my eyebrows. I wish aviators and wayfarer suited me, but alas they don’t. It doesn’t stop me trying them on though.
Ralph – RA5031 – £108.
Prada – PR04PS – £320
The photo of these does not do them justice. They are part of Ray-bans celebration collection of the aviator, the frames and lenses come in a range of colours, but most notably green, pink and blue lenses. The green is actually a Ray-ban trademark but in person the green is a lot more noticeable.
All glasses can be found at: http://www.sunglasshut.com and http://www.sunglasshut.com/uk
or you can come visit me at John Lewis, Glasgow.
