History of Sunglasses

I always seek to learn more about a topic of interest so I went on the search for how sun glasses came to be. It turns out that sunglasses date as far back as prehistoric times. Back then sunglasses were made out of walrus ivory with narrow horizontal slits in then to help protect against the exposure of the suns intensity. Around the 12th century glasses were thought to be made of Emeralds and smoky quartz which yet again served to protect from the glare of the sun and shield a persons’ expression It was not till the mid-18th century that someone actually started experimenting with how glasses could be used for correcting vision rather than just protecting us from the sun. Polarized glasses first hit the market in the 1930’s and still exist today for those who have issues with their vision. Polarized glasses give them the ability to wear something that not only lets them see properly but get protection from the sun.

It seems like around the 1930’s is when sunglasses hit their peak of popularity and made then a 20th century phenomenon. First, the government worked with Bausch and Lomb to create sunglasses with special lenses for pilots to protect then against the high altitude glare – thus was born the Aviator style of glasses. Then, later on in that century glasses became a status symbol and were worn by the Hollywood elite which made them grow in popularity. Of course, many famous people still wear sunglasses to avoid being recognized. It was not till the mid 20th century that sunglasses became part of the fashion world and a staple of our everyday wardrobe.

New to the world of fashion sunglasses are TOMS Eyewear. They have 3 styles available for Men and Women. TOMS Classics 101’s Sunglasses, TOMS Classics 201’s Sunglasses, and TOMS Classics 301’s Sunglasses. All three styles for TOMS Eyewear have 100% UVA/UVB sun protection. There are a variety of frame and tip colors to match with every outfit. Toms designed the eyewear with stripes and bold colors so that it will be a reminder that you the buyer has impacted someones life in a One for One way. With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give sight to a person in need. TOMS Eyewear One for One. TOMS is a company that you can feel good about making a purchase from because when you purchase TOMS Shoes or TOMS Sunglasses, you are helping to make a difference in the lives of the children and many others in developing countries.

As adults we naturally wear sunglasses because the glare is just too much to drive or watch the kids. Unfortunately, kids are not big fans of keeping glasses on or even humoring us and wearing them while playing outside. Look for sunglass styles that are specifically for kids. It is scary to say that you could burn your cornea by not protecting your eyes but I have seen it happen. My grandfather always worked outside and never wore glasses and eventually suffered from repeated cataracts later on in life. Now, it is important to note that not just any pair of sunglasses will do. You must be an informed consumer and look for something the has 100% UVA and UVB protection – if the tag doesn’t say it – it doesn’t have it. Sunglasses that have a rating of UV 400 – look for rating that some of the manufactures provide.