Last Updated on May 16, 2023 by amy
Buying designer sunglasses online might feel overwhelming, but it shouldn’t be. The advances in technology with online shopping mean buying designer sunglasses online’s easier than ever. Many sites offer online tools to take effective measurements and understand what you are purchasing especially lens coatings. Before buying designer sunglasses online, consider lens coatings, accurate pupillary distance measurement, appropriate fit, convenience, and price.
What Is a Lens Coating?
The lens of your prescription glasses or designer sunglasses is the piece that your eyes look through. The lens coating is on the surface of the lens and adds protective elements or colors. In most cases, your lens is clear. However, when regarding designer sunglasses, the lens will look colored. One key purpose of the coating on any lens is to reduce reflections from the surface.
Several lens coatings are available to reduce reflections on your designer sunglasses. Another purpose of lens coatings is to resist scratches. A scratch-resistant coating is highly beneficial since it protects and extends the life of your lens. This is an effective investment, especially considering the cost of your designer sunglasses. Another type of lens coating is an anti-reflective (AR) coating. This coating reduces the reflection on the lenses and is important because it provides increased quality of vision in the dark. An ultra-violet (UV) coating protects you from the sun’s damaging UV rays. Your designer sunglasses will have a UV coating as they are meant to garner protection from the sun.
Material Girl
Your lens coatings are important, but what about their material makeup? Just like Madonna’s Material Girl, we live in a material world, and it is important to consider the materials of your designer sunglasses. Once your eye care professional prescribes your lens and you know what kind you need, you can decide what material they should be made from. The different materials are high-index, polycarbonate, and photochromic lenses.
High-index lenses are manufactured using specialized plastic that is better able to refract light than normal plastic lenses. These are the best option for people with strong prescriptions because they eliminate the appearance of magnified eyes. If you are looking for lenses for children, sports eyewear, or safety glasses, then you want to choose polycarbonate lenses. These are composed of hardened plastic that fares well under pressure. They are impact-resistant and have UV protection directly manufactured into the lenses. This is most likely the material your designer sunglasses would be manufactured from. You will choose photochromic lenses if you opt for prescription glasses that can multitask as your designer sunglasses. The Transitions brand is known as the most popular photochromic lenses in the world. These lenses are clear indoors but darken in bright sun. These provide a superior eye experience and replace the necessity of having an additional pair of designer sunglasses for UV protection.
Pupillary Distance
The most important thing to consider when buying designer sunglasses or prescription glasses online is the space between your eyes, which is your pupillary distance. Pupillary distance is the distance between the pupils of the eyes, center to center, measured in millimeters. Every set of lenses, even in designer sunglasses, has an optical center determined by pupillary distance. Your prescription for designer sunglasses might specify your pupillary distance, but if not, you can measure it yourself. You will need a mirror (or a friend) and a millimeter ruler.
To accurately measure your designer sunglasses’ pupillary distance, you must first stand eight inches from a well-lit mirror. Look straight forward in the mirror. Stand very straight and hold the millimeter ruler against your brow. Pretend the ruler is like a pair of designer sunglasses. Close your right eye. Align the ruler’s zero to the center of your left pupil. While looking forward, close your left eye and open your right eye. Read the millimeter line that lines up with the center of your right pupil. This is your pupillary distance. Be sure to write it down so you remember it for future designer sunglasses purchases.
Measuring three to four times for accuracy before inputting your measurements for your designer sunglasses is good practice. You can use a friend to help you measure your pupillary distance instead of the mirror. Be sure to look straight ahead with both eyes open while your friend measures you for your designer sunglasses. Ensure your friend puts the zero on the millimeter ruler over the center of one pupil. Then measure the distance to the center of the other pupil.
Shape Up or Ship Out
Getting the right fit for your designer sunglasses depends heavily on your face shape. Designer sunglasses have many styles and shapes, but you must pick one that complements your face shape. There are four common face shapes: oval, round, square, and heart. A trick to determine your face shape is to take a photo of yourself, draw dots on the outside of your face, and then connect to see what shape they make. Use this to guide you when choosing your designer sunglasses and a style that will flatter your natural beauty.
Designer sunglasses enhance an oval face shape because of their balanced proportions, high cheekbones, narrow forehead, and slightly narrow chin. The best designer sunglasses for oval faces include detailed embellishments, rectangular shapes, a retro cat-eye, a trendy square, and even round frames that look great! This face shape is sometimes known as the most versatile because there are so many different shapes of designer sunglasses that flatter an oval face shape.
The round face features include a wider forehead, full cheeks, and rounded chins. When choosing designer sunglasses for a round face, the goal is to add contrast to make the face appear thinner and longer. Things to consider when shopping for designer sunglasses for a round face are a frame that is wider than they are tall. Designer sunglasses with prints, bright colors, strong brow detailing, or any other embellishment do well at contrasting this face shape. Consider designer sunglasses with a clear or thin bridge because they can make your eyes appear wider. Avoid designer sunglasses with nose pads because they prevent the frame from resting on fuller cheeks.
The square face is known for its prominent jawline. This face shape can be seen in many actors and models. The square face shape has an angular bone structure. The best designer sunglasses for this shape include anything opposite of your face shape, i.e., a frame with many curves to soften your face. Think about round frames, oval frames, or a retro cat-eye when searching for designer sunglasses for a square face shape. Avoid any designer sunglasses with sharp angles since this could exaggerate the sharpness of your square face. Choose designer sunglasses that soften and elongate your face; think about sunglasses that are wider than tall.
The heart-shaped face features high cheekbones and a jawline that tapers into a defined chin. This face shape is comparable to a heart because the widest part of your face is at the top. It may also look like an inverted triangle. The goal when choosing designer sunglasses for a heart-shaped face is to minimize the width of the top of the face and make the chin appear broader. Focus on designer sunglasses wider than your forehead or with distinct endpoints, i.e., retro cat-eye shapes. Consider lighter colors or floral patterns for your designer sunglasses since they flatter a heart face shape.
Convenience and Price
Shopping online is a convenient and more affordable way to buy designer sunglasses. The internet offers a competitive place to provide designer sunglasses at unbeatable prices. Buying designer sunglasses online is like buying any other product. You input your prescription and pupillary distance, choose a frame style, and you’re your designer sunglasses shipped directly to you. The convenience of buying designer sunglasses online is unparalleled to purchasing from your local eye doctor.
Some might argue about the inability to try on designer sunglasses before purchasing; not trying them on makes them less apt to like them after purchase. However, with today’s technology, many eyewear providers have adapted software that allows consumers to try on their designer sunglasses virtually. These programs allow customers to upload pictures and overlay designer sunglasses before purchasing. This virtual try-on software creates a photo of you wearing the designer sunglasses of your choice. It is as easy as taking a selfie with designer sunglasses on your face at the brick-and-mortar eye doctor.
Purchasing your designer sunglasses from a traditional eye doctor does allow assistance from an optician, but doing your homework can be just as effective. Researching your face shape and determining your need for designer sunglasses is essential. You need first to get your prescription from your eye doctor. Consider even trying on some designer sunglasses at your next check-up. Doing so will give you a good idea of what style of designer sunglasses you want to look for online.
Shopping online is best for anyone unable to travel, live remotely, or simply too busy to make an appointment to buy designer sunglasses. If you are a frugal shopper and refuse to pay retail prices, you are also an ideal person to shop online for your designer sunglasses. Making independent decisions and inputting accurate measurements is important, but shopping online for your designer sunglasses can be an enriching and lucrative experience.
