Sunglasses for women are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that are colored, polarized, or darkened.
In the early 20th century, they were also known as sun cheaters. The American Optometric Association recommends wearing sunglasses that block ultraviolet radiation whenever a person is in the sunlight to protect the eyes from UV and blue light, which can cause several serious eye problems.
Their usage is mandatory immediately after some surgical procedures, such as LASIK, and recommended for a certain period in dusty areas, when leaving the house and in front of a TV screen or computer monitor after LASEK.
It is important to note that dark glasses that do not block UV radiation can be more damaging to the eyes than not wearing eye protection at all since they tend to open the pupil and allow more UV rays into the eye.
Frames are generally made of plastic, nylon, metal, or a metal alloy. Nylon frames are usually used in sports because they are lightweight and flexible. They can bend slightly and return to their original shape instead of breaking when pressure is applied to them. This flex can also help the glasses grip better on the wearer’s face.
Metal frames are usually more rigid than nylon frames, thus they can be more easily damaged when the wearer is part of sports activities, but this is not to say that they cannot be used for such activities. Because metal frames are more rigid, some models have spring-loaded hinges to help them grip the wearer’s face better.
The end of the resting hook and the bridge over the nose can be textured or have rubber or plastic material to improve hold. The ends of the resting hook are usually curved so that they wrap around the ear; however, some models have straight resting hooks. Oakley, for example, has straight resting hooks on all their glasses, preferring to call them “ear stems”.
The lenses of polarized Sunglasses for women reduce glare reflected at some angles off shiny non-metallic surfaces, such as water. They allow wearers to see into water when only surface glare would otherwise be seen, and eliminate glare from a road surface when driving into the sun.
While non-tinted glasses are very rarely worn without the practical purpose of correcting eyesight or protecting one’s eyes, Sunglasses for women have become popular for several further reasons, and are sometimes worn even indoors or at night.
Sunglasses for women can be worn to hide one’s eyes. They can make eye contact impossible, which can be intimidating to those not wearing sunglasses; the avoided eye contact can also demonstrate the wearer’s detachment, which is considered desirable in some circles.
Eye contact can be avoided even more effectively by using mirrored sunglasses. Sunglasses for women can also be used to hide emotions; this can range from hiding blinking to hiding weeping and its resulting red eyes. In all cases, hiding one’s eyes has implications for nonverbal communication; this is useful in poker, and many professional poker players wear heavily tinted glasses indoors while playing so that it is more difficult for opponents to read tells which involve eye movement and thus gain an advantage.
Fashion trends can be another reason for wearing sunglasses, particularly designer sunglasses from high-end fashion brands. Sunglasses of particular shapes may be in vogue as a fashion accessory.
The relevance of sunglasses within the fashion industry has included prominent fashion editors’ reviews of annual trends in sunglasses as well as runway fashion shows featuring sunglasses as a primary or secondary component of a look. Fashion trends can also draw on the image of Sunglasses for women and association with a particular lifestyle, especially the close connection between sunglasses and beach life.
In some cases, this connection serves as the core concept behind an entire brand.
Any of the above features, color, polarization, gradation, mirroring, and materials, can be combined into the lens for a pair of sunglasses. Gradient glasses are darker at the top of the lens where the sky is viewed and transparent at the bottom.
Corrective lenses or glasses can be manufactured with either tinting or darkened to serve as sunglasses. An alternative is to use corrective glasses with secondary lenses such as oversize sunglasses that fit over the regular glasses, the clip-on lens that are placed in front of the glasses, and flip-up glasses which feature a dark lens that can be flipped up when not in use (see below). Photochromic lenses gradually darken when exposed to ultraviolet light.
People may also wear Sunglasses for women to hide the abnormal appearance of their eyes. This can be true for people with severe visual impairment, such as the blind, who may wear sunglasses to avoid making others uncomfortable.
The assumption is that it may be more comfortable for another person not to see the hidden eyes rather than see abnormal eyes or eyes which seem to look in the wrong direction. People may also wear sunglasses to hide dilated or contracted pupils, bloodshot eyes due to drug use, chronic dark circles or crow’s feet, recent physical abuse, exophthalmos (bulging eyes), a cataract, or eyes that jerk uncontrollably.
A mirrored coating can be applied to the lens. This mirrored coating deflects some of the light when it hits the lens so that it is not transmitted through the lens, making it useful in bright conditions.
However, it does not necessarily reflect UV radiation as well. Mirrored coatings can be made in any color by the manufacturer for styling and fashion purposes. The color of the mirrored surface is irrelevant to the color of the lens. For example, a gray lens can have a blue mirror coating, and a brown lens can have a silver coating. Sunglasses of this type are sometimes called mirror shades. A mirror coating does not get hot in sunlight and it prevents the scattering of rays in the lens bulk.
