SunGlass Information
Archive for May, 2009
Sam Foster is widely recognised as the creator of the modern day Sunglasses. His company, Foster Grant was started in 1919 producing Ladies hair accessories. Then in 1929 he began selling his glasses at Woolworth’s on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. By 1934 they introduced injection molding enabling Foster Grant to grow from a regoinal company to a national one.
In the 1930s, the Army Air Corps commissioned the optical firm of Bausch & Lomb to produce a highly effective spectacle that would protect pilots from the dangers of high-altitude glare. Company physicists and opticians perfected a special dark-green tint that absorbed light in the yellow band of the spectrum.
With World War II brewing in 1936, Ray Ban (a Baush & Lomb Company) designed anti-glare aviator style sunglasses, using polarized lens technology newly created by Edwin H. Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation.
They also designed a slightly drooping frame perimeter to maximally shield an aviator’s eyes, which repeatedly glanced downward toward a plane’s instrument panel. Fliers were issued the glasses at no charge, and the public in 1937 was able to purchase the model that banned the sun’s rays as Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses.
Summer Sunlight Linked to Macular Degeneration
In a recent study, researchers looked at the association between sunlight exposure and the 10-year risk of age-related macular degeneration among a large group of adults aged 43 to 86 years who were first examined between 1988 and 1990 as a part of the Beaver Dam Eye Study.
The results appear in the May issue of The Archives of Ophthalmology.
Researchers found that people who spent more than five hours a day in the summer sun in their teens, 30s, and after age 40 were more than twice as likely to develop early age-related macular degeneration compared with those who reported spending less than two hours per day of sunlight during the same periods.
In addition, those who got five or more hours per day of summer sun were more than three times as likely to develop increased retinal pigment, a condition commonly associated with age-related macular degeneration.
But the study showed wearing hats or sunglasses at least half of the time reduced the risk of developing deposits on the retina by 50% among those who reported the highest sun exposure levels.
The study also found that people who had more than 10 severe sunburns in their youth were two and a half times more likely to develop an increase in pigments found in the retina.
Source: WebMD
Don’t Forget Your Sunglasses and Sunscreen!
If you’re a fan of water sports, you know how important sunglasses are to enjoying your day in the surf. After all, sunlight reflects off the water’s surface, and this makes the sun even brighter than it would normally appear. This reflection can also lead to more serious sunburns, and as such, it’s more important to lather up with sunscreen when you’re on the water than any other time. So if you’re a kayaker, rafter, or general boatman, don’t forget to pack your sunglasses and sunscreen.
Just don’t forget that the sun will appear more intense than usual. As such, use a higher SPF than you would normally use, and make sure the sunglasses have a very dark tint. They should always block 100 percent of the UV rays, but they should also be dark enough that you won’t have to squint all day. Your best bet is usually to purchase glasses that are specifically designed for water use. There are a variety of brands that fit this description from Coyote sunglasses to Ocean Waves sunglasses.
Smoke-tinted lenses came to serve also as sunglasses, but that was never their primary function. And around 1430, when vision-correcting eyeglasses were introduced into China from Italy, they, too, were darkened, though mainly for judicial use.
James Ayscough, an English designer known for his primarily for this work with microscopes began early experimentation with tinted glass.
From 1743 to 1747 he was apprenticed to an optician named James Mann. Together they ran a shop called “The Golden Spectacles” in London. During this time he began experimenting with tinted lenses in spectacles. These were not “sunglasses” as such; Ayscough believed blue- or green-tinted glass could correct for specific vision impairments. Protection from the sun’s rays was not a concern of his.
Fishing Glasses - The Importance of Good Sunglasses
I think that the most important piece of equipment for any angler is a pair of polarized sunglasses. Although you can catch fish without them but you won’t catch as many and you will have a hard time spotting them underwater. You can buy those cheap plastic sunglasses from the big discount stores but you’ll end up scratching them, losing them and replacing them many times over. The quality of those cheapies is underrated too - you won’t be able to see as many fish under the water, won’t be able to distinguish colors as well, won’t be able to contrast objects and colors, and you won’t be able to avoid distortion when you take vista-style views.
The most important reason to have a solid pair of polarized sunglasses, beyond performance and durability, is to protect your eyes from glare, harmful sunshine, and UV rays. A good pair of polarized specs can reduce eye fatigue, remove glare, and allow you to see what’s going on down underwater. They can also reduce the health risks to your eyes.
With higher quality sunglasses, those anglers with corrective vision needs can usually order prescription lenses. Just remember that prescription lenses make what were lightweight glasses into not-so-lightweight glasses.
Though glass lens are preferred, polycarbonate and acrylic are also acceptable relative to your budget. Then you’ll want to match your lens tint to the type of water you’ll be fishing: Lens tints range from brown, blue, green, copper, amber, mirror, and others; each has their particular strengths and weaknesses.
If you’re getting older (like me) you may have noticed Polarized Reading Glasses popping up everywhere. These glasses have a small magnified lens on the bottom of the lens. Some have the polarized film over the entire lens others polarize the non-magnified portion only. Are they for you?
Since I’ve been wearing readers for about three months now, I wanted to review the benefits and disadvantages of using them. First let’s start off with the cons. During my first few days the maginfied potion was distracting when not in use. Along with this they do not have the same field of vision that normal sunglasses provide.
As for the pros, the first benefit is convenience it is wonderful not to have to always have two pairs of glasses (I can never find my reading glasses). After your eyes are trained it’s easy to go from reading to normal viewing they are quite comfortable. Another benefit is stealth, they look like regular sunglasses so people don’t know your using reading glasses. Also by combining your purchase they will also save money.
Do these look good on me? Choosing your Frames
Since I buy just about everything on-line, I wanted to find a good way to find out which Fashion Sunglasses would look good on before I ordered my next pair. These are a few gidelines that I hope will help you I’ve broken them down by face shapes.
Round face
A round shaped face needs straight lines to counteract the curves so look out for rectangular or square frames.
If you have a large face then you can pull of the large, bold sunglasses that gives you the A-List celebrity look. Best to avoid round sunglasses as this will exaggerate the curves and the frames should be wider than they are deep.
Heart shaped face
If you have a heart shaped face, beware of too-wide sunglasses that will make chins look pointy, but you can probably get away with more styles than most. The best style we have found for this face shape is the aviator.
Oval face
This is the wear-what-you-like face shape so pretty much anything goes. This face shape has the most balanced proportions allowing you to play with the styles! Find your favourite sunglasses and you will look great.
Small face
It can be hard to find sunglasses that work if you have a small face. If you are not a confident person and adventurous with your style, then we have a nice selection of sunglasses for you.
If you do have a small face, you can still wear oversized sunglasses. Stay clear of thick frames if you don’t want to draw attention to yourself too much.
Long face
With a long face it is best to wear a rectangular frame to add width and help balance out the length of your face. A low bridge on the sunglasses may also help shorten the length of your nose.
Square face
Square faces can look best with rounded sunglasses, or curved sunglasses. Angular sunglasses may emphasise a square jaw. There are plenty of quality, fashionable sunglasses for you to choose from.
Triangle face
A triangular shaped face will have a wide forehead, but small chin and rimless sunglasses can really work well and look good. You may wish to select frames that are winder at the bottom.
I hope this helps you!
It might surprise you to find out that sunglasses weren’t originally invented to shield eyes from the sun. Although it’s unclear who came up with the first pair, both the Romans and ancient Chinese used a type of sunglasses for very different reasons.
It has been reported that the Roman Emperor Nero enjoyed watching gladiator fights through polished gems. These glasses did not correct vision or offer protection but they did reduce glare. The Chinese used smokey quartz lens to hide their facial expresions as they interogated witnesses.
When it comes to fashion, it’s all about the accessories. And with the sun making more frequent appearances this time of year, one of those accessories that we’ll be seeing more and more of are sunglasses. Ever since Jackie Kennedy, the glamorous first lady, wore her patented oversized glasses in public, they have been popular with the public. Especially in the past five years, however, these “Jackie O” glasses can be seen on just about every fashion conscious female.
But not many people consider the origin of these sunglasses. Jackie Kennedy was an extremely private person, and this was made complicated by the fact that she was married to the president, who is arguably the most visible and well known man alive. In order to maintain her anonymity (and fashion sense), Jackie would sport oversized sunglasses. Masking much of her face, it was difficult to tell whether it was actually her or just a lookalike. And celebrities today are using the same technique. Sick of trying to evade the paparazzi, starlets will sport everything from oversized shades to baseball caps to evade notice and gain a little privacy.
I like to wear sunglasses for fashion but can they also be effective? I’ve read that the suns rays can damage my eyes and that some sunglasses don’t offer proper protection. So I began to look for eyewear that looks good and provides protection from harmful rays.
I found designer eyewear that could do both, protect my eyes and make me look hot! It took a little research but it was worth the time. The important thing was to insure they provided UV protection (UVA, B and C) and polarization.