...continued from What's New in Sunglasses
Get Your Stripes Here!
May 2012 — If you love stripes, the new Marc by Marc Jacobs "I Love Stripes" eyewear collection will satisfy your yen for this classic pattern that looks good on everybody.
The line includes frames and sunglasses for both men and women. Shown here in a wide stripe with multi-layer acetate pastels is model MMJ315/s, and in a finer black and white stripe is model MMJ316/s. More colors are available, too.
Please click here for closeup photos of these two "I Love Stripes" sunglasses.
Football Star Sports Nike Sunglasses
April 2012 — New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz played a big role in the team's Superbowl victory this year.
He's also known for his record for most yards received during a single season with the Giants, as well as his energetic salsa dance after each touchdown.
He's shown here in Nike sunglass style MDL 101, a large, double-bridge aviator with a vintage feel. Please click here for a closeup photo.
Color Blocking Trend Finds Its Way to Sunglasses
and Frames by Marc Jacobs
April 2012 — New sunglasses and eyeglass frames by Marc Jacobs combine oversized shapes with color-blocking — a color trend that's prevalent among this year's spring and summer apparel designs.
As in the nude/orange/white sunglasses shown here (model MJ 408/s), the eyewear contrasts pastels and white with bolder hues, for a modern feel that also evokes the bold fashions of the 1980s.
Color combinations include cyclamen/blue/white, coral/green/white and orange/lilac/white. Some styles also include tortoise patterns interspersed with bits of bright solid colors.
Shapes are geometrical, including large squares and butterflies, along with strong rectangles and chunky, plastic aviators with double bridges.
Please click here for closeup photos of several color combinations.
Cocoons Will Offer Photochromic Option in Its Sunglass Lens Lineup
March 2012 — By the end of this month, Cocoons will be available with photochromic lenses, in your choice of gray or amber tint.
Live Eyewear, who makes Cocoons, is offering the option in response to customers who say they need either less or more light transmission in the lenses. Since photochromic lenses lighten or darken in response to available UV radiation, they are a good way to address these needs.
The new lenses are also polarized for glare prevention and provide 100 percent UVA and UVB protection for your eyes.
Cocoons sunglasses can be worn alone or over your prescription eyewear and come in six frame styles.
Randy Jackson Sun Has a Cool, Laid-Back Look
February 2012 — Here's a new sunglass collection for guys who like a stylish look that's versatile, too.
The Randy Jackson Sun collection has five models, all with the same retro/modern feel as the eyeglass frame collection.
All have full metal frames, four with a double-bar bridge. Two have a modified aviator shape, two are rectangular and one is oval. So there's something here for every face shape.
Colors include gold, gunmetal and black. All have polarized lenses to reduce glare and improve contrast, with 100 percent protection against UVA and UVB rays.
They all can accept prescription lenses, too, including progressive lenses.
Please click here for closeups of all five styles in the Randy Jackson Sun collection.
Coming Soon: HD Video Recording Sunglasses by Pivothead
February 2012 — One way to share your enthusiasm for outdoor activities is to capture them on video-recording sunglasses. What's special about this new Aurora style by Pivothead is the ability to record high-definition video at 1080p (at 30 frames per second).
Video features include image stabilization, continuous auto focus, fixed and macro focus settings, face tracking and wind-resistant audio recording. The field of view is 75 degrees to reduce image distortion. And an Android-compatible smartphone app lets you share your videos on the fly.
The sunglass lenses are made of impact-resistant polycarbonate with anti-scratch and hydrophobic coating, and they block 100 percent of UV rays.
Pivothead expects to debut these sunglasses in April and is looking for dealers.
Dior Homme Launches Elegant, Foldable Sunglasses for Men
February 2012 — Dior Homme 171/S is a lightweight aviator style that folds to a convenient size for your pocket.
The model has a metal frame and soft ear tips for comfort. The temples feature an engraved "Dior Homme" logo, and the lenses provide 100 percent protection against UVA and UVB rays.
Color choices include shiny black/gray lenses, brushed ruthenium/gray lenses, matte black/shaded gray lenses and red/shaded brown lenses.
New Sunglasses by Jean Paul Gaultier and Alain Mikli Offer Surprises
January 2012 — No, you don't have triple vision! Those extra temples you see on this new sunglass are a defining feature of the new eyewear collection by apparel designer Jean Paul Gaultier and eyewear designer Alain Mikli.
The two long-time friends are collaborating for the first time ever, to produce a collection that conveys chic and shock but maintains a timeless quality in its traditional shapes and materials.
Now appearing in optical boutiques, the collection includes 12 sunglasses and eight eyeglass frames, with shapes including rectangular, cateye and oval, plus a shield. Colors are predominantly black, brown/tortoise and ivory.
Special-Edition 1921 Sunglasses Are Elegant in Leather
January 2012 — These leather-covered sunglasses for women are a special-edition style that celebrates the 90th anniversary of the House of Gucci, which was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci.
The sunglass has a large, upswept shape and comes with glass lenses. "G. Gucci Firenze 1921" appears on an 18-carat gold plaque on the left temple.
Shown here in cherry leather, the 1921 sunglass also comes in beige or brown. A leather case is included.
Please click here for closeups of the special-edition 1921 sunglass in the three available colors.
Emporio Armani Sunglasses for Men and Women Are Transparent, Lightweight, Colorful
January 2012 — If one of your 2012 fashion resolutions is to add more color to your wardrobe, consider these witty new sunglasses by Emporio Armani.
Shown here is the women's version (EA 9837/S), an oversized rounded model that comes in pink, red, purple, green, brown or black.
The men's version is a teardrop-shaped shield (EA 9838/S), and it also comes in several colors.
Please click here for closeups of both styles, as well as all the color choices.
Jimmy Choo Sunglasses Feature Sparkly Details,
Free Designer Clutch Case
December 2011 — These glamorous, teardrop-shaped sunglasses by Jimmy Choo have crystals framing the logo on each temple.
The style, called Luisa, also has a metal design on the double bridge and comes in matte black, shiny black, metalized white or metalized silver.
The shades also come with a special crocodile-effect clutch case.
You can find them at optical stores, Jimmy Choo boutiques and department stores. Please click here for a closeup photo.
Zeal Optics Debuts Sunglasses With High-Performance Features in an Environmentally Friendly Frame Material
November 2011 — Zeal Optics has launched a line of sunglasses with frames in a bio-based material made from the oil of castor beans.
Zeal calls it Z Resin and says it is an environmentally friendly material that is a good alternative to plastics based on crude oil because it requires less energy in the manufacturing process. Also, the castor plant doesn't compete with food crops and can thrive in many places where other plants can't.
Known for its snow goggles with GPS technology, Zeal created the sunglasses for performance sports as well as other activities, with lenses that the company says are as light as polycarbonate but as optically clear as glass. The lenses meet all ANSI, EU and AU impact-resistance standards, and most of the sunglasses are available with prescription lenses as well.
Also, the lenses block 100 percent of UVA, UVB and UVC rays, as well as 95 percent of high energy visible (HEV) wavelengths that can lead to eye diseases. Some of the styles include polarized lenses.
The collection includes 18 styles for men and women, with five in the Lifestyle line, including Epic, shown at top. The Lifestyle sunglasses have rounded and squared frames in pastel and striped colorations.
The Active line has 10 styles for more aggressive use; they have ProFlex Rubber throughout the inside of each frame to keep them in place, and most have a My Fit Nosebridge feature for a custom fit.
The three Performance styles are streamlined for better aerodynamics, with temples designed for good ventilation and near-rimless frames for a wide field of view (see Helix, shown at bottom in the photo). Please click here for closeups of these and other Zeal Optics sunglasses.
Alexander Daas Gives the Royal Treatment to Sunglasses
in His New Crown Collection
October 2011 — Optician and eyewear stylist Alexander Daas has launched the Crown collection of sunglasses, with high-fashion styling and unique features.
Each frame in the collection has a hexagonal cutout on each temple tip, which is the designer's chosen symbol, as well as a place to secure the eyewear to the modern neckchain that comes with each pair. And the oversized sunglasses have stop-hinges to prevent the temple tips from tapping and scratching the lenses.
Important to note is that many frame and sunglass styles by Alexander Daas were specially designed to fit men and women with smaller faces.
Shown here is the Majesty style, and also available are Power and Kingdom. Please click here for closeup photos of the Majesty and Power sunglasses.
Lucky Brand Offers Young, Casual Looks in New Sunglasses for Fall
October 2011 — Lucky Brand has released four new sunglasses for guys and girls for fall.
At top is Hyannis, with a versatile, unisex shape that goes with everything from classic East Coast prepster apparel to West Coast grunge style. Shown in navy blue tortoise, it also comes in brown horn or black.
At bottom is The Recruiter, a cool retro design with a keyhole bridge. Shown is the two-tone brown/blue version, but it also comes in black with tortoise temples or smoke.
Also released were the Kennedy, an aviator in matte metal, and the Highlander, another metal style with a streamlined, arched shape.
All the styles have the signature clover on the temple tips and the Lucky Brand logo up front. Please click here for closeups.
Tommy Hilfiger's New Preppy Sunglass Lets You Change the Temple Icons
October 2011 — Here's a fun new concept in sunglasses: changing up the look of each temple by adding or removing the little magnetic icons.
The TH 1090/S unisex sunglass by Tommy Hilfiger comes with magnets in the shape of a pink flamingo, a skull, a coat of arms and a miniature pair of sunglasses. The injected resin frame has a bold, 1980s shape and comes in blue with white temples or glossy black with matte black temples. Both feature gray shaded lenses. Please click here for closeup photos.
Shwood Releases Limited Edition Sunglasses in Hawaiian Koa Wood
October 2011 — Shwood, maker of handcrafted wooden sunglasses, has created 200 pieces of its "Canby" style in sustainably harvested koa wood, which the company says is sourced from supervised plantations in Hawaii's big island.
The sunglasses come with optical-quality lenses offering 100 percent UVA/UVB protection. The Canby style has stainless steel spring-loaded hinges and is suitable for both men and women. It also comes in a variety of other woods.
Shwood frames and sunglasses are found in select stores worldwide, as well as online. Please click here for a closeup photo.
Limited Edition BCBGMaxAzria Sunglasses To Raise Money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure
August 2011 — For every sale of these new sunglasses, called "Strength," 20 percent of proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer.
The women's sunglasses come in two color options: black with pink inside and plum with pale pink inside. The UV 400 lenses provide 100 percent UV protection. Inside the left temple is the signature Komen Running Ribbon emblem and the word "Strength." Each pair comes with a black hard case embossed with the ribbon emblem inside.
Sponsored by BCBGMaxAzria and distributor ClearVision Optical, the donation period starts in September 2011 and runs through August 2012.
Please click here for a closeup photo.
Gucci Uses Sustainable Materials in New Sunglass
Designs for the Eco-Conscious
August 2011 — Now available from Gucci Eyewear are four sunglasses and eyeglass frames made from an innovative acetate that contains a higher percentage of material from nature than regular acetate. Each design comes in a choice of red or green, in a tortoise-style pattern.
Gucci has also released two bio-based sunglasses, with frames in a natural material made from castor oil seeds. The company says that this material requires a smaller carbon dioxide emission than other plastics when produced. Both are modern shield styles in green, with the distinctive Gucci red and green ribbon stripe along each temple. Please click here for closeup photos of all the new sustainable eyewear designs.
Tag Heuer Flies High With Vintage Aviator Sunglasses
August 2011 — Tag Heuer Avant-Garde Eyewear has released aviator-inspired sunglasses in its sporty new Vintage series.
The lightweight frames are handmade in France and come in four shapes.
Shown here in red is a model with a double-bar bridge with a color accent. Lens options include the polarized version shown here, as well as a gradient photochromic that has hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings, which keep off water and mist and prevent dust and oil from sticking, so lenses stay cleaner.
The sunglasses will be available nationwide in September at authorized retailers. Please click here for closeups.
Electronic Sunglasses Are a New Idea for Fighting Glare
July 2011 — Good-quality polarized sunglasses can do a great job of reducing glare, but an inventor has taken the concept a step further. Chris Mullin, PhD, is developing sunglasses that target specific spots of glare on the lenses and display a gray area to block that glare from the eyes.
It's all done with electronics. A pinhole camera resides in the bridge of the sunglasses (a prototype is shown here). It constantly captures images of everything in the sunglass's field of vision, then scans them for glare.
A microcontroller tells the lenses, which are actually LCD screens, to create dark areas where the glare is hitting the lenses. According to Dr. Mullin, the process takes about 50 milliseconds.
Applications include eyewear for people with light sensitivity, such as glaucoma patients, and glass for the rearview mirrors and windshields of automobiles, to protect against glare from the sun as well as from the headlights of other cars. Fighter pilots and soldiers may benefit from this type of sunglass, as well. Dr. Mullin and his company, Dynamic Eye, are working with scientists at the University of Buffalo to develop the sunglasses.
DiorLadyLady Sunglasses and Eyewear Honor
Famous Lady Dior Handbag
July 2011 — If you know the celebrated "Lady Dior" mini-tote handbag, worn by Princess Diana and others, then you'll appreciate the bag's design elements that are echoed in the new DiorLadyLady eyewear collection.
The series includes sunglasses and eyeglass frames. All have embossed temples and red linings that imitate details of the handbag.
Shown here is style 3/s, a shield-type sunglass for women that comes in palladium/black or palladium/blue with gray lenses and gold/havana or palladium/cyclamen with shaded brown lenses. Click here for a closeup photo.
Stetson Now Offers Polarized Sunglasses for Men
June 2011 — Six best-selling Stetson eyewear styles have been updated and assembled into a new collection of polarized sunglasses for men.
The frames include rectangular and aviator styles to suit both younger and mature men. They are available in classic, manly colors such as brown, black and copper.
They come with polarized lenses to eliminate glare, enhance color and accentuate contrast. The lenses also provide 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. All six sunglasses are of optical quality, so they are prescriptionable and are deep enough to accept progressive lenses.
Please click here for closeup photos of this and other polarized sunglasses by Stetson.
Designed in Italy, Imaginative Temple Treatments
Enliven the 2011 X-IDE Sun Collection
June 2011 — The 2011 sunglass collection by X-IDE (Immagine Design Eyewear) offers a striking palette of colors and shapes that is unique in this year's eyewear arena.
The fronts tend to be sleek, modern and unadorned, but the temples are where these sunglasses shine, with swoops and stripes of color and inspired layering of materials.
The collection was designed with textiles in mind, and the names of prints and fabrics were used to name the various styles (Cotton, Batik, Pashmina, Denim, etc.).
Shown here is Silk's, a women's style in metal and acetate with "mod stained glass" metal rings along the temples and lilac-colored gradient lenses.
Please click here for closeup photos of this and other new sunglasses by X-IDE. 
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[Page updated June 2013]
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