At Olympic Eyewear in Salt Lake City, designers work hard creating new styles they know retail customers will want. They work hard to create sunglasses that can effectively compete against all of the big brand names. They do so with the knowledge that most of us really look good in sunglasses.
Have you ever wondered why that is? No matter the size or shape of a face, sunglasses just make a person look better. Perhaps it’s just a matter of perception. On the other hand, maybe it’s biology. It doesn’t matter in the end. What matters is that we all love the sunglasses we wear.
Here are five reasons most people look good in sunglasses, or at least five guesses:
1. The Association with Glamour
The first commercial sunglasses were introduced in the late 1920s. They were intended for celebrities wanting to get out and about while still concealing their identities. It wasn’t long before sunglasses started being associated with glamour thanks to all of the celebrities who wore them. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Maybe we all appreciate a good pair of sunglasses because it reminds us of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. We can all look like stars in a good pair of shades, right? Absolutely.
2. The Association with Mystery
If it’s not glamour that does it, perhaps it is the mystery we associate with sunglasses. Wearing a good pair of shades covers the eyes completely. And because they are the window to the soul, covering them up creates a bit of intrigue and mystery that just is not achieved any other way.
We find mystery attractive because it stirs certain emotions in us. It causes curiosity, intrigue, and anticipation. Mystery even stirs feelings of anxiety and restlessness.
3. The Association with Cool
Next is the association we make between sunglasses and being cool. This association is further enhanced by pop culture. If you need examples, look no further than movies like Top Gun and Men In Black. In the months immediately following Top Gun‘s release, everybody had to have a pair of aviators with mirrored lenses. The hot trend following Men In Black was the classic wayfarer.
4. Sunglasses Calibrate the Face
Perhaps another reason that sunglasses make everyone look better is their ability to calibrate the face. What does this mean? Well, consider the fact that no human being has a perfectly symmetrical face. There isn’t a single face that is perfectly shaped.
Sunglasses are made to be uniform all the way across. Both lenses are exactly the same shape. Both arms are exactly the same length. Sunglasses are uniform from top to bottom. As such, they make otherwise nonuniform faces look more uniform. They offset the imperfections to create a more calibrated look.
5. Sunglasses Complement Style
When chosen correctly, sunglasses also complement a person’s style. That always looks good. Whether that style is classic and refined or bold and brash, sunglasses tie everything together. That’s because the first thing we look at when seeing someone for the first time is the face. So when sunglasses match the rest of the package, the look is complete.
It is true that most of what’s in this article is nothing more than speculation. Yet one thing we cannot deny is that sunglasses do look pretty awesome. People who wear them also looked pretty good, too. Be honest with yourself. Next time you buy a new pair of sunglasses, won’t you be paying attention to how good they make you look? Of course you will. We all do it.