Summer's hot sunglasses are not subtle
These Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Sunglasses, $145, come in a various shades and a washy, watercolory print; at select Lord and Taylor stores and lordandtaylor.com. Credit: Handout
Tortoise, schmortoise. This season, frames on sunglasses have got a lot more going on. Like stripes, dots, checks, florals and 3-D cutouts, to name a few.
"Clothes collections often lead the way," says Karen Sacco, co-founder (with fellow optician Dianne Szwed) of Optical Heights in Roslyn Heights. Apparel designers have pushed animal prints, for instance, "and now you're seeing that in frames," Sacco says.
Optical Heights offers vivid brands like Chloe, DSquared, Tom Davies (with mix-and-match shapes and prints) and their own Sacco-Szwed line, out this year.
They've also got Lafont, a French, family-run label dating back to 1923, and arguably the top choice in chic, edgy eyewear. Lafont's frames are pricey but like no others, with delicate, lacy cutouts and patterns akin to those Art Nouveau metro entrances in Paris.
For more affordable fare, try Rich & Famous, a new line launched by Dix Hills native Darren Goldman (whose family has sold eyewear for three generations) and Brit stylist Miles Siggins. The two met while working behind the scenes at "American Idol."
The added benefit to all this razzle-dazzle? Patterned frames tend to be bigger, which shows off the design and provides more sun protection. Function and flair -- a perfect combo.
