What’s your sunny style?

With the summer holidays fast approaching and the sun making steadily more frequent appearances, thoughts are turning to new summer wardrobes, flip flops, bikinis and sunglasses. So what style will you be wearing this season? We take a look at our favourite styles and see what they say about you!

Aviators

The little black dress of the sunglasses world, aviators are a classic style that seemingly never date or go out of fashion. They’re an easy to wear style which suggests that you’ve got an eye on the latest fashion trends, but you’re not a slave to them.

These frames are particularly good for round and square faces and those who want laid back, effortless style. Try our GANT pair, a bargain at just £40. 

Over-sized

A big favourite of A-listers and WAGs alike, over-sized sunglasses have had something of a renaissance in the past couple of years. Now with the 70’s making a comeback this season it looks like they’re set to continue as a ‘must have’ frame.

This style definitely makes a statement, so expect a few stares as people try to work out which celeb they just spotted. If you’ve got a square face then this will be a good choice for you but not so good if you face is rounder.

Try our Morgan frames for a 70’s feel whilst still channelling the VIP vibe and they’re just £30!

Sporty

So you’re not a fashionista, but you still want to look good and keep your eye protected. Sporty glasses are not only functional, they’ll bring out your inner sports god – we’re thinking English Cricket team, Aussie surfers... you get the idea.

To pull off these glasses you need a little bit of sporting prowess, or at least to look like you could have if you put your mind to it! These GANT Storm Tech’s are great for function and fashion – all you need now is a sports shirt or a surfboard. 

Statement

Wow - That’s pretty much the best way to sum up statement frames. Not for the shrinking violet, statement frames boldly proclaim your fashion stance. There are a lot of them around at the moment, from cat’s eye, to geek chic, so pick your camp and boldly make a statement.

Religion has a great range of sunglasses at the moment, working the geek chic with an urban twist. Take a look at their range on our Facebook page and let us know which ones you’ll be working!

So which will you go for? Visit our Facebook page and vote for your favourite style!

Here comes the sun

Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner, which means we’ll hopefully be seeing a bit more of the sun over the next few months. We all know by now the damage over exposure to UV rays can do to our skin, but have you considered the damage it can do to your eyes?

Sunburn isn’t just limited to your skin. According to Simon Kelly, of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, your eyes can get burnt too. He explains "Over-exposure to ultraviolet light, such as a day at the beach without proper eye protection, can cause a temporary but painful burn to the surface of the eye, similar to sunburn on the skin."

Whilst this sounds particularly unpleasant, it is the risk of developing cataracts that makes over exposure so dangerous for your eyes. The damage occurs by too much UVA and UVB light entering the eye. Your eye needs light to work, but in particularly sunny conditions, this means an increase of harmful rays hitting the retina.  

The main way to protect your eyes against damage is to wear sunglasses which can filter out the UVA and UVB rays, whilst still allowing sufficient light in for you to see. Not all sunglasses have lenses that are of a high enough quality to do this, so it is important that you check the lenses are 100% UV filters. If you are in doubt, ask an optician or buy them from an optical website such as TescoOpticians.com.

And it’s not just light from the sun – reflected light from surfaces such as snow or water can intensify the amount of UV being absorbed by your eyes. So sunglasses are vital if you are in these conditions on a frequent basis.

As with all eye care you need to consider the purpose of your sunglasses. Wrap around styles might be better for winter sports, where as tinted lenses could prove to be better for general wear outdoors. Either way, looking after your eyes and protecting them against the sun is a vital part of your optical care. So whilst you’re stocking up on suntan lotion to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, just consider your eyes. After all, donning a pair of trendy sunglasses doesn’t just protect your eyes, its bang on trend too!