How to Make Yourself ENJOY Wearing Sunglasses

Is there a way to MAKE yourself enjoy wearing sunglasses?

For most of my life, I’ve had a hard time wearing sunglasses. Wearing shades didn’t seem to help anything, so they were just another accessory that would get lost in the shuffle and end up not being used.

I KNEW how smart it is to wear sunglasses… (scroll down for my personal fave reasons…) but I found it hard to shell out more than $12.99 on something that would likely get squashed or lost by the end of the next park visit. Then, one Spring day in 2015, my life changed forever.

I found a way to MAKE myself enjoy wearing sunglasses..!

I tried on a pair of sunglasses in a small shop on the North shore of Hawaii. Instantly, I noticed how comfortable they were and they were reasonably priced with a lifetime warranty! This is what I needed! A pair that I would enjoy wearing that I knew would hold up well. If I could invest the $50 (instead of the typical $10 pair I’d purchased so many times before…) then I thought I would be more mindful about taking good care of my one nice pair of sunnies…

And you know what..? It worked! I bought those bad boys, vowing to make a habit of protecting my eyes that summer. It was actually easy! I loved wearing them and found myself less “worn-out” by an afternoon in the sun. Miraculously, I still had them in my possession a year after buying them (I have a tendency to lose things :/ ). Then, the inevitable happened and I broke ’em one day when I accidentally rolled on them… By the time I got around to pulling out the warranty paperwork from the filing cabinet, I’d even lost the half of the sunglasses that broke off… haha! But sure enough, they honored their warranty and sent me a brand new pair 🙂

Why is is so hard to find an affordable, quality pair of sunnies?

My previous experience buying sunglasses was that I would just buy cheap sunglasses, end up not liking them, and if I ever looked for a nicer pair with a warranty, they are always way too expensive! I feel lucky to have found a company that 1) manufactures quality sunglasses, 2) was reasonable priced (around $50!), AND 3) actually honors their warranty. UPDATE 4/17/19: I’ve found a couple of other ways to get well-priced, quality sunglasses! I’ll list ’em at the end!

There’s actually a FASCINATING reason behind why it’s so hard to find a great pair of shades that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg: There is a gigantic monopoly! Almost every brand of mid-to-high-end eyewear (eye-glasses too) is all designed, manufactured, and sold by ONE Italian company! 60 Minutes did a super-interesting 13 minute report on the company. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDdq2rIqAlM

Peppers glasses (the shades I found in Hawaii) are not made by that Italian company: Luxottica, but Peppers USA out of Pennsylvania. Yay for small businesses that rock!!!

K, so how exactly, do you make yourself enjoy wearing sunglasses, if you aren’t yet it the habit?

Step 1: Remind yourself about how smart it is to wear sunglasses. These are my top 5 favorite reasons:

5) You can see comfortably and clearer with a good pair of polarized shades. Which will make you less “crabby” at the beach, right? 😉 (less headaches and eye-strain).

4) Sunglasses help prevent macular degeneration, cataracts, skin cancer of the eyelids/ surrounding skin, and sunburn of the eye: which can feel like sand is stuck in your eye…ummmm- I’d rather skip all of those things…

3) Prevent wrinkles around the eye since you don’t have to squint!

2) Safety when driving, skiing, biking, etc. They reduce glare, dust and little bugs from getting in your eye. PLUS- Exposure to even 2-3 hours of bright sun during the day can make driving at night more hazardous because your eyes have a harder time adjusting to the lack of light.

1) They can make you look like a super-attractive celebrity while hiding tired eyes from a hard night with the kids!

Step 2: Decide you’re going to invest in the best pair of shades you can get your hands on. As you’re shopping for the perfect pair, look for these features:

They’re polarized
The sides are thick enough so they will block the sun from the side. Aviators aren’t ideal because they let the light through when the sun is low, and you’ll get that annoying glare that drives you nuts when you’re trying to drive!
They don’t slip or slide around when you move.
They aren’t too tight anywhere.
You like how they look on you!

Step 3: Buy them! File away warranty papers.

Step 4: Keep those shades clean!

As simple rub with your shirt works- no need for fancy cleaners… Aint nobody got time for that!

Step 5: Decide where you’ll keep them so you can easily grab them when you’re out and about.

Having a special pocket in your purse or spot in your car is probably the most important step to getting in the habit…

You’re done! Enjoy the results! You’ve converted yourself to be a “sunglasses girl” (or guy). If I can be converted, then you can too! Do you have a favorite glasses brand? Let’s spread the word about cool companies!

These are the companies I’ve heard of that fit what we’re looking for (reasonably-priced, quality shades):

Peppers USA (Thank you for converting me!)
Hump Optics- (SOO excited to try them!)
Costco actually has some!
Sunstop… Quick story here: So I went to the mall kiosk, knowing my options are limited with my budget of $80 or less… So I tell the sales guy this and he’s like… “yeah- we got nothing for ya lady…” I try on a couple that are around $100 and they aren’t even polarized (are you KIDDING!?…) Anyway, then I ask to try to sunglasses in the middle of the register on a rack, far from reach… Sure enough, I found a good pair for $50! The sales guy was not amused ha ha!

Tell me more! Where have you found a REALLY good pair of sunglasses?

Jen