All About Sunglasses: My Summer 2017 Collection, Shopping Tips and Tricks, and How I Store My Shades

Summertime is in full effect and we're all thinking about adding to or refining our sunglasses collections. Protecting our eyes is important all year long - sunlight can damage our skin and vision over time, so while this is the time of year that we think about picking up a new pair of shades we should be in the practice of wearing them every day. 

I've started to experience light sensitivity which is a first sign that I need to do better about wearing my sunglasses. And hitting up a few favorite stores can give me a fantastic designer sunglass collection at a fraction of the cost. 

The lead photo shows you all 10 of my sunglasses. I'll share each pair in more detail and provide links to purchase them if I can find them (I've owned a few long enough that I'm not sure if they are still being manufactured or sold.)

But first, here are my favorite tips for buying sunglasses:

Shopping Tips and Tricks:

• Save money by buying cheaper versions of trendy shades, and splurge on buying classic shades that are well-constructed. Sunglasses trends come and go, so don't spend a ton of money buying frames in a trendy shape or in a crazy color - buy those sunnies from cheaper stores so that you won't feel too bad when the trend fades. As you'll see, my sunnies tend to be either black frames or brown/tortoise so they always work with any outfit and can last through several seasons. If I want to include a cool twist, I'll look for something special on the wings of the glasses to justify adding a new pair of basic sunnies into my collection.
• Talk to an optician to learn more about frame quality. I've worn glasses and contacts for more than half my life, so I've logged plenty of time with an optician and trying on plenty of frames. I've not only learned which frames suit my face and style, but I've also spoken with my optician to learn what kinds of frames are sturdy enough to deal with regular wear and tear. I've taken that knowledge to the department stores to buy frames and lenses that'll last through the more aggressive wear and tear that sunnies tend to go through.
• Shop on sales and at outlets. You'll see that all of my sunglasses come from name-brand designers, but with the exception of one pair, I've never spent more than $90 on a pair of sunglasses. Try buying sunglasses towards the end of summer (when stores are thinking of clearing that merchandise) or shopping at outlets like Nordstrom Rack, Neiman Marcus Last Call, or Century 21, which sell high-end designer products at a fraction of the cost. I've also shopped the regular sales at Lord & Taylor and saved a few more dollars by purchasing the most affordable shades in the sales.
• Protect your investments. Store your sunglasses in their original cases when not in use, regularly clean them and check for any nicks that compromise the UV protection. I usually wear my sunglasses on my head or leave them on my desk when I'm out and about or at work, or I store them in a microfiber pouch or case inside my purse if I'm at a function where I need to put them away. With good care, your sunglasses can last for many years to come.

My Sunglasses Collection In-Depth

I tend to organize my sunglasses by black frames and brown/tortoise frames, so I've broken down my shots in the same way. 

First up, here are some individual shots of my black-framed sunglasses and a mini-review of each pair:

These Ted Baker 57MM sunglasses are super amazing - I've loved the Wayfarer look but could never pull them off. These frames are solid but light, don't slip and have a modified cat eye/Wayfarer look that really works. I tend to shy away from silver tones but the gunmetal accents on the outside of the frames really work. I picked these up for a fraction of the cost at Nordstrom Rack, though they are currently available at Lord & Taylor.

I tend to love a good cat eye lens, but these mod Dolce & Gabbana shades are a great exception. They're super large and completely cover my eyes, and with an ultra-black lens they're great for going incognito. They're my favorite sunnies to take to an eye doctor appointment when I'll need to wear shades afterwards. These shades were purchased at Filene's Basement nearly 10 years ago - and sadly, that store closed down years ago. But with great care they still look brand new - picking a pretty classic look and a higher-end, well-constructed pair of shades means that this investment really paid out for me.

These are another classic pair that I picked up at 25% off during a sale at Lord & Taylor. These Michael Kors Jan cat-eye sunglasses are super lightweight and allow enough of my eyes to show through that I can still wear my sunglasses and make eye contact with someone. Again, even as someone who stays away from silver tones, these frames have just the slightest touch of silver that I felt OK about purchasing them.

These frames will repeat later because I really love them! I tend to like all-plastic/acetate frames but these Michael Kors Adrianna II shades are a super cool blend of plastic frames and metal wings. This is also a really nice gold tone that provides good contrast without being too ostentatious. I found these sunnies on sale at Lord & Taylor (sadly, the Michael Kors website somehow lists the base price higher than the base price at L&T before I pounced on the sale.) I somehow feel these frames are super lady like and I love wearing them with dressier outfits.

These Burberry frames are one of my most recent additions, and I'm so excited to get to wear them! I've found a similar pair from the Burberry website but I just love how the gathered gold tone wings make this take on Wayfarers look super special. They look dressy (but not overly so) and classic with a twist. I purchased these shades from Century 21 but they unfortunately don't seem to be sold online.



On to my brown/tortoise frames - and my only repeats! I so loved the Michael Kors Adrianna II sunglasses that I bought them in this light tortoise and rose gold frame. They're listed as being pink in color but I'd more classify them as light tortoise. They're classic but unique enough that I felt it was a good idea to buy a repeat pair.



I picked up this pair of Coach tortoise and gold shades from Lord & Taylor but I unfortunately couldn't find them online anywhere! These are the only sunglasses that I've spent more than $100 on, but again, I waited to buy these from my Lord & Taylor store when they were on sale. They're similar to my black Michael Kors sunnies but are distinct enough with their shading, polarization and warm gold tone arms that I wanted to add them to my collection.



These are my second Century 21 sunnies and my other most recent purchase - which again, I couldn't find anywhere online. I love the classic shape with a unique chain and leather detail on the arm to make them special enough. I tend to go a little funkier with my brown/tortoise frames, and these are about as funky as I'd go while still feeling like I've got a great classic pair of shades that'll last for a good few trend cycles.



I picked these shades up from Neiman Marcus Last Call last summer and really liked them! I like having somewhat similar shades in black and brown/tortoise frames so that I can always have the right look no matter what the outfit. These sunnies felt like a great complement to my Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses - they're mod and oversized in the same way. These sunglasses have a little extra something special with delicate rhinestones on the outer portion of the frames. I normally wouldn't want blingy shades but they were just small and delicate enough to not be distracting.



My final pair have been my go-to pair these days - these Calvin Klein modified cat-eye sunnies just feel so perfect and timeless with a little twist with the white design on the wings. They're large enough to cover my face without being too large and are enough of a cat-eye to be complementary and classic without being too angled, which I tend to feel doesn't look good on most people.

How I Store My Sunglasses



I keep all of my sunglasses in the cases provided to me by the store, and I rest the microfiber lens wipe on top of the lenses to deter scratches. I always wipe my sunglasses down before I put them back in their cases so that they're totally ready to be used the next time I grab them.

I do keep the storage pretty simple - I stack them in a wicker basket with the black frames on the left and the brown/tortoise frames on the right. I know my collection well enough to know exactly which pair I'm grabbing even though they're in cases.

I do store my shoes, jackets, and outwear accessories in my home office as I have my own exit that leads me to the staircase. It's a great way for me to grab everything I need right before leaving or to put everything away once I come home. 

Until I finish redoing my home office, I store this wicker basket on a bookcase alongside my wallet/key fob and a change purse that I typically leave behind until it's time to empty it. This way, I can quickly grab the last two things I need - my shades and wallet/keys - before I leave for the day. It's super simple but effective at helping me stay organized and keep my sunnies in great condition - and to remember to grab a pair to protect my eyes from the sun.

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I truly feel like I have my sunglasses collection at its absolute best - I can't imagine needing another pair because I have enough pairs to cover all kinds of moods and looks to carry me through the years. I hope you'll have some great inspiration to build and preserve your own sunnies collection!