Sunglasses
type of glasses
Sunglasses are tinted eyeglasses. They are often worn to protect the eyes from sunlight or as a fashion accessory. Some of the most popular brands include:
Common frame styles include
- Aviators - Frames with a double bar nose bridge and often teardrop shaped lenses.
- Wayfarers - Thicker plastic frames with metal dots at the top corner of the glasses.
- Wraparound glasses - Where the lenses are curved around the face, offering greater protection and a wider field of vision.
- Clip-on sunglasses - Frames akin to Pince-nez made to clip onto the front of a pair of prescription eyeglasses.
- Fit over glasses - Designed to be donned over prescription glasses.
Common lens tints include
- grey - A neutral color
- brown - A color that gives better contrast and a "warmer" hue
- green - Ideal for golf and certain other sports
- yellow - good for overcast conditions, computers or night driving.
Tint intensities. The darkness of a lens tint is usually categorized in percentage or a category of four system.
- Category one tints are the lightest and mainly for fashion usage. Category one tints are usually 10 or 20% tinted.
- Category two tints are great for photophobia caused by indoor florescent lighting and correspond with 30% to 50% darkness
- Category three tints are standard sunglass level 60% to 80% tint.
- Category four tints are for the brightest of sunny days. These tints are usually 75% to 90%.
- Gradient lenses have a darker tint at the top and goes lighter further down the lenses.
Other words for sunglasses include:
- Sunnies - most common in British and Australian English.
- dark glasses.
- Smoked spectacles - Used especially for the nearly opaque glasses of the blind.
- Solar shields - Sunglasses with overly large lenses.
- Cooling glasses - In Indian English.
- Glares - In Indian English.
- Stunna shades - Sunglasses with large lenses. Used in hip-hop circles.
- Glecks - A term for both eyeglasses and sunglasses in Scottish English.
- Sun cheaters - In American English.
