Lisbon Blog

Are you familiar with the brands Luxottica or Saffilo? No? But surely, you’ve heard of Ray Ban, Persol or Armani… you can think of thousands of other brands off the top of your head. Sunglasses are a necessary accessory for anyone who wants to look glamorous. Of course you need a new pair every season if you want to look as cool on city streets as you do on the beach.

So you still haven’t figured out what the names Luxottica and Saffilo are? Well, I’ll tell you: they are the most important manufacturers of sunglasses and corrective lenses world wide, designing, producing and marketing fashionable sunglasses for such well known brands as Ray Ban, Arnette, Oakley, Armani, Versace, Tiffany or Dolce e Gabbana (and many more!) who maintain the licence to distribute and sell the final product.

Okay, let’s cut the fluff and get down to talking about what’s really important to us, fashion. What are the trendiest, most glamorous shapes, styles and lenses for summer 2010? Fashionable sunglasses are the indispensable summer accessory that defines your style, though they do change over the years. This year, the latest styles are inspired by the typical shapes of the 70´s and 80´s, and huge glasses are still in, despite the fact that medium and small glasses are gradually creeping back into fashion. Visible branding is still hot, and atypically coloured lenses are the newest trend. But watch out; avoid blue or purple lenses because these colours offer much less UV protection than other colours. They have the shortest wavelength of visible colours (closer to that of UV rays) so the UV radiation that passes through them is more dangerous.

Round or square, oversize or elegant, what we should really be paying attention to is the protection our glasses afford us. Sunglasses should be the right size, shape and material to protect the delicate eye area from UVB and UVA rays assuring us a perfect view and healthy eyes. Lenses can be plastic or glass, each material has its advantages and disadvantages. Plastic lenses tend to be thicker, but they are lighter and more resistant.

So make sure not to forget the most important accessory of summer when packing your bags to go on vacation. If you’re still not sure where to go, why not let yourself be dazzled by the splendid light of the Portuguese capital city, Lisbon. For comfortable and budget friendly accommodations, rent apartments in Lisbon, a place where your super stylish and fashionable sunglasses will definitely come in handy!