Monday, August 24, 1998
The price of coolness
TREND: Sunglasses, a fashion statement and
protector from the sun’s rays, are the product of a $1.6 billion
industry that wants to make you feel as cool as you look – even at
night
By Pauline Vu
Daily Bruin Contributor
To Manuel Acosta, buying sunglasses is an art one has to
master.
"You really should take a friend with you when you buy
sunglasses so they can tell you how you look," said the second-year
biology student.
"I mean, what if you think they look good, but in reality, they
look bad on you? You definitely need a second opinion," he
added.
Acosta owns two pairs of sunglasses: a pair of Oakleys that a
friend gave him and a pair of Ray-Bans that cost him $70.
"(The Ray-Bans) look pretty cool. They’re original and stylish,
and I just like the way they look on my face," he said.
Acosta is not alone in his appreciation, as sunglasses have been
popular for years now. But this status as fashion accessory dates
back much further than many people realize.
Two thousand years ago, the Chinese wore smoke-colored quartz
lenses to shield their eyes from bright light, and by the late
1600s, European peddlers were selling smoke-colored lenses.
In the last two decades, however, aided by the popularity of
movies such as "Risky Business," "Top Gun" and the cult classic
"The Blues Brothers," the business of premium sunglasses has taken
off.
During one scene in "The Blues Brothers," before embarking upon
a wild, nighttime car ride and being chased and shot at by cops,
cowboys and Nazis, Elwood Blues turns to his brother Jake and
coolly says, "We’ve got a full tank of gas, a half pack of
cigarettes, it’s dark and we have our sunglasses on."
That, the movie suggests, is all they really need.
"I actually know some people who wear sunglasses at night, but I
don’t get that way," Acosta said.
Movies also have the ability to affect eyewear sales.
Aaron Chang, owner of Sunglass Oasis in Orange County, noted
that his sale of Ray-Bans increased 15 percent with the release of
last summer’s blockbuster "Men In Black," in which Will Smith and
Tommy Lee Jones nonchalantly don Ray-Bans while battling
aliens.
In fact, premium sunglasses are a $1.6 billion domestic market.
As of July, Ray-Ban garnered a net income of $11.2 million and
record sales of $70 million – up 26 percent from last year.
The popularity of sunglasses today with celebrities is still
quite evident.
Athletes are often seen sporting athletic sunglasses during
competition, and celebrities are commonly seen wearing designer
sunglasses. Elton John recently paid $18,000 for a pair of shades
by Barry Kieselstein-Cords, a company better known for its handbags
and jewelry.
Chang said there are more companies producing sunglasses than
there were when he first opened in 1989.
"There were maybe 200 stores when I first opened; now I know
there are well over 300, at the least," he said.
Sunglass Oasis sells nearly every brand of shades, from
well-known sunglass companies such as Oakley and Ray-Ban to fashion
designers Giorgio Armani and Hobie.
The price of premium sunglasses today is a sore point with some
people, however. The price of a pair – which can often reach well
over $100 – grows with their popularity.
Are most people willing to pay that much?
"I’m sure I would if I really liked them," Acosta said.
"Sometimes, you see sunglasses that look really nice, and then it’s
worth it."
Carolyn Van Wingerden, however, is on the other end of the
spectrum. To her, paying anything remotely close to $100 is simply
absurd.
"A hundred dollars is way too much to spend on sunglasses," said
the second-year English student.
"I think I spent that much on my real glasses. I barely spend
that much on clothes," she added.
No matter how trendy and fashionable wearing sunglasses are,
they still serve their original purpose: to protect the eyes from
the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Some people wonder why anyone would pay $150 or more for a pair
of fancy sunglasses when even a $3.99 child’s pair promises "100
percent UV Protection."
Although most sunglasses claim to have this protection, both
optometrists and sunglass store owners agree that inexpensive
sunglass brands cannot always be trusted.
"There is no way you can really test the UV protection of
inexpensive sunglasses," said Dr. Benjamin Fouladian, an
optometrist who has offices in Westwood and Redondo Beach.
"It’s very safe to go with a name brand. You know for sure
you’re getting a good quality lens, not like the copies sold at
Venice Beach," he said.
Dr. Patrick Doyle of the Eyes of Westwood Optometry noted that
another key difference between expensive sunglasses and inexpensive
ones is the quality of the lens.
"UV protection may be the same, but usually the optics on
expensive glasses are better."
"The quality is in the lens," he said.
Quality of optics relates to quality of vision. Inexpensive
glasses often have distorted areas, and wearers cannot see as
clearly.
This, both doctors noted, could lead to eye strain.
"The Revo brand costs from $190 to $300 compared to those $10 to
$20 sunglasses sold on sidewalks," Fouladian said.
"But usually these glasses have a lot of distortion on their
lenses, which brings down the quality of the objects," he
added.
Chang agreed wholeheartedly with this view.
"There are functions in expensive sunglasses that a $30 pair
cannot compete with. I’m not talking about fashion. Premium
sunglasses have better frames and better lenses, and there is a
higher quality overall," he said.
"You can drive either a Geo or a Mercedes Benz to San Francisco.
They’ll both get you there, but you feel different when you drive,"
he said.
Sunglass technology has also soared to new heights, and as a
result, premium sunglasses today have more remarkable features.
While in the past there were merely plastic and glass lenses,
today some lenses are made from polycarbonite, the same material
used for bullet-resistant glass in cars, resulting in a harder lens
on sunglasses.
Premium sunglasses today can also provide protection from
polarized, infrared and photochromatic light, all potentially
damaging to the eyes.
The frames have also been revolutionized. Sports performance
sunglasses, such as those created by Oakley, are made to suit
athletes.
"Some of them wrap around your face, almost. They shield the eye
better and are rimless, with no borders. One pair holds the lens
from the top, so the athlete has 180-degree vision," Fouladian
said, adding that these sunglasses are ideal for skiers and beach
volleyball players.
When it comes down to buying, though, Chang noted that neither
function nor features on a pair of sunglasses matter most.
"When someone makes a decision, two things affect a person’s
choice," Chang said, "First, style; and second, price."
According to the medical community, however, there is a far
greater reason for wearing sunglasses.
"Sixty percent of my patients have dry eyes, which happens when
the sun evaporates the tears in the eyes. Sunglasses could prevent
that from happening," he said.
Fouladian added that there is another eye disease called
pinguecula.
When the eye wants to protect itself from UV rays, he said, it
develops a yellowish fatty buildup on the white part of the eye.
Eventually, a patient must have laser surgery to remove the
buildup.
Another reason to wear sunglasses, cautioned Fouladian, is to
slow the buildup of cataracts.
"Less light goes into the eye and there is less vision,"
Fouladian said, "You can’t see color as brightly as before."
And wearing sunglasses, he added, could slow this process.
Doyle said it is important that sunglasses are worn all the
time, even in the winter.
"The sun is out year-round in Southern California," he said.
"You can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day, and if your skin can
get sunburned, your eyes can be affected. Sunglasses are like a
sunscreen for the eyes."BAHMAN FARAHDEL/Daily Bruin
Gianna Gruenwald, a fourth-year political science and economics
student reflects on her year abroad in Spain while snacking on a
bagel and orange juice on the Kerckhoff patio.