Shades make great presents. They are stylish, fun, and are a relatively affordable luxury compared with designer bags, and jewelry that can cost a fortune. Keep in mind you want the best eye protection from the sun Plus, the durability of sunglasses means that they can last for years, provided that the owner takes extra care to store them in their case when not in use.
When giving a pair of shades as a holiday, birthday, or anniversary gift, you want to give the impression that you paid attention to the receiver’s unique style. If the person is a creative and extroverted type, you want to get him or her a trendy frame that will complement their personal look.
To give the perfect pair of sunglasses, it is also important that you pay attention to the receiver’s face shape, as well as his or her lifestyle. We spoke with Josh from Great Southern Sunnies about his tips for buying sunglasses:
Consider the person’s face shape
When giving presents, you want to choose items that the receiver will find useful. What this means when choosing a pair of shades for someone else is to get one that will complement the receiver’s facial features. Imagine receiving designer shades that make your face look edgier, or elongates your face shape even more. Even though you may like how stylish it is, you would not reach for it when you are heading out or when you want to complete the look with an accessory.
The person you are buying the sunglass will likely appreciate your effort to give a pair that looks great on him or her. So how do you know which frame is ideal for certain face shapes? While you cannot measure their face and find out the specific width of their jawline and forehead, you can use your friend’s existing shades collection as a reference of what frames he or she likes to wear.
Here is a quick guide for choosing frames based on face shapes:
Round face shape – Rectangular or square frames will look best on people with this face shape
as the edges of the sunglass frame will make the face appear slimmer
Square face – If your friend has a square-shaped face, choose a frame that softens the
angularity of the face. This includes round or oval sunglasses.
Heart-shaped – Avoid frames that draw attention to the forehead, and go for sunglasses with
bottom heavy frame lines to add width to the narrow chin
Diamond face – Play up a narrow jawline with oval frames to balance the facial features
Their personal style
When choosing a pair of shades for someone else, it pays to consider their wardrobe. Do they work in an office that requires them to wear a blazer, pencil skirt, or moderate-length dress? Classic sunglass styles such as the Wayfarer, or square frames are perfect to cap off a professional office look. Your choices are not limited to this either, as you can give oversized frames or cat-eye sunglasses as a gift to the trendy-professional in your life.
If, on the other hand, your friend gravitates towards timeless wardrobe pieces, get him or her a pair of sunglasses that can take them from one event to another. Rectangle frame sunglasses are a great example of shades that can be worn during a casual walk in the park and even at a posh party.
Think about their lifestyle
Sunglasses are more than stylish accessories that one can wear to instantly upgrade a look. They also provide protection from harmful UV rays, and from dusty wind and pollution. If the person receiving the sunglass regularly drives to work, choose shades that reduce glare for safe driving. Polarized lenses are a great choice because they reflect the light away from the eyes, greatly reducing visibility issues that can lead to road accidents.
If you have an outdoor enthusiast in your life, get him or her lightweight frames that will not get in the way during a trial run, or a cross-country bike ride. Impact-resistant lenses such as polycarbonate lenses are a great option when choosing shades for a person who consistently engages in high-impact sports. Polycarbonate lenses not only provide UV protection but also shields the eyes from fast-moving objects.
Give a pair that provides maximum UV protection
Gifts show people in your life that you care. Instead of getting just any pair of sunglasses, choose one that will provide 100 percent protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays. The person receiving the gift will surely appreciate your thoughtfulness in giving an item that will be useful in different situations such as when he or she is driving, or just spending some time outdoors. Your friend or loved ones can use your gift all-year-round because sunglasses with high UV protection are not only useful during the summer, but in the colder months as well. During winter, the snow reflects almost 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays, doubling UV-related health risks. As such, it becomes even more important to shield the eyes and the delicate skin around it from both UV-A and UV-B rays.