History of Designer Sunglasses:from Rome to Hollywood

Today we present a few interesting  anecodotes in the sunglasses history. Designer sunglasses might appear to many of us as a comparatively mordern happening: the celebrities we see today posing in designer shades from the promenades of the south of France to Los Angeles are maybe the archetypes of this style, the trend goes way back than that. We can trace the use of sunglasses back to eons. They were made by wide variety of materials used in construction, material use as well as various usages. One thing is certain: the designer glasses we see today is undoubtably the pioneer.

If the annals of history are not wrong, sunglasses were used first time in ancient Rome. Emperor Nero was said to have a pair of shades made up from polished emeralds. And the purpose of these designer shades is to let the emperor watch gladiators fight without straining his eyes. Conjecture still surrounds their effectiveness, some historians now believe that the emerald acted as a mirror meaning that sight was hindered rather than enhanced. The next recorded use of sunglasses was reportedly appeared in ancient China. Instead of emerals, the ancient Chinese were able to make sunglasses with flat smoky qurtz. The usage was particular. They were for the judges not to shield their eyes from the courtroom and to prevent the audience to see his emotion to get a clue to the outcome of the trial.

These early sets of sunglasses cannot be compared to the varieties we see today. While Nero wanted eye protection from the sun, the polished emeralds did not have the same UV protections as modern polarised lenses. Nor do they have sight correctin properties.

After these two initial uses the widespread use of sunglasses took centuries. Arguably it was the work of scientist James Ayscough who invented the technology needed for the lens. He believed that he could cure visual defects. His work was never far reaching enough to be labelled comprehensive however and he never reached the point where UV protection was an objective. It was not until the twentieth century that sunglasses became truly popular, especially in the United States where their popularity grew unbelievably. The protection of the eyes first became a goal with the work of Sam Foster; an entrepreneur who sold many pairs of glasses on the beaches of New Jersey and Atlantic City during the summer months.

Designer sunglasses really came into their own, with the popularity of Hollywood and celebrity ever growing during the thirties and forties. Thanks to movie stars and musicians constantly wearing what was now considered an inseperable fashion accessory. The general public were enchanted by the idea of having shades. As a result the fashion industry embraced the glasses producing iconic designs that screamed chic and were hotly desired all around the globe.

From then on sunglasses as a fashion accessory have continued to be in the veyr frontier of the fashion. Nowadays legislation ensures that no matter what style of glasses you buy your eyes will be protected from the harmful effects of the sun. Today the place of sunglasses as the world’s favourite summer accessory seems to be assured.