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A History Of Designer Sunglasses From Rome To Hollywood

by prettyone

Designer sunglasses may seem a relatively modern phenomenon, the
celebrities we see today posing in designer shades on the
promenades of the south of France and Los Angeles are not however
the archetypes of this style, the trend is far older than that.
The history of sunglasses goes back eons with a wide variety of
materials used in construction as well as a huge variance in the
uses, one thing is certain, the designer sunglasses we see today
are in no way the first.

If the annals of history are correct the first time sunglasses
were used was in ancient Rome. Emperor Nero reportedly has a pair
of shades made up from polished emeralds; the purpose of these
designer shades? To let the emperor watch gladiator bouts 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.

After Nero's pair of specs the next recorded used of sunglasses
comes from ancient China. The designer of these Chinese
sunglasses once again could not use glass and hence natural
materials were used. This time, instead of emeralds the glasses
were manufactured using flat, smoky quartz. Their usage however
was not comparable to how we use our sunglasses today; in Chinese
society these glasses were used by judges; not to shield their
eyes from the sun, but to shield their eyes from the courtroom.
The reasoning behind this was that if those inside the courtroom
could not see the judge's eyes, they would not be able to read
any of his emotions or facial expressions, and subsequently 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 protection as
modern polarised lenses. In addition, while it is now possible to
obtain designer shades with sight correction properties, these
ancient sets had no such ability.

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. By
studying the effect of certain colours of lens on the eyes 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 during 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.

With the popularity of Hollywood and celebrity ever growing
during the thirties and forties, designer sunglasses really came
into their own. Thanks to movie stars and musicians constantly
wearing what was now considered a fashion accessory; the general
public were enthralled 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.

Since this time sunglasses as a fashion accessory have continued
to be the trend. 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. As
celebrities continue to wear these designer sunglasses,
undoubtedly their popularity with the general public will not
diminish.

Fashion expert Thomas Pretty traces the development of <a
href="http://www.site91.co.uk/">designer glasses</a> from ancient
times to the modern day.

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