Ray-Ban Sunglasses

Once again the stars flocked to the Coachella Festival in California this April, to see the likes of Kanye West, Mumford and Sons, Arcade Fire and The Kings of Leon perform. The temperature was soaring and the celebs, as always, kicked back in their best festival garb… Known for the great line up year after year, Coachella is also famed for it’s super stylish A-list party crowd, who set the bar high for fashionable festival goers throughout the ensuing festival season.

California’s finest kept it cool with loose flowing fabrics in soft muted colours like white, cream and peach, as well as teeny tiny denim shorts and quirky little dresses. All outfits were of course accessorised with the coolest designer sunglasses. With the mercury hitting highs of 40 degrees over the festival weekend, sunglasses were essential to keep celebrity peepers covered. Amongst the A-List, Ray-Ban sunglasses appeared to be the brand of choice. Actress Kate Bosworth is huge fan of Ray Ban sunglasses and was pictured wearing her Ray Ban Aviators all weekend. Known for her hip style Kate Bosworth is very loyal to the label and was spotted in the same Ray Ban aviator style shades at Coachella in 2010 too.

Another actress famed for her laid back, but cool, edgy style is Kirsten Dunst. Kirsten was spotted with her boyfriend Alexander Skarsgard from True Blood, rocking black Ray Ban Clubmaster sunglasses, whilst he was wearing a similar style of shades with red frames. Joshua Jackson, best known as Diane Kruger’s other half and for playing Pacey in Dawsons Creek is also a fan of Ray Bans. At Coachella he was seen relaxing in the sun sporting Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses.

Ray Ban sunglasses are always a popular choice at festivals…. whilst the Wayfarers come in a multitude of colours and patterns and look ultra modern, the Clubmasters have a retro style which is very hip right now and the aviator shape is an absolute classic. Ray Ban sunglasses combine superb technology with an effortlessly cool style, making them the ultimate brand for festival revelling!

Remember the time when glasses were confined to the realms of geekdom, and leaving the opticians with a pair of specs meant automatic relegation to nerd, before you could even say ‘four-eyes’? Well, those days are long gone, and the latest craze is wearing prescriptive-style glasses, even if you don’t need to. Just last week I noticed a gaggle of girls lining up to try on fake, NHS-style spectacles in Urban Outfitters in an attempt to update their look, so why this current change in thinking?

As always, it’s those big boy designers that have got something to do with it. The Autumn / Winter catwalks were awash with frames in every style, shape, size and colour. Michael Kors picked tortoiseshell to complement his neutral palette and animal print designs, whilst Chanel opted for classic gold. Also helping carve the trend were Tom Ford, Prada and Paul Smith.

A fantastic way to change your look, in the same way sunglasses can enhance your features, so can a pair of see-through specs. They can add personality and character, but also act as an extension of your beautifying process too. Glasses mean make-up doesn’t need to be as heavy, and rather than eyes lined in thick, black kohl, dark frames serve a purpose in highlighting and opening up the eye area.

Functional and fashionable, this new era of optics also means there are a lot more celebrities that are ‘out and proud’ about their glasses-wearing needs, and are starting to favour frames over contacts. So if you’re the real thing and you’re lucky enough to own a pair of designer specs, this is definitely the season to flaunt your frames!

Two decades ago they were huge, plastic and considered purely practical, but these days prescription glasses are as much about being funky as functional.

It’s official – geek is chic and many celebrities are ditching the contacts in favour of stylish designer frames. No longer is wearing glasses associated with the likes of Deidre Barlow, rather bespectabled beauties such as Daisy Lowe and Chloe Sevigny are today stepping out with specs appeal.

As well as looking fabulous, glasses have long since had cult status in being associated with legendary artists, making specs seriously sought after thanks to the likes of Woody Allen to John Lennon. Today, famous designer glasses wearers include Elton John, Harry Hill and Vic Reeves, who all use their glasses as extensions of their personality and image.

Such celebrities who wear their designer glasses with panache have put an end to the days when wearing glasses had a stigma attached – inspiring wearers to invest in designer frames in the knowledge that their day-to-day glasses are a cool fashion statement and a must-have accessory. Just like high shoes can make you look taller and highlights make you look blonder, wearing the right designer glasses to suit your face adds a sexy air of sophistication, individuality and an intelligent edge to any outfit. There’s no doubt about it, geeky equals glamorous.

Check out Shade Station’s fantastic selection of designer prescription glasses, but remember to always have your eyes correctly checked before you buy.