Times: "Love Your Sunglasses (Should I Know You?)"

Its fair to say that the New York Times profile on the prevalence of sunglasses made my day. Possibly my week.

They showcased a few terrific pairs of sunglasses, including some FlashyShades favorites: the Christian Dior CD DIOR 60 S1 and Jimmy Choo JJ.

My favorite pair highlighted is the Balenciaga 0015s. They retail for $360, but save yourself one hundred and twenty bucks by ordering them on otticanet.com for $240.

"Prices for designer sunglasses have jumped to $350 or more in recent months, from an average of $250, retailers say, and the price spike has not turned off shoppers. “The youth of America has discovered sunglasses to be the aspirational and prestige item of the moment,” said Marshal Cohen, a senior analyst with the NPD Group, a market research firm. He predicts, “Sunglasses will replace the handbag as the image item” among teenage girls and young women...

Designers are playing into shoppers’ desire to be recognized, at least by those in the know, by downplaying big logos and incorporating more subtle signals of provenance. Bottega Veneta offers frames with woven leather insets that are recognizable to connoisseurs of the house’s hand-woven leather goods. Prada butterfly frames echo the motifs of the brand’s recent runway collections. Chrome Hearts frames are embellished with sterling bolo designs and leather trim reflective of the company’s rough-rider image."

[Source: NYTimes]