When I was very little, I got my first pair of prescription eyeglasses. They were bifocals and unfortunately looked a lot like my grandfather’s glasses. From that moment on, I thought I would never be as cool as the people I saw who were able to wear great sunglasses. Movie stars, it seemed, wore them all the time to protect their precious peepers from UV rays as well as the prying eyes of the public. They lent an air of mystery and excitement to the people who wore them, but that was something I would never know…  

Flash forward to significant milestones in eye care history, such as when I got contact lenses in high school. The first thing I did was get a cool pair of aviator-style wire rimmed sunglasses. Years later, I had LASIK eye surgery and no longer needed contact lenses either! Now I could truly explore all that sunglasses could do for my mood, and my fashion outlook, on any given day.  Like I always say in this column - accessories make the outfit, and good looking, fun sunglasses are no exception. Like many folks, I have sensitive eyes, so I wear them year-round whenever the sun is out.  

Over time, I have amassed quite a collection of eye protection that, truth be told, on a daily basis I feel naked without wearing. A cool pair of shades can make a jeans-and t-shirt-kind of day into a summer-style class in just the few seconds it takes to put them on. You never know where you’re going to find the perfect pair of shades, so keep your eyes peeled whenever you’re out shopping at Goodwill (or anywhere for that matter). I have glasses that range from high-end designer types like my pair of Tom Ford square wire rims, or my “rockstar” white-square sunglasses from Proenza Schouler, to no name brands.  But, there are some I’ve found at Goodwill, like the aviator-style with green/blue frames, or the totally great square “Buddy Holly" faux tortoiseshell ones that I purchased for $1.49 after using them for our “Amazing Looks” photo shoot recently. 

Remember, it’s not what you spend, but how you put it all together that makes for a great sense of style, and sunglasses are a wonderful way to upgrade your look. Starting a collection of sunglasses is something that I suggest to everyone, for protection from the harmful rays of the sun, and for a simple “one sizes fits most” injection of fashion into your life!  Here are some of the other “sunnies” that I have in my own personal collection.  

These yellow tinted vintage aviators that I found at Goodwill for $1.49! Classically cool RayBan sunglasses, over-the-top Italian designer Roberto Cavalli mirrored-square aviators, Juicy Couture brand grayish/black tortoiseshell glasses that have a rounder shape (as well as vintage appeal), and some faux-vintage glasses with wire rim/tortoiseshell frames, complete my stash of sun protection.  Other sunglasses come and go, and of course they break and possibly get lost, but my tip for keeping them safe is to always use a case when not wearing them if you can.  

A great place to store  ALL of your sunglasses is in a vintage travel case like this one I found at Goodwill many years ago for $4.99. It’s filled with all my sunglasses, as well as a few pairs of "attitude" glasses that I sometimes wear as well. Ironically, why would I want to wear them now since I once actually HAD to wear glasses! 

When out and about at Goodwill, I do look for interesting sunglasses and glasses cases, either hard or soft, that will keep the lenses from getting scratched, and the frames from getting bent out of shape. It’s a small price to pay for looking so very hip and pulled together! Or, at least you’ll feel like you look cool!

Just take your fashion to the next level this summer by shielding your baby blues, greens, browns, or everything in between with some stylish shades.  As you can see they don’t have to cost a lot to make a high fashion statement. Goodwill, often times, is the first place to start when you want to explore and renew your style at a price that will save you some dough for other pursuits this summer. And, as always you’re helping someone else by supporting our programs, while looking like a STAR doing it!