While I hate to celebrate the shithole that is America, I love to be by the pool and eat hot dogs. So in honor of that, I decided to throw a 4th of July party—about 48 hours ago. Oops!
But as I was pulling my outfit together (priorities, people), I realized I am experiencing an absolute deficit of sexy sunglasses. I lost the one pair I do like—black glasses from A Better Feeling 1—and all the others I own feel either too ladylike or too meh.
So with that in mind, I set out in search of a new pair…which is how I discovered that I am insanely picky about sunglasses. Who knew slapping some shit over your eyes could be such a shopping challenge?? But I have scoured the internet, and I come here now to share my findings.
BTW—while I normally avoid buying cheap stuff that won’t last long, I think it’s perfectly fine to purchase crappy sunglasses; I personally treat mine like shit, so unless they’re a very unique pair, I can’t justify spending much on them. But I’m gonna include a bunch of glasses in a range of prices, in case you are a better person than me and handle your things with care.
Playing it safe
Let’s say you just want a regular pair of glasses that look, you know, good. Normal. They’re a little more unexpected than Ray-Bans, but they’re not as trendy as those Loewe ones. They’re just…nice.
These are a slightly more novel shape with the wraparound, but they aren’t full gas station-core.
These UO vintage re-released glasses are cool without being too cool. And if you wanna spend even less money, these other UO silver sunnies feel like something Julia Roberts would’ve worn on the red carpet in the 90s.
Next up, a pair of vintage sunnies from a brand I’ve been watching closely on Ebay.
These Killer Loop black sunnies are going for $39, which is a pretty good deal considering I’ve seen similar models range up to $200. For a zanier pair of Killer Loops, I like these $40 KL shield glasses. Honestly just check out all the Killer Loops on Ebay, I think you won’t be disappointed.
If you want a more traditional shape but with a surprising color/texture twist, try these next ones on for size.
These vintage Alain Mikli sunglasses are sick in a way I can’t place my finger on. The sheen of the silver, the bulk of the top half…they’re almost like something your funky aunt who knew about Marimekko before everyone else would wear. You can also shop a bunch of Alain Mikli on TRR.
And finally, sunglasses from a brand I think you’re gonna be hearing a lot more about in the next few years.
These blue Chimi sunglasses are just a tiny bit alien in the best way possible. All their glasses are classic with the slightest twist; just what the doctor ordered for this summer.
BTW Chimi is having a huge sale as we speak. Do with that what you will.
Getting weirder…
Ok we covered some basic sunnies. Now let’s dip our toe into a pool of slightly stranger offerings…glasses that are almost normal but which, for one reason or another, make you do a double take.
Starting off strong with a surprising exception to my “no designer labels” rule of thumb; these somehow manage to loudly be A Brand and also be Good.
I fear that I love these Prada Sport sunglasses. It’s giving Charlie’s Angels. It’s giving Formula 1. It’s giving…sport.
These next sunglasses almost have been included in the previous category—but they’re just a little wacky. Maybe it’s because they remind me of swim goggles (in a good way).
These 90s vintage sunglasses have no fancy designer label, no certificate of authenticity. They’re just fuckin’ cool. And sometimes, that’s all that matters. For a more reserved, modern version of the glasses, check out these gunmental Our Legacy shades.
These next glasses are sick but the man modeling them? Downright iconic.
I’m obsessed with these vintage Oakley sunnies and their wearer. Maybe I should’ve saved them for the next section, but I wanted you all to see him asap. Honestly all vintage Oakleys have a real thing to them. They feel like you could, at any given moment, suddenly start snowboarding.
Screw it, let’s go crazy
This is where I let it allll hang out. These are #fashion sunglasses, for the truly bold amongst us. Because I’m begging somebody to start pushing the bounds of eyewear. That being said, these are also glasses I genuinely like and would wear (as opposed to novelty costume pieces).
First up, a $15 pair of sunglasses that take ‘bugging out’ to new heights.
Are these UO ‘Bug’ sunglasses crazy? Yes. Are they also awesome? Big yes. They’re definitely a rip off of the buggie sunglasses we’ve seen other brands sending down the runway recently. For a higher end version of the glasses, check out this Acne pair on TRR.
I think you have to appreciate that this next pair are just barely sunglasses. If anything, they’re lab goggles with a twist.
I think that, depending on the lens you use, these Exte silver frame glasses could function as sunglasses or regular eyeglasses. And if you are a bad enough bitch to pull these off as regular glasses…you have my undying respect.
And finally, a pair of glasses that are the closest I have ever ventured towards a ‘steampunk’ look.
Of course I am not telling you to buy a pair of $623 vintage Matsuda glasses. I’m just saying that if I saw you wearing these in the club, I would elbow my way through the teeming crowd to get. These glasses remind of a 60s/70s French furniture designer whose name I can’t remember. They are beautiful.
Bonus Round
Ok, I’ve started putting up some paywalls—let’s talk about it!
The motivation for this is two-fold. One, this blog is getting a little bit bigger and at the risk of sounding like an asshole, I am a strong believer in gatekeeping. Some things should be kept (relatively) secret! And two, my posts take more time and effort than I anticipated. I love doing them, but I’m hoping to see a little return on my investment (especially because I’m not in the Creator Fund on Tik Tok, so I make zero bucks from that equally time-consuming hobby).
All this to say, there is literally zero pressure to be a paid subscriber. I just want you to know where I’m coming from so you’re not like, Remy, how could you?? Hopefully you still enjoy all the free stuff on the blog; the extras are just like, a fun bonus. The sprinkles on an ice cream.
With that being said—this week for paid subscribers, I’m gonna talk about a bunch of other non-sunglasses-related cool stuff I found on the internet this week (plus one extra glasses rec, oops).
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Immaculate Taste to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.