Send Optics

That’s the line we’re hearing from optometrists in the US.

Children from the age of 5 onwards should be wearing sunglasses when outside to prevent them from the long-term damage caused by excessive exposure to the sun over the years.

As the effects of excessive sunlight show up when people are 60 or 70 years old, experiencing macular degeneration or cataract issues, taking preventative measures in childhood can’t be encouraged enough.

Just as parents need to be applying sun lotion to their kids skin when they go outside, sun protection for the eyes needs to become a habit too.

While we appreciate that encouraging your kids to keep their specs on isn’t the easiest of jobs, letting them wear a super cool version of daddy’s Ray-Bans to make them feel grown up is a step in the right direction.

These great bright blue lensed Ray-Ban Junior visor style sunglasses give all the protection their peepers need from the sun and would suit both girls and boys.

The real question on everyone’s lips this summer is whether sunglasses are being used to mask out more than just the sun?

Notorious for their use by fashion conscious celebrities, designer sunglasses have become society’s most acceptable veil and single-handed lifter of social status.

Exuding an air of “Don’t touch me – I’m famous” snobbery, paparazzi flock at the sight of them, in their expectation that there must be something worth hiding beneath those lenses.

Understandable when we recall all the tear-stained eyes and hangover recoveries that sunglasses sadly not only fail to hide, but in fact positively drawn to.

Really if you think about it, when feeling at your lowest it’s best to opt for easy glamour. Forgotten to brush your hair or can’t be bothered with makeup this morning? No worries, whack on a pair of your most favourite on stand-by sunglasses and a glamour puss is born.

Get yourself some maximum impact shades to turn heads in the street, and let them wonder if you’re a celebrity in disguise. For celeb style gloss without the stylist, these classic Chanel wraps are a front-page investment.

It’s official. White House wonderboy Barack Obama seals his style with some seriously cool Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Sleek and slightly conservative, Obama’s preference is for the Ray-Ban 3217 range. Understandable when you think about the appointments he attends.

However, we think the president deserves some laid-back luxury like the 3320 offers. With a brushed gunmetal frame and brown graduated lenses, we’re coming over all Independence Day in our vision of a super stylish head of state.

All he needs now is a US Air Force jumpsuit, and we’d happily second any motion! Grab a pair yourself from sendoptics.com for a snip under 80 quid.

We’re too excited. Those clever cats at Ray-Ban have created a whopper of a try-before-you-buy goodie. And boy, is it good.

The spanky new Ray-Ban Virtual Mirror is a 3D downloadable technology that lets you see which Ray-Ban style suits you best – all in the comfort of your own home.

Just download the virtual mirror to your PC and use a web cam to capture yourself. Who needs fitting rooms when technology’s this good? We’re sold.

Now you can see for yourself if Ray-Ban’s classic Aviator sunglasses aren’t your style without suffering from buyer’s remorse!

Go on, give it a go and then sort yourself out with a pair from only £62.00 at one of the UK’s leading online stockists of Ray-Ban sunglasses, Send Optics.

For those addicted by the lure of music but without the cash to take you there, you’ll be pleased to know that pop fashion junkies’ favourite, Ray-Ban committed to putting on regular “trolleys” (as our American friends call coaches!) to take music fans to the heart of Lollapalooza, for free!

The long standing music festival takes place over an August weekend in Chicago each year and features alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock music.

Putting on the free “colorize” rides across the Illinois city really lifted the retro brand’s iconic status amongst the thousands of fans who attended.

Running from August 7-9 this year, you’ve sadly missed the Ray-Ban bonanza, but consider booking a ticket for next year (August 6-8).

We would have loved to have been there, but unfortunately Ray-Ban don’t offer free colorize plane rides! So we’ll just don our Wayfarers in homage to the event instead.

Join us with your own pair of classic iconic Ray-Ban Wayfarer 2140 specs, or go all out for a real festival feel with these contemporary coloured sunshine yellow Wayfarers.

Electro Lancashire lass, Little Boots was armed and ready for a grilling by a broadsheet journalist from The Telegraph this week, with little more than a shiny new pair of red Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses.

The perky little songstress from Blackpool babbled and giggled her way through detailing her rapid rise to stardom in the Brit pop mainstream. Black skinny jeans and a T-shirt encrusted with multicoloured sequins completed her look, mimicking that of thousands of teenyboppers across the nation.

As pop culture continues to look across the continent to mould fashion on our more successful singer siblings like Lady GaGa, we can only anticipate the rise of Ray-Bans going stellar.

For a more sedate version that all non-muso earthlings can pull off, try these classic Ray-Ban Clubmaster 3016 in Havana for a fashion fix under 80 quid that never goes out of style.

Or if you’re feeling brave, Little Boot’s red Clubmasters from Ray-Ban at Send Optics are the real deal.

Wearing heart shaped sunglasses has always had an element of cine-chic coolness about it ever since Stanley Kubrick shot the eponymous Lolita in the 1962 cult classic.

Probably one of the most iconic pieces of costume in cinematic history, the heart shaped sunglasses evoke images of carefree adolescence combined with a knowing sexuality. This season, the glamour of the movie hit the British mainstream and heartshaped sunglasses are everywhere thanks to highstreet imitations from Topshop and their ilk.

Celebrities across the West have been spotted in their hordes; from Paris Hilton to Katie Price, Kelly Osbourne, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry, Nicole Richie to name a few - all wearing designer versions of these iconic glasses.

As cute as these Cupid glasses are, we reckon they’ll be old hat in no time and a wiser investment to remain on trend for several seasons would be these super sleek Prada Havanas with a slightly muted frame but bold and dramatic features.

We likee…

The sunglasses aficionados that we are, when we came across these amazing Lego sunglasses we just had to share them.

Basically, the arms comprise of inset Lego boards and allow the wearer to construct weird and wonderful creations on the sides of their head.

Lego sunglasses

Taking a step back, as fabulous as the Lego specs are, these contrasting Rayban frames are much less cumbersome but with enough eccenticity thrown in to make us want them.

These classic Rayban 2143 sunglasses have a black frame that graduates to transparent plastic. More wearable, but wacky enough we reckon!

Rayban 2143 black/transparent

Get yourself beach ready and beautiful with a glamourous pair of Gucci sunglasses, with a fresh catch just in at Send Optics…

Pick from three divine frames, each restyled in several shades to given you optimum choice in picking the perfect pair.

There’s the Gucci 3057 Havana Gold; classic styling in a havana frame with an infamous gold heart Gucci motif at the temples. Or pick a pair in transparent red if you’re a shade more daring…

Gucci 3057 Havana

Or why not go for the sleek and sexy Gucci 3058 Grey? A broad sweeping frame in a muted grey frame with blue/grey interior. Or if you want to stand out, these frames come in a bold carbon Black style also.

Gucci 3058 Grey

Our pick of the bunch would have to be the Gucci 3077 Black frame with white patterned interior arms with its wide set, socket-curving style similar to the widely imitated Breakfast at Tiffanys frames. Alternatively, choose the Gucci 3077 Black frame with outer matte black patterned arms, or white frames with white patterned interior arms.

Gucci 3077 White Interior Arm

Well, this might just be flash in the pan; another classic Fergie fashion moment, but maybe - just maybe - her new look has got some wearability.

Black Eyed Pea Fergie's Star Trek wraparound sunglasses

Black Eyed Pea Fergie’s been spotted in a pair of oversized black wraparound sunglasses styled up as though she’s walked off the set of Star Trek with Geordi La Forge’s spectacular specs.

Star Trek's Geordi La Forge

If you’re looking for a more wearable (think socially acceptable!) version of Fergie’s trekkie specs, we think these are bang on the money:

Dior Escrime 1 Black/Silver Sunglasses - £60.00

For sixty quid, we’ve found this pretty pair of sleek genuine Dior holyness that truly fits the bill from Send Optics.