Accessorizing? Don’t Overlook Sunglasses!

Happy Friday, sweet gal! I hope your week has been pleasant. It’s rainy and cool here today, but as I typed this post the sun was shining through my window over my computer monitor. That seemed fitting since today I’m talking about one of the most important but often overlooked accessories we all wear: sunglasses!

I’ve been guilty in the past of just throwing on some cheap and even dinged up sunglasses as I headed out the door. The crazy thing is, I would have spent plenty of time putting on makeup, doing my hair and curating a nice outfit. And yes, I probably put on some cute shoes and loaded my lipstick, wallet and keys into a nice handbag that I loved and deemed stylish. But then I’d give little to no thought to the shades I fitted squarely onto my face, front and center. Go figure!

Think about it. Your sunglasses are probably among your most frequently worn accessories, especially if you live in a sunny state or have sensitive eyes. My green eyes are extremely light sensitive, so I wear sunnies out and about even on cloudy days. Sunglasses are not optional for me. And really, even if you don’t squint in the sun like I do, you probably need the protection good shades provide.

It really wasn’t until I started blogging here at Dressed for My Day a little over two years ago that I discovered the importance of fashionable sunglasses. As I began posting my photos here, I saw the difference attractive sunglasses could make, elevating an outfit and adding a touch of class and sophistication rather effortlessly. But I also discovered that shoddy sunglasses could completely spoil an otherwise curated look. Who wants to do that???

So now I own several pairs of nice sunglasses that I try to coordinate with my outfits. Some of them are a little pricey (over $100) and others are mid range ($49-99). I bought all of them, however, on sale or with gift cards or shopping bonuses. At this point, I don’t own any extremely cheap sunglasses, and here’s why. I’ve discovered that when I buy cheap sunglasses I take care of them like they’re cheap sunglasses, meaning, I don’t take care of them at all. Ha! Yeah, that’s a character flaw I guess. But since I want my sunglasses to accessorize my outfits rather than detract from them, I’ve decided it’s better for me to spend a little on nicer glasses and then use the cases they came in and take good care of them.

What Should You Look For?

Here are some general guidelines for selecting sunglasses that I mentioned in an earlier Q&A with Kay. (Need to know how to figure out your face shape? Check out this post.)

• If you have an oval shaped face you can wear just about any frames you’d like.
• Oval shaped faces are also a nice backdrop for squared frames. (I have an oval shaped face, by the way)
• Heart-shaped faces tend to have small chins. So you’ll want to choose smaller frames, cat-eye frames or rimless glasses. Large frames will “take over” your face.
• If you have a square shaped face, I suggest rounding off the hard edges with round or oval frames.
• If your face is square in shape avoid small frames that will “get lost” on you.
• Keep in mind that black frames tend to look larger than colored frames.

• If your face is circular, you’ll want to select frames that are wide enough to go a little beyond the broadest part of your face. Avoid round or oval glasses and opt for those with more angles.
• If you’re hiking, golfing, watching a baseball game or doing anything that requires you to see long distances, you might want to select brown or amber lenses, which improve depth perception.
• But black and grey lenses are best if you live in an area where it’s equally sunny and cloudy because they help reduce glare, prevent eye fatigue and provide ample protection for your eyes.

• Blue lenses reduce glare, so they’re great for spending time on the water or in the snow on a sunny day.
• Finally green lenses are perhaps the best all around shades. They make shadows darker and colors brighter, reduce glare and are good for cloudy and sunny days.
• As far as the color of the rims, choose a color that works best with your wardrobe. Black works with any wardrobe, but remember they will appear larger than other colors on your face.

I suggest having at least a couple of pairs of sunglasses that work for your face shape and vision needs in neutral shades that you can wear with most anything. Then, if you’d like to add to this accessory collection, I recommend looking for some “fun” sunnies in colors you enjoy accessorizing with, such as white, pink, red or blue. This spring and summer I’m pulling out my Michael Kors pink Key Biscayne Sunglasses shown above (now 25% off), but I don’t wear them much in the fall and winter.

Shop for Sunglasses

I’ve prepared a shopping boutique full of sunglasses that I love. Some are pricey (even more than I care to pay full price) but most are even rather inexpensive. I think all of these are chic and would add something to your overall look rather than detracting from the outfit you’ve so carefully curated. Keep in mind that many of the styles are available in multiple colors. Oh, and some of these are readers, too.

Keep in mind, these are affiliate links. If you shop through them I potentially earn a commission on your purchases, but at no additional cost to you. thank you so much for supporting my work here by shopping through my links.

If you prefer to shop for sunglasses from a particular store rather than the boutique above, you might enjoy shopping for sunnies from the same places I do. The following links go straight to the store’s sunglasses selection.

• Chico’s (they have sunglasses, readers and sunglass reders)
• Talbots – sunglasses and readers
• Nordstrom – you can even filter your selection by face shape
• Tory Burch – sunglasses and readers
• Michael Kors – everything is 25% off right now for Mother’s Day
• Fossil
• Belk

Thank you so much for stopping in today. I hope you have a sunny day!

Blessed for My Day

Always be joyful. That’s what Paul instructed the people of Thessalonica…in the midst of persecution. How can we always be joyful during difficult days? Well it really is a choice. That may sound trite and over-simplified, but it’s true.

We can choose to be joyful by constantly communicating with God. Instead of ruminating, pray! We can also choose to be joyful by expressing gratitude throughout the day. I recently pulled out my little gratitude journal and began again noting throughout the day things for which I am grateful. It’s not enough to feel grateful; I need to express it. Finally, I can choose joy when I come to turns with the fact that God is sovereign and He is doing something…even in the midst of my difficulty.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18