There is nothing that screams style than putting on your favorite pair of sunglasses and heading to a beach or park to make the most of the sunshine. It’s little surprise, that a staggering 86.7% of millennials in the USA choose to wear sunglasses. The question is, what makes sunglasses so popular?
Sunglasses Are a Timeless Fashion Accessory
When it comes to sunglasses, it doesn’t matter what age you are. As soon as you put on those shades, you instantly feel that much cooler. Which is a stark opposite to glasses, which have often been portrayed as a ‘nerdy’ or ‘geeky’ thing to wear.
So, why is there such a big difference between sunglasses and regular glasses in terms of popularity? Well, perhaps the biggest reason for the popularity of sunglasses is down to movies, with many of Hollywood’s biggest stars wearing sunglasses during iconic roles.
For one, who can forget the surge in popularity of Aviator glasses after the 80’s classic Top Gun hit the big screens. Just about everyone who saw Top Gun was desperate to copy the style of Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer by investing in leather jackets and Ray-Ban Aviator shades.
Yet, this wasn’t the first movie that inspired us all to head to the shops. Back in ’55, Rebel Without A Cause changed the way we all thought about fashion forever. Especially since James Dean is still thought of as the epitome of cool. So, when the movie was released, people were desperate to look like Dean and copied his style by buying Clubmasters.
Both of these styles are just as popular today – and Aviators will only become more popular with the Top Gun sequel to hit screens soon. Even better, these days Ray-Ban allow their customers to alter designs to suit their own style. Which really suits millennials, who adore having the ability to make something personal to them.
Yet it’s not just Ray-Ban that has dominated our movies, inspiring people to wear sunglasses more. Just look at Gargoyles Classic (Terminator), Oliver Peoples (Fight Club) and Persol 714 (Thomas Crown Affair), all of these sunglasses became more popular after being featured in movies.
Why Are They So Popular?
Sunglasses are such a popular item for people of all ages – with the US having the biggest sunglasses market in the world – it’s just as likely you’ll see the same kind of statistics for Generation Z in the near future.
Sunglasses aren’t just a fashion accessory and are, in fact, a fundamental tool for protecting our eyes from the harmful rays the sun gives out. Which means they are often necessary for situations such as driving and sports. Better still, it’s been said that sunglasses can help prevent wrinkles, as you don’t squint so much in the sun.
So, it doesn’t matter if you wear your sunglasses purely to copy a movie star, to look cool in or to try to drive safely without the sun’s glare blocking your vision. Either way, your eyes will thank you!
