Designer glasses have come into their own in recent years with names like Gucci, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Prada, Tommy Hilfiger or YSL being seen in most opticians’ windows.So how do glasses qualify to bear the label “designer”?Perhaps it’s the provenance of the name itself and a long association with the world of couture and the fashion industry.

Prada glasses are highly esteemed by opticians and fashionistas alike, but this iconic Italian brand established its fashion credentials over several decades through producing leather goods and expanding into haute couture and vintage style clothing and accessories.Perhaps to gain the appellation “designer” it’s not a case of who made them, but rather who wears them?  Celebrity and the modern media can arguably take a pair of cheap glasses and smother them in celebrity kudos that will elevate them to the status of “designer” overnight.Celebrity endorsement (if you pick the right ones) can certainly make things trendy.   John Lennon was instantly recognisable thanks to his round lens coloured Windsor style that are now much more commonly referred to as a “Lennon”.However, these glasses could just as easily been called after Groucho Marx, Mahatma Gandhi, or Joseph Stalin, – they all wore the same style – but of course they didn’t have access to the mass media and a burgeoning youth market.

There’s no doubt that longevity and some catwalk credibility certainly helps to gain the accolade of your products being labellled “designer”.Prada and indeed Dolce & Gabbana had a long history in fashion and haute couture before they even contemplated going anywhere near glasses.But to qualify as a designer product ultimately, there must be a designer behind the product in the first place.That could mean the inspired creation of a talented and dedicated individual, such as Raymond Stegeman, the optical designer responsible for the classic 1952 Ray Bans Wayfarer sunglass shape, or, as is more often the case, the collective team work of an entire studio full of equally creative, people.

We all know there is a huge range of products that people have modified into USB sticks. Whether it’s a real old twig that can store computer data, or possibly a broken piece of wire that won’t get stolen as much. There are hundreds out there are now there is a new addition to the list of wacky USB devices.

The new wacky device is a pair of sunglasses, Calvin Klein shades to be accurate. You might be scratching your head wondering how they managed to squeeze a USB memory stick into a pair of designer glasses. Well, it’s pretty cool the way they have implemented it, although it doesn’t make alot of sense why, the idea is cool. They have added the USB storage into the end of the right arm of the glasses. You simply pull the end of the arm off, plus it into the USB slot on your PC, Mac, laptop or netbook and then you will gain an extra 4GB of storage.

Although it seems a little strange to include a USB stick in some sunglasses, I guess it make a selling point as that’s not something you would get in a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses. Although, if you think that when you are on a beach, using your laptop or netbook, as you do when on holiday, and you require some extra storage, simply pull apart your sunglasses and there you have it.

Of course the biggest and most obvious downside to these glasses is that once you start using the USB storage, you can’t wear them at the same time, unless you are able to use the one arm and balance them on your head. Also, I assume they have made the connection holding the arm together strong otherwise as you remove the sunglasses, the arm might fall apart, not something you want on a beach. Also, I’m not sure if the USB is waterproof because if you’re using them on the beach, you don’t want to loose all your data if you get splashed, you certainly wouldn’t have that problem with Police sunglasses.

I guess the glasses have their advantages and disadvantages, and if you really don’t want to carry around a seperate memory stick with you, this would be your best option. However, they come at a high price. $199 is how much they will be retailing for, however, I assume that main part of that is for the sunglasses and not for the 4GB storage which would normally cost you about $20.

We’ve all seen the wacky things that people have made into USB sticks. Whether it’s a fake piece of broken wire to deter thieves, or maybe a real stick that can store 2GB of memory. There are hundreds out there are now there is a new addition to the list of wacky USB devices.

The new addition to the list is a pair of sunglasses, Calvin Klein shades to be accurate. You might be think, how did they manage to fit a 4GB USB stick into a pair of designer sunglasses and still make them look good. Well although it doesn’t really make a huge amount of sense why, it’s still pretty cool how they have done it. They have included the USB stick and storage into the end of the right arm of the sunglasses. All you have to do is pull the end of the arm off, plug it into your PC and then it can store a massive 4GB of data, not bad for a pair of sunglasses.

Although it seems a little strange to include a USB stick in some sunglasses, I guess it make a selling point as that’s not something you would get in a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses. Although, when you think about the uses, if you are on a beach and require some extra storage space for your netbook, all you have to do is dismantle your glasses and you can store all you want.

Of course the biggest disadvantage to them is that once you need to use the data storage, you are not able to use the sunglasses, unless you can balance them on your face using only 1 arm. Also, the connection to hold the arm as one must have to be strong or it could fall apart as you take the sunglasses off. Also, I’m not sure if the USB is waterproof because if you’re using them on the beach, you don’t want to loose all your data if you get splashed, you certainly wouldn’t have that problem with Police sunglasses.

I guess the glasses have their advantages and disadvantages, and if you really don’t want to carry around a seperate memory stick with you, this would be your best option. However, they come at a high price. $199 is how much they will cost, I assume you are paying the majority of that for the glasses and not the 4GB storage.

Currently, with designer fastion and global warming all around us, a pair of sunglasses is a must have for both. A good pair of sunglasses will complete your outfit and they can also cover up the damage that the previous night did to your eyes. As for the global warming, with temperatures and sunlight increasing, your eyes need more protection from harmful UV rays than ever before.

So now that we have justified why you need to buy some good sunglasses, which should give you some excuses to buy some, you now have to decide which ones are good for you. Now this is where it becomes complicated.

Just like when you have to buy normal glasses, the ones that you buy are based on the shape of your face. Most people sit in two differant face shapes, oval and round. A round faced person is someone whose face is as long as it is wide and generally, a round faced person will be aware that they have a round face. As for the other shape, oval, if you don’t think you’re a round faced person, then you’re most likely oval faced and this is simply where the length is longer than the width.

Once you have chosen which face shape you are, you can then make a decision as to which shape sunglasses you should get. If you have a round face, then more of a rectangular or square frame would be a better option. If you do have a more rounded face then you are limited slightly because some designer companies don’t make rectangle or square glasses.

If you have an oval face, the entire range is open to you as anything will look good. You are not just limited to square ones, you get away with wearing big sunglasses like many of the celebrities, or you can opt for something smaller.Police sunglasses or possibly a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses, you should be able to pull it off.

There are a couple of other face shapes that you may have if you don’t fit into either oval or circle. If you believe that you have a heart shaped face then you would be best suited to the thin rimmed aviation styled sunglasses. Finally, if you have a more square shaped face, then you don’t want to add more angles so a pair of curved sunglasses would be best.

Hopefully this guide will help you next time you go to buy your sunglasses. Just remember, despite paying alot of money for the sunglasses, it doesn’t mean that they give enough protection for your eyes. Make sure they have a sticker on them saying how well they really do protect you and look to see whether they are CR39 lenses which complies by the European guidelines.

Fashion is an ever changing and at some times strange thing. How people dress, how they act and how they live is constantly changing as the lastest thing in the news changes. Whether it’s a new film release, or a what a celebrity has been seen wearing, it always has an effect on how the public act.

The latest Harry Potter film is the latest things to have an effect on people of all ages. The film has already broken box office records, and like all the previous films, it’s having an effect on hardcore fans that aspire to be like Potter. This has lead to companies seeing a rise in Potter style clothing, in particular, glasses. There are many companies that are benefiting from the trend, Glasses Direct is just one of them. They have reported seeing a 100% rise in sales of the Harry Potter designer glasses that they sell.

Many people are finding that when they go to choose a new pair of glasses, they see the Harry Potter style frames and find that they match their personal interests aswell as their desired price. The Potter style glasses tend to be very cheap glasses because the design of them is so basic and this is one reason why they are becoming so popular so quickly.

Jamie Murray Wells, the founder of Glasses Direct, had this to say about the surge: “We always see a surge in styles to match current trends.

The new Harry Potter style is leading trends further away from think rimmed glasses. With these glasses costing so little and the popularity of them rising, we may all look like Harry Potter soon. Unfortunately glasses retailers haven’t yet released the Harry Potter style glasses as prescription sunglasses, we’ll all just have to squint while looking like wizards.

Your vision is invaluble. You only get one pair of eyes, and if your sight goes it’s gone forever! So if you’ve started noticing that things aren’t quite as clear as they used to be, investing in a decent pair of glasses could save your eyesight from getting any worse. Prescription glasses are all specifically made to suit the needs displayed in each person’s eye test, whether they are intended to worn all day or just for reading or driving. Having a regular eye test every two years means that you always know what glasses you should wear to correct any problems your eyes may have at that time. Then you can take the prescription to any optician or the internet to get your glasses.

Proper prescription glasses can be expensive, especially if you choose designer frames, so many people consider buying ready-made reading glasses at a pharmacy or department store. Theyre certainly popular, but do depend entirely on self diagnosis so theres a risk that you are doing more harm than good in the long term. Prescription glasses neednt cost a fortune in the very competitive optical market nowadays and many online providers are offering fantastic deals on cheap glasses that are nonetheless correctly made and of the very highest optical quality.

The right prescription lenses will keep your eyes healthy for much longer than buying cheap off the shelf glasses, and could help to correct any underlying problems as well. Not all eye problems are simply due to aging, and there could be a more serious issue that could go unrecognised without getting checked out at the optician’s. Another problem with cheap glasses is they only allow for single vision. Bifocal lenses, with two distinct optical elements in the lens and Varifocal lenses where the power of the lens to graduates smoothly across its surface, are far better suited to most peoples lifestyle and activities and are only available in properly dispensed prescription glasses. When it comes down to it, there is no limit to how much your eyesight is worth. Properly prescribed and dispensed glasses will protect and improve your vision and they neednt cost a fortune