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Sunglasses

55 frames

About Sunglasses

Sunglasses are the smaller side of the shop, and they arrive ready to wear. Each pair comes with its own tinted lenses, fitted before it left the factory, so there is nothing to do when the box opens but put them on.' A1: 'Every pair ships ready to wear with the tinted lenses it was built with, so you can put them on the day they arrive. That is the one real difference from the eyeglass side, where a frame turns up with plain demo lenses or none at all. What we send is a finished pair of sunglasses, not a frame waiting on a lab.

The tinted lenses are not prescription. If you want your prescription in them, bring the pair into our Arlington or Dumfries shop and we will measure you and order the lenses, or take them to your own optician and have the work done there. Either route is normal. One thing to know before you order: once lenses have been fitted to a pair, it can no longer be returned to us.

We hold around fifty pairs, drawn from about half the brands that fill the rest of the shop. Most of what we stock is acetate, with metal next and a smaller number that combine the two. Across the shop the shapes run round, square, cat-eye, geometric, rectangular, oval and aviator, so there is no single look here. Almost every piece is a one-off. When it sells it is gone, and we cannot promise another in the same colour.

Drop the depth clause: "A sunglass is usually built wider than an optical frame and covers more, with a front set closer to the brow and cheek, so a size that suits you in glasses is not always the size that suits you in the sun." Among the sunglasses, eye sizes run from the mid forties to the mid sixties, and the measurements for each pair are printed on its listing. Shipping across the US is free and insured, and returns are seven days with a 15% restocking fee.

Do your sunglasses come with lenses?

Yes. Every pair ships ready to wear with the tinted lenses the brand fitted to it, so you can put them on the day they arrive. This is different from the eyeglass frames we sell, which come with plain demo lenses or none. The lenses in our sunglasses are not prescription, and we do not fit prescription lenses before shipping. If you need your prescription in them, that is a second step, done in one of our shops or by your own optician.

Can these be made into prescription sunglasses?

Yes, though not by us before the parcel leaves. We ship frames only. Bring the pair into our Arlington or Dumfries shop and we will take the measurements and order your lenses, or take them to your own optician and have the work done there. The lenses are a separate cost either way. Two things worth knowing first: once lenses have been fitted, the pair cannot be returned to us, and a frame bought on sale is a final sale from the start.

Are they polarised?

It depends on the pair, and we would rather check than guess. Polarisation is a choice each brand makes model by model, and our sunglasses come from several different brands, so some are polarised, some are a plain tint, and some are mirrored or graduated. We do not carry it as a filter on the site. Every frame we sell is here in hand, so write or ring before you order and we will look at the actual pair and tell you what is in it.

How do I pick a size?

Start with the three numbers on the listing: eye, bridge and temple, in millimetres. Compare them with a pair you already wear and like, which is the quickest guide most people have. Among the sunglasses, eye sizes run from the mid forties to the mid sixties. Remember that a sunglass is usually cut wider than an optical frame, so your optical size is a starting point rather than an answer. If you are between two, send us the numbers and we will tell you which we would put on you.