As we age, it becomes more and more important to invest in your vision and eye protection. We rely on having clear vision to carry out various daily tasks and activities. In a previous post, we discussed how external factors such as the weather, whether a windy day or under bright sunlight, can affect your sight and cause watery eyes. Similarly, working in intensely lit environments like overhead lights that are very bright can irritate the eyes, drying and itching them. While this can cause mild discomfort, it can also worsen and cause sore or gritty eyes.
Fortunately, this is where a decent pair of sunglasses can provide much-needed eye protection. Aside from protecting your eyes from external elements, sunglasses can also provide sun protection, especially against harmful UV rays from the sun. Some sunglasses also have oversized lenses, creating a larger area of eye protection.
Of course, while wearing sunglasses is crucial for eye protection, choosing the right pair can be overwhelming, with so many kinds of shades available on the market nowadays. Below, we’ll share some tips for choosing the best sunglasses for women over 50.
Choosing based on lifestyle and use
As mentioned above, sunglasses nowadays come in various styles, lens shapes, and colours. Aside from impacting how you may look, this can also affect overall comfort and function depending on what you need them for. Many women’s sunglasses available today come in thick, chunky frames like the ever-trendy Prada 17WS, whereas classics from Ray-Ban like the Aviator and Clubmaster feature thinner, sleek frames and larger lenses. Some Ray-Ban models also offer options for polarised lenses if you need more glare reduction, whether you’re out gardening or driving on a hot summer day.
It’s also important not to overspend on expensive sunglasses. While paying more can go a long way in ensuring durability through higher-quality materials, costly shades may not necessarily offer any more protection to the eyes than mid-range sunglasses. Price doesn’t dictate compliance with safety standards, so if you’re particularly sensitive to light, focusing on UV protection will be more important than only finding the priciest or latest model.
Matching frames to your face shape
Another crucial tip for choosing the right sunglasses is to match your pair with your face shape. It’s important to note that as you age, your face may change, even if not as drastically as you may think. This is why many stylists and hair stylists try their best to match one’s hair with one’s face shape, from which hair length would complement your facial features to how specific hairstyles can help accentuate your bone structure. A similar philosophy also applies to eyewear, which can significantly highlight or diminish your facial features based on the shape, silhouette, and size you go for.
For example, if you have a rounder face, you may want to opt for harder angles when choosing sunglass styles. This includes rectangle and square-shaped lenses or ovals to add length to your face. On the other hand, if your face has sharper edges and angles, you may want to use large and rounder lenses like the Aviator to help soften your features.
Matching your sunglasses to your haircut
As explained above, eyewear can be an extension of your facial features, like hair. Another great way to ensure you find the right pair of sunglasses is to match them to your face and your haircut. If you’ve recently bought a new pair of shades, for example, and found that they aren’t to your liking, changing up your hair can help. Many hairstyles for women over 50 come in varying lengths, styles, and colours. As such, many stylists recommend bringing your sunglasses to your hair appointment so your hair can be adapted and personalised to your face and sunglasses.
If you find that chunky sunglasses aren’t great for your style, for example, you can opt to have longer sides of your hair to help minimise the chunky frames. If you find that oversized lenses are too domineering for your face shape on the other hand, you may want to avoid keeping bangs that fringe your face, as they may end up further “cluttering” your face instead of highlighting facial features you love.