9 Fun Facts about Sunglasses

There's more to sunglasses than what meets the eye. Besides being a must-have accessory, sunglasses have increasingly become a significant part of everyday usage. A rich history of sunglasses exists that explains the origin and use of these small but powerful accessories. Today, close to everyone in America owns a pair of sunglasses to protect their eyes from the harmful rays of the sun. However, besides protection from UV rays, little more is known about sunglasses. Here is a list of nine interesting facts about sunglasses:

• The first sunglasses are credited to the 12th-century Chinese people. They were meant to protect the eyes from the sun and to hide people's facial expressions in a court of law.
• There has been an ongoing debate on whether eyebrows should show or not while wearing sunglasses. While some view showing eyebrows as a crime, others think it is totally dependent on face shape. No conclusion has been reached.

• Cheap round sunglasses can be as good in blocking out sun rays as expensive sunglasses. However, expensive sunglasses tend to combine all the technologies involved in protecting the eyes to achieve a complete eye protection.

• 75% of the world's designer sunglasses are produced by a single luxury Goods Company. The Italian company Luxottica makes labels such as Burberry, Chanel, and Ralph Lauren. The company also owns Ray-ban and Oakley brands.
• In 1980, the American rock band ZZ Top released a single hit called Cheap Sunglasses
• The British Singer Elton Jones is thought to be the owner of the largest sunglass collection in the world. His love for wacky sunglasses inspired the 1998 play Elton Jones' sunglasses

• The famous and fashionable Ray-ban Aviators a la Top Gun are a product of science, not fashion. Originally designed for the U.S Air Service pilots by Bausch & Lomb (medical equipment manufacturers), they were meant to reduce sickness and headaches caused by the glare from the intense hues of the sky at high altitude. They used a combination of green tinted lenses and Polaroid technology to make them.

• Emperor Nero of the Roman Empire is reported to have worn polished emeralds while watching Gladiator fights.
• Polaroid sunglasses offering protection from UV rays were invented in 1936. Before then, tinted sunglasses only reduced the glare of sunlight exposed to the eye.

Sunglasses go way down the history lane and have absolutely become the ultimate ‘keepers' in the fashion world. Thanks to several brands, today all types of sunglasses are available in the market at affordable prices.