SHADY LADY

- Liane Weintraub, Editor-in-Chief

Clearly, judging by my obsession with sunglasses, I was born on the wrong coast (the East one), because when I was growing up, no one in New York quite understood my fixation with my favorite accessory.  When I moved to the other coast (the West one), I suddenly found myself in a magical land where no one gave me dirty looks for wearing my shades year-round.  In fact, in L.A. it’s not uncommon for people to wear their sunglasses well past sundown.

I can chart my high school years by the eye-wear I so proudly wore, having spent all my spare money on them.  Freshman year was all about white-framed, mirror-lensed Vuarnets.  Yes, mirrored.  This was followed by Rayban Aviators and then Rayban Wayfarers.  Senior year I was partial to over-sized, gold-rimmed Persols.  And college was yet another parade of (probably hideous) specs, most notably the round Armani reading glasses (I had perfect vision at the time so they had non-prescription glass) with clip-on shades that feature in every graduation picture.

Over the years I have followed many sunglass trends and sometimes gone against what was in fashion. I really never could work myself up to embrace Oakleys or any style by Revo.  I’ve worn wrap-around Porsches and Chloes with diamond hearts.  I’ve had cat-eye shapes and John Lennon rounds.  I could keep up with Elton John – you know what I’m saying?

And the amazing thing (I really hope I’m not jinxing myself here) is that I almost never lose my glasses.  For most of my friends, losing a pair is the reason to make their next sunglass purchase.  With me, it’s different.  Each pair that is “retired” is gently put to rest in a special drawer (okay, I have 2 drawers full) in perfect condition.  Even if a pair of glasses isn’t currently “in rotation,” I don’t love it any less – it’s just that my mania has moved on to yet another pair.  So, I now own enough glasses to open my own optical shop. 

So, why do I have this peculiar enthrallment?  It’s hard to say.  I do have particularly light-sensitive eyes, but that hardly explains it, even in the face of global warming.  I’m hoping it’s not that I’m – dare I say it? – pretentious.  I mean, nowadays there isn’t a tabloid starlet who isn’t photographed in a permanently shaded state.  Bono, a man known for practically having his glasses surgically attached, explained very simply that his glasses make him fabulous.  “Rock star with them on … ordinary bloke without them.  Rock star/ordinary bloke.  Rockstar/ ordinary bloke …”  You get the idea.  But I honestly don’t think I’m a wannabe – after all, I’ve been like this since childhood. 

And at least it’s comforting to know that I’m not alone.  I may have a more advanced form of the “sunglass syndrome,” but my very best friends share my enthusiasm for extraordinary eye-wear.  In fact, the other day, Shannan, Victoria and I all found ourselves wearing the same Tom Fords (I am deeply in love with these at the moment) in different colors.  How great is that?

Maybe it’s just genetic.  After all, my mother was a glasses girl.  She favored the over-sized style immortalized by Jackie-O.  And even at the age of 3, my daughter seems to be drawn to the idea as well.  I guess it must be in our blood.

I just couldn’t resist including this video here …