Vintage: What the funk

Besides having a fantastic name, What the funk carries a pretty great selection of vintage shades.

The sunglasses range from $15-$220 so there's a little bit for everyone.  These are on my wishlist.

images: what the funk

Under $100: Eyewear from Warby Parker

I have been in the market for a new pair of glasses for almost a year now.  I've been patiently searching for a pair of vintage frames that are quirky, but don't make me look goofy and needless to say, I have yet to find some.  Recently, I ran across a new company in the latest issue of Lucky, Warby Parker.  Warby Parker sells vintage-inspired frames for $95.  The $95 includes the prescription lenses with standard anti-scratch and anti-reflective coating!   Now, if you have been wearing eyeglasses for as long as I have, you know this is a DEAL.
Here are the one's I will be purchasing:
Huxley

Why are the frames so reasonably priced you might be wondering?
"Warby Parker was conceived as an alternative to the overpriced and bland eyewear available today. Prescription eyewear simply should not cost $300+. The industry is controlled by a few large companies that have kept prices artificially high, reaping huge profits from consumers who have no other options. By circumventing traditional channels and engaging with our customers directly through our website Warby Parker is able to provide higher-quality, better looking prescription eyewear for under $100."
Fillmore

In case you were wondering if I needed any other reason to support this company, Warby Parker has partnered with RestoringVision.org to donate one pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair that they sell.  Wow!
B will be ordering his own pair this weekend so I'll definitely keep you up to date on how we like them.   I'll be ordering mine within the next month hopefully.
Read about the company story and F&Qs.

Shades for less

I'm an over sized sunglasses kind of girl. Some people aren't, but I think I kind of like the glamor they convey. You could be totally dressed down and not feeling well, but put on some big, fun sunglasses and wallah, it's a whole new you! I'm lucky enough to be able get vintage shades at the shop I moonlight at, but these are equally fun and only $10 a pop! That's about as much as I'm willing to pay b/c I lose them too much and can never get attached to just one pair.

The curvy, gold detailing on these make them one of a kind.

"Brightside"
Basic beach glasses at their finest. These are great for a more conservative gal.
"Oversized Designer Frame"
The wayfarers are making a come back. Just embrace it.
"Oversized Vintage Wayfarer Sunglasse"
White shades are easier to wear than you may think. I heart the ones I own very much.
"Elle"
Source: OC Shades
It's supposed to rain all weekend in Athens so I will not be wearing any sunglasses. I hope everyone has a wonderful, restful weekend. Keep the comments coming...you make me smile!
~Christina

Is bigger always better?

So I worked today at Dynamite, a local vintage/recycled/new clothing store. I work here every Saturday for a little extra dough, and b/c really, what else do I have to do w/my time? Recently we started selling vintage eye wear (i.e. frames w/out the lenses). Some of the eye wear is colorful, some are dull, all are ginormous, but mostly they have a retro feel and are meant to be fun. Well, I've been scouting around for a pair and I haven't found anything that doesn't swallow my face whole or scream "my grandma gave these to me b/c she thought they were too ugly to wear herself." So why, might you be asking yourself, am I still looking? Well, I like the look on other people and I think the glasses convey a "hey, I'm quirky and don't take myself too seriously" kind of feel. Besides, every spring the pollen reeks havoc on my eyes, sinuses, and lungs and I can't wear my normal contacts. I like getting a new pair so I'm excited about wearing glasses the whole season.

I thought I was close to finding a pair the other week but I needed that extra boost of confidence from a friend. I asked my friend (we'll call her C) if she liked the glasses and she responded w/out a pause, "No, I hate them. I don't know why pretty girls insist on wearing ugly glasses." Well, ouch. Needless to say, I didn't buy them and I'm glad I didn't b/c they weren't the "one." C got me to thinking, why is it that cute girls (and let's just be honest, you don't see unattractive women wearing horribly unattractive frames) are all of a sudden wearing gigantic, child molester-ish eye wear? But then I see a picture like this and I think, "that's the inspiration I need." I mean, look at this girl; she is not only pulling off amazingly big, red hair, she also has the glasses I'm looking for:

source: The Sartolrialist

Here are some that are a bit more basic:

source: American Apparel $50

The following are from Franny's Frames in NYC. They offer frames from every "vintage" decade. My male friend K (and he always wears cool frames) gave me a head's up on this site:

1960's "Millape"

1970's "Pathway Neon" $50 (whoa that's a lot of color!)



1980's Christian LaCroix $125

B really likes these for him (even though he already own a pair that look strikingly similar):


1960's "Veteran" by Vanity Optical

K also told me about this website Mascot.com which claims to "faithfully reproduce" the designs from their original era.


"Miltzen" in Crystal $179

"Hyman" Tortoise $179

So I guess the question remains, is bigger always better? Should I opt for some funner, louder frames, or should I stick w/the trusted shapes I've already invested in?