If you’re an avid PurseBlog reader, I can guess where you stand on designer handbags. Whether or not you’re a frequent purchaser, I’d be willing to bet you at least admire the craft and style of luxury bags and leather goods.
But what about everything else? You know, the designer shoes, clothing, perfume, and sunglasses, among other items. It’s easy to justify the cost of a designer handbag: The name plays a big role, but so does the quality of the leather, as well as the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. Take the embroidered Dior Book Tote, which requires more than thirty-seven hours of work and 1,500,000 stitches to be completed in a family-run atelier in Italy. (The average retail price is around $3,000, depending on size.)
Now I’ll turn my focus to designer sunglasses: Are they worth it in the same way? Unless they’re decked out in crystals or diamonds, they’re largely made up of plastic. Yet, many designer-caliber glasses, regardless of brand, range from $400 to upwards of $1,000. (Those Chanel pearl sunglasses don’t come cheap!)
Do you have a pair? I’m guilty of owning Gucci sunglasses, but in my defense, they’ve actually lasted much longer than any of my other less expensive glasses. (I’m going on over a year and a half of nearly daily use and they still look brand-new.) I may look into purchasing another pair if I can find them at a discount, but we’ll see. I live in Miami after all, so reliable and stylish sunglasses are a must.
Do you have designer sunglasses? What’s your view on splurging on items beyond handbags? There’s no wrong answer! By the way, check out these picks, from Tom Ford and Loewe to Gucci and Saint Laurent. Any catch your eye?
Tom Ford Gia 63MM Butterfly Sunglasses ($495)
Loewe 50MM Angular Cat Eye Sunglasses ($360)
Bottega Veneta 60MM Trapezoid Sunglasses ($385)
Fendi Iridia Sunglasses ($390)
Dolce & Gabbana Metal Butterfly Shield Sunglasses w/ Logo Print Lens ($155)
Saint Laurent Kate 55MM Cat Eye Sunglasses ($405)
Gucci 51MM Oversized Cat Eye Sunglasses ($360)
Valentino Women’s Mirrored Butterfly Sunglasses, 59mm ($450)
CELINE Women’s Round Sunglasses, 47mm ($400)
Gucci Women’s Oversized Swarvoski Stars Cat Eye Sunglasses, 50mm ($651)
Designer sunglasses are “worth it” for the same reason that I believe most of us purchase luxury goods – because we like them, we’re excited to use them, they make us feel chic and stylish, etc. No, obviously hundreds of dollars for plastic doesn’t make a ton of sense. But if you can afford them and you like them, why not? I have two designer pairs – one from Balenciaga and one from Dior – and looking to get a third from Chanel. They make me feel stylish and excited to wear them, and for me, that’s “worth it.”
I do agree with you completely here! I’ve collected a few pairs over the years from Burberry and Chloé to Karen Walker and Celine, however oddly enough it’s my Ray-Bans that I adore the most!
I never pay full price for my designer sunglasses. Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack mark them down drastically after one season. I find it success when I pay $80 for a pair of $500 Tom Fords. I go for classic styles so I don’t care if they are last season or older.
Agreed. You can always find them on sale, eventually. Even reduced, premier designer sunglasses are usually more expensive than other brands, but I find that they are often worth it in terms of quality. I’ve had Celine sunglasses for several years that still look new. I have to tighten the screws on the legs occasionally, and I’m always careful to wipe them with a microfiber cloth to prevent scratching, but otherwise they’re pretty sturdy. I will probably die before they do.
I totally agree! I got the most fabulous Gucci sunglasses (style GG0326S 003) at Nordstom Rack just today 😀
Totally agree! I own quite a few pairs and I think that like bags, if you take care of them they will last you. I never put sunglasses on my head (it stretches out the frames) and I always try to store them in the case when I’m not wearing them.
Omg this reminds me of this Mel girl I followed on Instagram from Montreal that literally has DRAWERS full of designer sunglasses!!! It’s my pet peeve of life… FIRST off, they alllll look exactly the same, so how on earth can someone with half a brain justify spending hundreds of dollars per pair when you already own 150 pair just like it?! If you are extremely wealthy and that’s your thing, I would still think it’s odd (lack of style/diversity) BUT I would get it. This girl is not wealthy, she’s perhaps m a little over middle class at best.. why not put that money toward her daughters education or food etc?… and btw, nobody even notices designer sunglasses. They do not have the same impact as a designer handbag, coat, or shoes. The whole thing is idiotic and wasteful period.
It’s interesting that you brought up Mel because I saw a youtube video where she gives a tour of her closet. I’ve watched other videos so I thought she was extremely wealthy, but she’s not even close to Teresa, the woman in Texas, with the “world’s largest closet”. Teresa lives in a 15,000 square foot home with her husband. She admits that she is “addicted” to shopping and her closet is worth millions! Her shopping habits are gluttonous, extravagant and extreme, but she disclosed that she and her husband donate huge sums to charity every month.
Despite donating money IMO her shopping habits are over the top. Idk why she feels the need to buy so much, but sometimes ppl do to fill gaps in their lives. She has a daughter and grandchildren, but said she lost her adult son in a car accident years ago, so IDK. Overall, what I’m saying is that if I had her money I feel that it would be wrong for me to buy so much, but I cannot dictate how other ppl spend their money.
What really just gets me is that each pair of her sunglasses looks exactly the same as the last pair she got the week before. Even if she got them all at 50% off it STILL would be ridiculous lol Like girls, lets get a grip here, they’re all plastic …. whether or not they slapped a Chanel logo on there ? Funny enough, she does the same with coats, like I get it living in Montreal with our terrible bipolar weather, we all need good jackets but… I own 5…. and she owns like 45 of the same puffers ????? All in all, I have a degree in psychology, and I didn’t even need that to clearly see that this girl (and girls like her) have some void that they’re trying to fill with material “things” instead of spending that money on much needed therapy. Needless to say I stopped following her because I couldn’t be bothered with wasteful morons like that.
Personally, I only buy Persol as the quality is excellent and there is zero branding on the glasses. I find sunglasses with logos very tacky. I wouldn’t want double GGs on the side of my head in photos!
In the past, I owned great sunglasses from Bottega Veneta as well. They were very discreet and well crafted.
I do agree that if the sunglasses fit you well and that you enjoy wearing them, the cost per wear is negligible. Mine usually last a couple of years before I buy new ones. I admit that I am not particularly careful with my sunglasses.
designer sunglasses are not always worth it. when you purchase expensive sunglasses, you would think they are made to perfection. however, this is not the case.
always do this before you buy designer sunglasses; open wide the two temples and place on table. if the ends of the two temples (temple tips) does not touch the table, that means they are uneven. let me tell you that so many expensive sunglasses have uneven temples. one is always higher/lower than the other.
i find this very annoying
Nothing to do with quality.They are made better than the no name glasses
I have a couple of designer sunglasses (Fendi, Dior and Chloe) and I regret to say that they are so not worth it. Quality wise. I would always recommend getting sunglasses from a brand that specializes in selling them. My favourite is Etnia Barcelona. They have a much more luxurious feel to them than the mentioned above and I get tons of compliments when I wear them.
I brought my Fendi sunglasses to the store for an easy fix and they end up exchanging them for a new pair. This is because they don’t make them in house so they can’t help with any kind of maintenance. To think that they just threw away that other pair makes me cringe. So wasteful. But great service, ahah.
I own a gorgeous, timeless pair of black Gucci sunglasses that I adore. However, looking at the abundance of ridiculously priced, trend-driven designer shades online, I’d rather stick to less expensive glasses.
I own a gorgeous, timeless pair of black Gucci sunglasses that I adore. However, looking at the abundance of ridiculously priced, trend-driven designer shades online, I’d rather stick to less expensive glasses.
My “sunglasses” are my regular eyeglasses coated to change in the sun. They provide me with the necessary UV protection that I need. They are certainly not designer or fancy in any way, but they do the job. 🙂
I only wear designer sunglasses with the exception of Quay Australia. I’m a sunglasses addict with zero intentions on going to rehab. I don’t, however, pay full price. Neiman Marcus Last Call, TJMaxx, TheRealReal, and consignment shops are where I choose to purchase them. You name the designer, size, and shape, I probably own a pair. I’m still holding out on a good price for the Chanel sunglasses with the leather camellias on the arms. Those are my holy grails.
Unless you’re into trendy or “it” sunglasses, I wouldn’t pay full price. The resale value for sunglasses is TERRIBLE.
I won’t buy designer sunglasses after my Chanel sunglasses got lost in the ocean. Lesson learned. Also I lose about a pair a season. My favorites are my ray bans which I haven’t lost in four years.
All time favorite for sunglasses (which I most of the time turn into prescription glasses) is Thierry Lasry, all handmande in France, love, love, love! Ride or dies are YSL Kates, Tom Ford Anoushkas and Thierry Lasry of course:))
I search and search until sunglasses fit great on my face…Rey-Bans and a pair of versace. Unusual colouring and design that just clicked. Since I did not want to pay full price, I waited and found them for less than Rey-Bans a year later, and then I put progressive prescription and gradually darkened sunglasses tinted lenses, and now they are my real glasses. For that it was worth having a high quality frame. For just a logo, not in a million years.
To be honest, I actually think they are worth the price. They are in general (not all) made of great heavy materials, constructed in a non-sweat shop country (although I know Italy likes to use Chinese sweatshop workers in their factories), they are likely in classic fashionable styles which are lasting and you are less prone to lose them because they have SOME value to you. Then again I agree with everyone else, why pay full price when you can get them next season at steep discount?
I love designers sunglasses, I don’t pay full price. I bought Chanel’s & Fendi from Fashion Eyewhere on line UK & US. Great prices. I always do research to find them at a bargin price. Even if you have insurance they Rob you of triple price at a eyewhere. So I pay extra fee to bring in my own I purchased for sunglasses.
I’ve been a Ray-Ban girl since I was 14 and I’m not seeing any reason to switch brands. At the moment I have 2 preloved pairs; Aviators and Foldable Wayfarers. I love them and they get the job done.
Never been a sunglasses person, but I get why people buy and collect them. It’s entry level luxury like perfumes and slgs. And most sunglasses are made by the same company.
I used to like the big brands like Tom Ford, Chanel, etc. in my younger days but realized they were all manufactured by Luxottica. These days I’ve been supporting more unique brands like Gentle Monster, Karen Walker, Ilesteva, etc. which are affordable, cool and at least I know I’m not paying a massive markup to one company for plastic.
I love conscious spending like that 🙂
Where I live we dont have many highend stores that sell luxury sunglasses. Karen Walker, Alex Perry maybe. But Ive found many great brands thrifting. Getting Authentic Fendi , Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, Lacoste, Oakley and even vintage Ted Lapidus sunglasses has been amazing. And Ive not paid more than NZ$5 for each. So at that price its worth it for me. But I dont think I would pay full retail for any of them.
Not worth it to me particularly. I have had them lost, forgotten somewhere, stepped on, scratched, etc. Now I just have transitions on my prescription glasses. Plus I like understated sunglasses. The logo-brandishing look-at-me sunglasses are too tacky for my taste.