Growing up my grandmother was adamant that the two things every woman needed were a great red lipstick and an excellent pair of sunglasses. Finding the exact shade of red lipstick that suited you could become a life long quest, but sunglasses needed to always be on hand in a multitude of styles and change out as often as you changed any other accessory.
And yes I blame her for my current lipstick quest and my love of sunglasses.
There are of course worse things in life.
For the last few months I have been wearing an older and rather scratched up pair of sunglasses while lurking on-line and oscillating between multiple pairs of sunglasses. (Okay, technically, I wore the sunglasses out of the house and didn’t wear them while doing my on-line lurking. Even I know that sunglasses do not aid an incognito internet search. Nor does the fake mustache, but that’s another story).
Last year I didn’t get around to ordering a summer pair as, well, last year was last year and many things were shunted off to the side. I try to pick up a new pair of sunglasses each year for my collection so that I don’t end up wearing only one pair. Partially so that I don’t scratch up and destroy the one pair, but mostly because not ever pair goes with every outfit or event.
Yesterday, there was a package in my mailbox from Tomahawk Shades. Yes my darlings, they sent three pairs to me to wear and review. I have to say they are delightful. The box they came in is sturdy so nothing arrive crunched or damaged in transit. Personally, I will be keeping the box for storage so I can keep the sunglasses looking nice when not wearing them. Each pair came in it’s own seperate little bag and there was protective foam pieces over the lenses so they could arrive unscratched. As far as shipping goes, they are really on the ball.
In case you have never heard of Tomahawk Shades, they are a company who designs high quality affordable sunglasses. Which, if you are like me means you can have multiple pairs to suit your mood and or outfit without bankrupting yourself in the process. They also have a really good Worry Free Warranty and replacement policy, which you might want to check out. I know it sounds a little strange to check that out, but accidents happen. I remember purchasing a really expensive pair of sunglasses several years ago that were accidentally destroyed by a two year old only a few weeks after I got them. It was from a different company and that replacement policy was not nearly as nice, so now I check replacement policies before purchasing and keep sunglasses out of toddler range.
Which is just smart in general.
So to the glasses.
The first pair out of the box are from the Elite Class Range. They are the sunglass equivalent of the little black dress. They are black with a little silver detailing on the corners in the photo. However, when you hold them to the light they look like silvery blue smoke. The plastic has a translucent quality to them rather than being straight matte black. They are good quality plastic, sturdy and likely to last a long time.
They also perfectly fit my head. There is no oddly wide gap at the sides when putting them on. They are simple looking, but it was clear that thought went into the design. And I personally really like having a pair of sunglasses that I can wear with virtually everything. So often when i go looking for a straightforward versatile design, extra details are added that I don’t necessarily want. This has minimal detail added to the edges for maximum versatility. Also sometimes when you look for elegant simplicity, all you find re cheap sunglasses. These may be inexpensive, but they aren’t cheap looking. I know I will get a lot of wear out of them.
The second set in the box is from the Marksman line. While these too look black with minimal detail they have a lighter frame and a wider lens. What you may not see in the photo are that the lenses are slightly amber colored and the earpieces have a tortoise shell design on them. While the Elite Style above is a style I love to use when driving, this is the style that I enjoy when I know I am going to be outside at an all day event.
Actually it is very timely that they arrive now. while I generally purchase sunglasses at the beginning of the summer, or at least that is when it occurs to me that I might want to add to my collection, summertime where I live is not really conducive to a lot of outdoor events. It is too hot and humid for anyone to feel comfortable linger for long in the sun. However as the summer starts to give way, we generally have a long stretch of time from when the heat breaks to when it is too cold to be out of doors. I’ve actually attended Christmas parties where drinks were served in the garden.
Some years that works out better than others, but it is always a possibility. And with the complete absence of going anywhere for long last year, this year the list of events and gathering is quite long as everyone tries to make up for the lack of social time. And because the world is still a little wonky, many of these events are planned for out door events. These are the kind of glasses that work well with long events outside. The frame is light weight so there is less indentation on the face. The amber lenses cut the glare while not making the world too dark a place and even though the details may be lost in the photo, they look stylish and subtle in person.
And then there is the third pair. They are from the Grasshopper class and let me tell you, after seeing them, I think I need a pair in every color. These are The Conners with a tortoise shell frame and bottle green lenses. They have a 1920s-1930s vintage feel to them and paired with a red lip I feel like i ought to be on an episode of Poirot. Admittedly, feel more like the wealthy heiress plotting murder while on the seaside for holiday rather than the victim, but i think that is more a function of my personality rather than the glasses. They just provide the era of inspiration. I’m the one contemplating vengeance upon the evil Lord Stuffypants who tried to steal the secret chemical formula from my family behind the lenses. Perhaps with a different shade of frame I will just feel like the innocent and shocked witness. But I won’t know that until i try. So clearly I must get them all.
You know, just so I know.
In all honesty, I really do like them. They are stylish and well made. They fit perfectly and as soon as they were out of the bag I found myself contemplating outfits that could go with them. I also contemplated outfits to purchase to go with them as well. I have no doubt I will be getting a lot of use out of them. I also have no doubt that even if I don’t purchase the entire Grasshopper line, there are at least two I will not be able to resist adding to my collection.
So my darlings, these are the three newest sets of sunglasses in my collection, kindly sent over to me by Tomahawk Shades. All three are in styles that will see a lot of use and one has already spurred the planning of several other purchases. You will no doubt be seeing much of these sunglasses in the near future. They look fantastic and I will of course, keep you posted as I put them into use.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 