The melanin-challenged among us know that our baby-blue eyes are more sensitive to light. Here at Gearflogger HQ in Alaska, we face the dual challenge of long summer days and sun reflecting off snow for some intense, if short, winter days. Lesson learned: keep a pair of sunglasses handy at all time.
While we do like our cheap sunglasses for harsh use and stashing everywhere for backups, we also like to indulge our fashion sense on occasion with something other than basic black. We recently got our hands on two pairs of sunglasses by Original Penguin that deliver good functionality with great style.
The Jack Sun is a classic full-frame design that is a nice balance of square and swoopy, similar to a Wayfarer but with a thinner frame, slightly more square bottom and slightly swoopier top. The Jack Sun's specs are 57-19-145, which state respectively the lens width at its widest point, the bridge width and the temple length. The Jack Sun is available in black, green, blue and clear frames and is best for medium to large faces.
If your face is more of a solid medium, take a look at the Suspender 2.0. Although the specs are similar at 55-20-140, the lenses are noticeably smaller. The look is both more conservative, with a profile reminiscent of a Randolph Aviator, and more contemporary because of the floating lens effect. The effect is achieved by a lighter color border between the lens and the darker frame, which combined with the chrome accent on the temple gives a nice bit of pop to the glasses.
One thing to be aware of with the Suspender 2.0 is that the temples for some reason open up a bit beyond 90 degrees, leaving more space between a normal size head and the arms. This actually works nicely for outside the helmet strap wear, and the arms are bendable to adjust the security of the fit. The arms on the Jack Sun are basically 90 degrees for a more snug fit and are not adjustable. Either way you've got two nice choices for good-looking eyewear for everyday use.
Jack Sun $150 at Baxter and Bonny
Suspender 2.0 $150 at Baxter and Bonny