Clip-On Cool

They have said the eyes are the windows to the soul. Dwight Schrute also said that the eyes are the groin of the head, and maybe that's why I like to keep mine covered.

This might be going against the norm, but I actually think I look better with glasses on. I suspect that's true of some others as well, and perhaps that's one reason celebrities wear sunglasses at night and indoors. One practical hangup about wearing optical lenses, however, has been that there never seemed to be a great way to wear them in thme sun. I remember as a kid seeing Dwayne Wayne from A Different World on TV in his signature circular flip-up shades, and even as a bowl-cut child of the 1980-1990s, garbed in baggy cargo shorts and Airwalks, I was still struck by how much I hated the look.

When transition lenses started catching on as the technology advanced for producing non-glass photochromic lenses, many thought it would be the answer to gracefully move from the darkness to the light. What they weren't counting on was the reverse scenario, where coming back inside meant a prolonged period of time your glasses were stuck in an anemic purgatory of tint that made people question if you meant to wear your sunglasses indoors, and, if so, why such bad ones.

Garrett Leight

I've been thinking about this more over the past few months as I've found myself wearing my glasses a lot more and thinking about picking up another pair, but one look that has seemed to escape the uber-dork aesthetic more successfully than others has been the clip-on. Attached, depending on the relative size and makeup of the frames, they can look like anything from normal sunglasses to an almost steampunk kind of look. Some combinations are certainly more aggressive than others, but I've always liked a contrasting sunglass frame that's slightly smaller than the mothership frame. From a practical perspective, you can also stow them easily in a small shirt pocket or inside breast pocket without any awkward bulging, and then your glasses are just regular glasses.

My Giorgio Armani Clip-Ons

Clip-ons are nothing new, though they have definitely become much more popular in recent years, where you see them popping up on various style and optical Instagram accounts around the net. I bought my last pair of glasses four years ago, a P3/pantoscopic aka "panto" style Made in Italy Giorgio Armani Frames of Life frame paired with a set of clip-on lenses I've enjoyed, though I wish they were a touch smaller and made with darker lenses. These days, even if for only a couple of frames per company, you can find matched clip-ons with virtually every style of frame. Similarly, you'll see examples in every genre, from tailored menswear to streetwear, done successfully. 

Garrett Leight

Cutler and Gross

Native Sons

Some of my favorites styles include models from Moscot (MiUSA), The Bespoke Dudes (MiItaly), Shuron (the originator of the browline style most people identify as "Clubmasters"), Garrett Leight (MiChina), Mykita (MiGermany), and David Kind (MiJapan). As you might expect, the Japanese also have a strong lineup of quality makers, including houses like Matsuda, Masunaga 1905, Native Sons, True Vintage Revival, and Eyevan.

If you're looking for something more affordable, Danish designer Han Kjøbenhavn and Ray Ban make a few models, as does the value-driven UK company Cubitts, though it seems that Warby Parker abandoned the idea at some point after introducing a few models back in 2015. For those of us in the USA, Steven Alan makes a reasonably priced pair as well with some matching clips for their Monroe model.

Han Kjøbenhavn

So if your life to this point has revolved around either a stashed pair of prescription shades or transition lenses to this point, consider purchasing a pair with clip-ons. You'll find yourself in some good company.

Shuron

True Vintage Revival

Anglo American

Moscot Clipzen

Garrett Leight

Barton Perreira

Garrett Leight

Ray Ban  

Mykita

Native Sons

Barton Perreira

Native Sons

Shuron

The Bespoke Dudes

Matsuda

Han Kjøbenhavn Doc

Randolph x Michael Bastian