An attractive shade of sunglasses can greatly enhance your overall appearance and add style to it. But do you ever wonder who came up with the smart idea of creating shaded lenses? Or what did the first-ever pair of sunglasses look like?
If yes, then you came to the right article. All of your questions are to be answered below.
Origin of Sunglasses
The concept of sunglasses goes way back than you thought. Archaeologists have discovered that the invention of sunglasses goes back to the prehistoric ages. Sorry to burst the bubble early but our ancestors did not entirely rock Ray-Bans back then. The concept of sunglasses was vaguer back then. Wearing an accessory that shields your eyes from sun rays, snowstorms, or dust storms was common at that time. Except that these glasses were made of walrus ivories. They had thin slits carved in them to filter out debris and bright light rays.
Evolution of Sunglasses
A commonly heard legend is that Roman Kings used to watch gladiator matches while wearing polished clear emerald blocks. These crystals gave relief to the eyes of the Kings on sunny days when the sun was at its peak. However, the authenticity of this claim is debated to this date.
Moving on with our sunglasses’ history, in around the 12th century, we have records of the Chinese using crystals to protect their eyes from glare. Another perspective gives us the idea that Chinese judges use to wear these to hide their facial expressions in the court. Well, it is hard to decipher the fact that Chinese people used crystals as glasses to hide their expressions. Nonetheless, the concept of shades goes back to at least a millennium, that is for sure.
The sunglasses we wear today were introduced around the 18th century. James Ayscough was a man who experimented with shaded lenses to improve weak eyesight. The concept of shielding eyes from the sun had not been introduced yet. As progress was made, spectacles made their way into our lives around the 19thcentury. And the idea of shaded lenses to protect from glare and sunlight appeared around the last few decades of the 19th century.
Syphilis was an eye disease that appeared around this time. It caused eyes to become very sensitive to light. Therefore, the eyewear specialists of that time made shaded specs for syphilis patients to combat this sensitivity. However, this concept quickly made its way to Hollywood in the early 20th century.
Famous movie stars and actors started wearing shades as an icon of style. The fashion industry blew up as this new trend of darkened spectacles became a popular trend. As celebrities started wearing them, the audience started demanding them. Famous eyewear companies jumped on the bandwagon to mass-produce shades and made a heavy profit from them as well. As the concept evolved, new ideas were introduced, such as polarized glasses and transitional lenses.
The trends continued to change as time passed. In the 21st century, we have an industry of sunglasses that the fashion industry is merged with. How much more will this trend evolve further? With the technological advancements rising rapidly, only the future will tell!