Every week a different FADER staff member will pick a clothing item or accessory that he or she has lately been spending a lot of time with—or would like to—and write a little love letter to it. We would’ve done a column on who we’re dating but that seemed a little bit much. This week Alex Frank and Deidre Dyer talk the sunglasses they plan on wearing throughout the summer months.
Alex Frank: Classic shades have reigned since Wayfarers became everyone's favorite frame five or six years ago. Anytime I wear them, though, I feel like I'm in JFK or Tom Cruise drag. Clubmasters? No one looked better than Malcolm X but I'm certainly not him. Isn't it time for us to move on? We've got to make new classics or shit is going to get boring. The Kipling frame from Contego Eyewear feels different, no small feat in a market crowded with throwbacks. It's not Tron-style garish, though, just fresh, curvy around the lenses with a strong straight line at the brow. The pink lenses are sweet, softening the too-cool-for-school vibe that sunglasses can portray. They're a perfect new entry into the stagnant lexicon of frames. Here's hoping that more than just a few of us are ready for a change.
Deidre Dyer: At some point in the past month, all of my homegirls have been pissed at me. I’m no longer fun. Happy hour, tipsy reveling, party hopping and dancing the night away? No thanks. Even though the snow has thawed, my plush couch and Netflix queue just won't let me leave the house. As boring as I've become, summer is around the corner, and I just found my perfect foil—these Hollywood Lawn sunglasses from Crap Eyewear. The poppy red frames make it look like I'm having a sunny good time and the lenses are dark enough that you can't see if I'm scowling underneath. Just in time, it's eyewear that doesn’t take itself too seriously, because as my friends have started to warn me, I sadly do.