 | Jon Herrscher
has worked as an optician for nearly 30 years, beginning his career with a part time after school job in a Garden City Optometrist's basement lab where they literally made eyeglasses by hand using a glasscutter & cribber. In 1989, Jon left Kansas for Houston, Texas to teach young opticians the trade, returning to Wichita in 1996 to be closer to family. In August 2003 he purchased Myoptix Fashion Eyewear, an optical boutique, located at 4714 East Douglas in College Hill. Jon can be reached at (316) 651-0887. |
Eyewear & Fashion
2004-05-01 15:26:00
All about sunglasses
ANSWER: Not only are sunglasses a must in many parts of the country, but they also are a hip fashion accessory item. Many people have several pairs of sunglasses that they keep in the car, pool or beach bag and purse or briefcase. Some of the hottest looks in sun wear are modern shield and wrap styles. The traditional dark lenses are polarized to update this functional style. Celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Hurley and Britney Spears have helped popularize oversized styles as well as drill-mount designs with lighter, coated lenses.Sunglasses serve not only as an accessory and an aid to vision, but as a safety tool for UV rays. UV is ultraviolet radiation, produced by the sun. More and more scientific evidence shows that long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation can damage our eyes. UV radiation contributes to the development of macular degeneration, cataracts, and skin cancer. No matter how old you are, now is the time to protect your eyes -and your children's eyes from damaging UV radiation. Experts recommend sunglasses that block 99-100% of both UV-A and UV-B rays, reduce glare, provide visual protection, be comfortable, and not distort colors.Color Lens Guidelines:• Amber, Yellow or Orange Lenses allow some light to pass through the lens making them a better choice for overcast skies, but hard to recommend for use in bright sunny days. Yellow lenses afford excellent visibility at nighttime.• Blue or Purple Lenses are great all-purpose lenses; their mellow light tint is wonderful and soothing. Also, they afford good protection in sunny days (although not like a dark lens) yet will also carry over into darker conditions.• Brown & Copper Lenses increase contrast between colors and are the preferred tint for driving. This contrast also cuts glare and sharpens imagery.• Gray, Smoke or Green Lenses are the most popular because while they cut bright light they also help to keep colors looking natural.• Rose or Vermilion provide enhanced contrast and definition in high glare situations such as seen in water and snow sports.• Near Black Lenses offer great protection for very light sensitive eyes and super sunny summer days.• Red Lenses are out of this world, but not good for driving, as you cannot see the traffic light change to red very well!• Flash-Mirrored Lenses, regardless of their inherent colored tint, give the wearer private eyes, (people cannot see what you’re looking at) and help to reflect oncoming glare.• Polarized Lenses are popular amongst fisherman. Polarized Lenses have the unique ability to cut glare resulting from light reflecting on water. This allows the wearer to look past such glare and see what's swimming in the puddle, something that would cause the naked eye to squint and still see very little. Caring for your shades:It is preferable to clean your sunglasses with a mild soap. However, if you would like to use a specific glass cleaner it is imperative to use one that does not contain ammonia, as this will strip the UV-400 coating right off of the lens. When in doubt, do not use Windex as this contains ammonia, but you can use Glass Plus as it is ammonia free. Dry sunglasses with a soft cloth or chamois and store sunglasses in a protective case to prevent scratches. To maintain proper fit, tighten sunglass frames with an appropriate screwdriver or bring them to your favorite optical boutique.
