As a sunglasses designer I can fill in some facts for you about the product
Traditionally luxury frames are made from acetate which actually replaced tortoiseshell (think tortoiseshell print) and cellulose (which had issues of setting on fire). It’s ‘natural’ but not biodegradable and even the ‘eco’ versions leave chemical traces. It is more expensive to make an acetate frame than an injected one due to the amount of manufacturing steps. The price will also change depending on where it is made. Japan is the ultimate quality, Italy is also good but the cheapest is made in China. Also the acetate itself comes in different qualities depending on where it was made and how long it takes to cure the acetate, which basically means how long has it been left to sit before making a frame. Overall the frames final production cost can be anything from $20 to $100 depending on factory location, design, material cost and quantity and metal elements.
Injected is used to mass produce designs. But also can allow for more complex shapes or colour's as you are not limited to what a flat slab of acetate. Injected can be biodegradable but again will leave chemical trace. It can also be recycle material but ultimately the product has a reduced perceived value to the customer. The tooling cost for a frame is high but it’s very cheap material costs so the more you make the cheaper it is (think Rayban luxottica).
Lenses also vary in price but any luxury brand would be using lenses with different coatings or developing colours which will increase costs. However, it is illegal to sell sunglasses without uv protection so even your cheap high street frames should have it.
In terms of buying for longevity an acetate frame can always be refitted, rebent, polished and rescrewed. Lenses in most cases can be updated if scratched and any optician should do this. If buying injected always look for something special otherwise don’t bother. With acetate there are plenty of non license brands doing amazing quality if you want design without the labels. And always always look at vintage. The quality of good vintage is incredible and they can be re-bent to fit like new.
Obsessed! I’m wary of over generalising but I’m also still not sure how much detail everyone wants here, personally LOVE this level of nerdy detail. Tooling especially is something I don’t think the average customer knows can contribute so much to cost. It affects so many areas. Personally, I’ve come up against it working at beauty brands in packaging but also in fashion when a designer wanted a bespoke zip pull. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us all. Question on injecting - what can we look for to tell an ‘injected’ designed apart from say an acetate?
It was interesting to hear your take on it all. Above everything you should always buy what suits you best and you will wear despite the trends. No point having sunglasses sitting there unused!
Brands are pretty smart at faking acetate now but this is a good start. To spot injected look out for:
1 - Light weight frames. Acetate frames are generally heavier so that’s why injected is used for sports
2 - Core wires in the arms. Injected frames don’t need this while acetate does. However some injected frames have them to look more expensive.
3 - Is the colour sprayed on. You can often tell around the hinge if it is. Acetate frames are one block of material and can’t be sprayed in another colour.
I'd love to hear your knowledge in regards to sunglasses being polarized. Both of my grandmothers had Macular Degeneration so my eye doctor suggested I wear polarized sunglasses. I initially spent $200 plus on a pair because I want something of quality, but I've seen polarized sunglasses for $30 or $40. I also noticed a difference when I wore the $40 and the more expensive pair (Ray Ban) in terms of the polarization, but it could also be a more expensive lense was used in the Ray Ban pair.
Loved reading this article and especially loved hearing the insider info - I like geeking out about this sort of thing too! I work in fashion for a company where the main focus is sustainability, and we often discuss this in terms of accessories. I personally buy new sunglasses about once every 6 years, spending the most I can afford within my budget, with the intention of looking after them - some have been very "on trend" and others very classic in style. The latest brand I purchased has a great sustainability story, where they offer repairs and a take back system at end of life - I think this is a great start to the ongoing issue of over consumption.
Also, now I'm going to get out all my old sunglasses and check over them and see if I can tell how they've been made!😁
Loved this level of detail regarding sunglasses. I have personally been on the hunt for a pair of acetate glasses because the current pair I have you cannot easily bring up around your head because my hair gets caught in the nose cushion part (definitely not the technical term). I haven't gotten anything because I was told to get polarized lenses as well as extra protection for my eyes. In my research I came across the Jacque Marie Mage sunglasses that are $$$ and seem to be made in small batches. Not in my budget realm, but interesting nonetheless.
As a sunglasses designer I can fill in some facts for you about the product
Traditionally luxury frames are made from acetate which actually replaced tortoiseshell (think tortoiseshell print) and cellulose (which had issues of setting on fire). It’s ‘natural’ but not biodegradable and even the ‘eco’ versions leave chemical traces. It is more expensive to make an acetate frame than an injected one due to the amount of manufacturing steps. The price will also change depending on where it is made. Japan is the ultimate quality, Italy is also good but the cheapest is made in China. Also the acetate itself comes in different qualities depending on where it was made and how long it takes to cure the acetate, which basically means how long has it been left to sit before making a frame. Overall the frames final production cost can be anything from $20 to $100 depending on factory location, design, material cost and quantity and metal elements.
Injected is used to mass produce designs. But also can allow for more complex shapes or colour's as you are not limited to what a flat slab of acetate. Injected can be biodegradable but again will leave chemical trace. It can also be recycle material but ultimately the product has a reduced perceived value to the customer. The tooling cost for a frame is high but it’s very cheap material costs so the more you make the cheaper it is (think Rayban luxottica).
Lenses also vary in price but any luxury brand would be using lenses with different coatings or developing colours which will increase costs. However, it is illegal to sell sunglasses without uv protection so even your cheap high street frames should have it.
In terms of buying for longevity an acetate frame can always be refitted, rebent, polished and rescrewed. Lenses in most cases can be updated if scratched and any optician should do this. If buying injected always look for something special otherwise don’t bother. With acetate there are plenty of non license brands doing amazing quality if you want design without the labels. And always always look at vintage. The quality of good vintage is incredible and they can be re-bent to fit like new.
Obsessed! I’m wary of over generalising but I’m also still not sure how much detail everyone wants here, personally LOVE this level of nerdy detail. Tooling especially is something I don’t think the average customer knows can contribute so much to cost. It affects so many areas. Personally, I’ve come up against it working at beauty brands in packaging but also in fashion when a designer wanted a bespoke zip pull. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us all. Question on injecting - what can we look for to tell an ‘injected’ designed apart from say an acetate?
It was interesting to hear your take on it all. Above everything you should always buy what suits you best and you will wear despite the trends. No point having sunglasses sitting there unused!
Brands are pretty smart at faking acetate now but this is a good start. To spot injected look out for:
1 - Light weight frames. Acetate frames are generally heavier so that’s why injected is used for sports
2 - Core wires in the arms. Injected frames don’t need this while acetate does. However some injected frames have them to look more expensive.
3 - Is the colour sprayed on. You can often tell around the hinge if it is. Acetate frames are one block of material and can’t be sprayed in another colour.
I'd love to hear your knowledge in regards to sunglasses being polarized. Both of my grandmothers had Macular Degeneration so my eye doctor suggested I wear polarized sunglasses. I initially spent $200 plus on a pair because I want something of quality, but I've seen polarized sunglasses for $30 or $40. I also noticed a difference when I wore the $40 and the more expensive pair (Ray Ban) in terms of the polarization, but it could also be a more expensive lense was used in the Ray Ban pair.
Loved reading this article and especially loved hearing the insider info - I like geeking out about this sort of thing too! I work in fashion for a company where the main focus is sustainability, and we often discuss this in terms of accessories. I personally buy new sunglasses about once every 6 years, spending the most I can afford within my budget, with the intention of looking after them - some have been very "on trend" and others very classic in style. The latest brand I purchased has a great sustainability story, where they offer repairs and a take back system at end of life - I think this is a great start to the ongoing issue of over consumption.
Also, now I'm going to get out all my old sunglasses and check over them and see if I can tell how they've been made!😁
Loved this level of detail regarding sunglasses. I have personally been on the hunt for a pair of acetate glasses because the current pair I have you cannot easily bring up around your head because my hair gets caught in the nose cushion part (definitely not the technical term). I haven't gotten anything because I was told to get polarized lenses as well as extra protection for my eyes. In my research I came across the Jacque Marie Mage sunglasses that are $$$ and seem to be made in small batches. Not in my budget realm, but interesting nonetheless.