Frugal fashion tips: How to make the perfect pair of sunglasses

For 18 years, I resisted wearing sunglasses. No matter how bright it was outside or how little I could see while driving, I just could never get myself to wear them. It wasn’t that I had anything against sunglasses per se, I simply could never find a pair that was flattering. And after countless trips to Nordstrom Rack and Forever 21, I began to grow self-conscious about even trying sunglasses on because I honestly felt like nothing would look good on me anyway. I watched in agony as my friends went through pair after pair of cute new glasses, ultimately accepting the fact that I, unlike them, lacked the correct facial structure to support, well, any sunglass style. So after 18 years, I had pretty much given up on ever finding a perfect pair of cool, comfortable sunglasses.

And then one day last year, everything changed. I stumbled upon a pair of $10 sunnies at Urban Outfitters. I wore them that day, and every day after that until they broke a couple weeks ago. Needless to say, it was a very sad day. But after a lengthy period of mourning, I started a renewed hunt for a much-needed pair (after growing accustomed to wearing sunglasses every day, I had realized how important they actually were). I soon saw that my hunt was only leading to more frustration, and I just wasn’t ready to wait another 18 years. So, I thought real hard and came up with a simple solution. I took an old pair of aviators that I had liked but never loved and added my own flare to them. By hot-gluing a bunch of gold rhinestones along the top rim, I was able to get a cool and interesting look from something that had been a relatively boring pair of classic aviators. It took 10 minutes, and I was instantly satisfied with the result.

The point here is that you don’t have to be like the pre-creative-epiphany version of myself. If you struggle with finding the perfect pair of glasses, take the initiative and add some sort of embellishment to your sunnies, and you will have a great reward in no time. You don’t have to go over the top, like the notorious picture of Snooki from Jersey Shore sporting a pair of rhinestone-embellished glasses that no human being could possibly see out of, but you can get creative to make your new pair of sunglasses match your personal style.