Top high-tech sunglasses for men
These days shades need to do more than protect your eyes — welcome to the high-fashion models, including Ray Bans with in-built speakers and Oakley’s with futuristic lenses
As Magazine, the post-punk band from Manchester, put it back in 1981 on their track About the Weather, “The weather’s variable.” But that doesn’t stop us from dreaming of the sun. At this time of year, if we’re not actually heading for some sneaky rays, likely as not we’re planning our next escape.
One of the pleasures of sunny holidays is, of course, packing. Much of what might raise an eyebrow back home can be carried off with confidence in a holiday environment. Especially one where the light is bright and the vibe is more forgiving. Those board shorts that look a little excessive at the local swimming baths; that brightly patterned short-sleeve shirt that might be controversial at the pub. And, of course, those sunglasses that make you look as if you’re channelling Neo in The Matrix, Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, or X-Men’s Cyclops.
We’re talking the type of thing that says, “I’m looking to the future.” These styles make a statement in a way that a Ray-Ban Wayfarer cannot. The classics are classics for a reason. They have stood the test of time and, yes, they come with gold-plated endorsement from those who have worn them before. Bob Dylan, the Blues Brothers and Jack Nicholson in said Wayfarers; Steve McQueen in his fold-up Persol 714s.
And while I’m as partial as the next man to a bit of retro chic, there are times when you might ask yourself: if people were wearing these things half a century ago, maybe I should try something more of the moment? Or of the next moment, even?
Ray-Ban, which also makes the aviator shades worn by Tom Cruise in Top Gun and its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, has certainly decided the time is right for a quantum leap into the field of smart glasses. Its Ray-Ban Meta Headliner (£329; ray-ban.com/uk) is a familiarish-looking frame that packs some modern tech: a 12 megapixel camera and five-mike system. Wearers can live-stream what they are seeing to social media (Instagram and Facebook) and make hands-free calls, listen to messages and play music through the built-in speakers. You carry your phone, of course, which is how these glasses connect, but you don’t have to hold it. Or look at it.
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Less performance-based, we might say, is Burberry’s take on a statement sunglasses style. The BE4416U model, from its house designer Daniel Lee’s capsule collection of eyewear, uses recycled acetate with Carbon Regeneration Technology to create a striking frame with a chunky, straight bar across the bridge and keyhole bridge for the nose. In blue or dark Havana frames with dark grey lenses or a transparent frame with silver-grey mirror lenses (£300; uk.burberry.com). There are details in metal too and a nod to the heritage of the brand through the display of the house logo and knight symbol.
Meanwhile, Prada and Versace have frames where the future shock is less extreme because of its nod to historic design codes. The Versace Medusa Deco line (£292; versace.com) references a centuries-old symbol. And while the geometry and elegance here may well nod to art deco and the 1920s and 1930s, there’s nothing old-fashioned about these sunglasses with their rectangular metal frame and temples that feature a twist on the famous Versace Medusa. Available with dark grey lenses in black or Havana.
Another take on the rectangle shape comes from Prada, which has in its Symbole sunglasses collection an acetate model where the large front has thick side arm profiles (£370; prada.com). The temples have a three-dimensional design featuring the Prada logo. The acetate frame is made from renewably sourced recycled material and comes in black, crystal black tortoise, matt black tortoise, cognac tortoise and talc.
Finally, if it’s really radical design you’re after, look no further than the Oakley Space Encoder (£219; oakley.com). Here, an unashamedly futuristic lens shape is just the start. The lenses have Oakley’s Prizm lens technology, which enhances contrast and colour, making these well suited for sports. Nose pads and “earsocks” give grip, and their O-Matter temples mean that these shades can be worn over helmets and hats. I’m told that the design features PhysioMorphic Geometry, which allows the lens to fit super-close to the face, resulting in impact protection and a wide field of view. Useful for checking out the horizon on a Caribbean beach — and for facing whatever challenges the future brings.
