Surprisingly, the colored lenses that we associate with sunglasses were first used in China in the 1300s and had nothing at all to do with the sun. Nope, these early colored lenses were used by Chinese judges in court so that they could hide their expressions and so that no one could “read their eyes.” It was centuries before tinted lenses were actually used to protect eyes from the glare of the sun.

Of course, today we know that simply wearing colored lenses won’t protect our eyes from those nasty UV rays. They’re everywhere—even on cloudy days. And while UV levels are higher near the equator, at higher elevations, between 10am and 2pm, and around vast stretches of snow and sand, you want to protect your eyes everywhere, all the time. And you want to look good doing it.

So take a peek at today’s VPOD. These two pair of deadstock 1960s sunglasses by Emilio Pucci are oh-so-chic! And if you’re worried that they might not have as much UV protection as modern specs, just take them to a local optometrist who should be able to do a quick and easy test to tell you how much protection they provide and what you can do if you want even more.

They’re smashing summer finds for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Swank Vintage.
Discovered at TheFind.com.

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