10 Things You Should (Not) Do With Your Sunglasses

Pimping, repurposing, upcycling – there are many terms for using a thing differently than originally intended. And what applies to Ikea furniture apparently also works wonderfully with sunglasses. To mark International Sunglasses Day, which is celebrated on 27 June, we looked at what other uses people have for their sunnies…

1) As a Headdress

Especially girls with long hair like to use their sunglasses as a cool hairband substitute. However, if you’re not careful with the underwire hinges, you’ll tear strands out of your mane every time you take them off – ouch! People with short hair or no hair at all have a clear advantage here, they can even wear the decorative headdress casually over their cap. Yo!

2) As a Fashion Upgrade

The second classic way to misuse sunglasses is by casually hanging them in the neck of your t-shirt. Until someone gives you an extra tight hug to say hello and your precious accessory falls off. Of course, that’s all right if you still have some spare cash and a couple more sunglasses models in the safe at the finca in Ibiza. Muse singer Matt Bellamy apparently loves to look particularly flashy, wearing three (!) pairs of sunglasses spread across his outfit in the rehearsal room.

3) As Camouflage

Hiding things is as much a part of life as butter is to bread. Our eyes are no exception, after all they are considered the mirror of the soul. It’s nice that it’s so easy to change that: just put on your sunglasses and all wrinkles, dark circles and indiscrete glances are hidden. Of course, the same holds true for anyone else wearing sunglasses around you, so don’t be surprised if the person sitting next to you sneaks a peek at your smartphone. However, if you need sunglasses to play poker so that you don’t give away your tricks, you should probably go back to the boot camp for bluffing beginners.

Sure, you can also use your shades for completely sensible things…

Item: Sunglasses
Usage: To cover eyebags from public display
😂😂😂😂

— Vain23 (@joevaneabenoja) September 22, 2017

If there was a pie chart for my sunglasses usage it would be 10% sun protection. 90% for discreet people watching.
— Oren Williamson aka Alex Treblack (@Oren_Williamson) May 20, 2016

4) As a Selfie Assistant

Sunglasses can be used to add all kinds of cool effects to photos. Either you photograph the reflections on your glasses in an artsy-fartsy way or you shoot through the lenses to get a filter effect. This trick is also ideal for selfies that need a style upgrade. Simply hold the glasses between you and the camera, experiment with the distance and angle, take the shot and you’ve got a killer profile photo!

5) As a Mirror

If the person you’re talking to behaves in an unnatural way and constantly runs their hands through their hair, perhaps they’re checking out their reflection in your sunglasses. “I look a bit better if I tilt my head at this angle, chin up to prevent my double chin from showing, and smooth down that annoying strand of hair that has been sticking out like a sore thumb all morning…” they’re saying to themselves – the best start for profound conversations. So maybe it’s better to take a quick look in your (own) sunglasses before a date and then put them away in your bag.

6) As Occupational Therapy

You’ve just quit smoking, there’s no pen at hand to click, and anyway, everything is making you on edge right now? In general, people tend to resort to the next most obvious item, namely the pair of glasses on their nose. Glasses on, glasses off, glasses arms open, closed, chewing on them thoughtfully, after all, that looks intellectual, doesn’t it? In fact, you just come across as erratic and nervous. Easy! Relax and leave the sunnies on your face, they’ll give you the coolness you need right now.

7) As a Toy

The ultimate mega-fail when it comes to sunglasses: you look away just for a moment and your child has grabbed your shades and is painlessly abusing them as a shovel. Those who have opted for a titanium frame and super-hardened lenses have a clear advantage here. Everyone else can do little more than go away and cry.

Ich mag meine Sonnenbrille nie mehr nach Flaschenöffner suchen. pic.twitter.com/XOESqssoTR

— arcee42 (@Arcee42) October 3, 2019

8) As a Bottle Opener

Also getting close to a disaster is some people’s method of using their sunglasses frames as a bottle opener. Don’t you have a lighter, a fork or some other object you can abuse somewhere to get the beer bottle open? If you really want to use sunglasses for this purpose, please look for special festival models…

9) As a … uh, Joke?

After you’ve opened your third bottle of beer with sunglasses, even humour gets a refill – and people start to get creative. The list of associations begins: Chewbacca, Davy Jones, Cousin It – anyone else?

10) As Stylish Protection for Your Eyes

After all these creative possibilities of misuse, here comes the ultimate way to use sunglasses… yes, sunglasses can also just look good and protect your eyes from the harsh rays of sunlight. Crazy, right? However, make sure they have the CE mark and a proper UV filter. If you want to go to the beach or any other very bright places, you also need at least a category 3 tint.

Now the only question is: which model should you go for? In our online shop we have a few to choose from, more than 27,000 models to be exact. You can see a few of our favourites here: