Specs Appeal

There’s no better time to buy a pair of sunglasses than now. Summer’s here and the heat is so paralyzing that all you want to do is either curl up inside an air-conditioned room or stretch out on the beach and enjoy the sun. Whether it’s to accessorize to match your favorite bikini or simply to protect your eyes, a pair of sunglasses is an everyday necessity.

Take it from i2i endorsers Jericho Rosales and Piolo Pascual. They never leave home without a pair or two or three of their favorite i2i shades.

Ricco Ocampo, owner of i2i, a company that offers trendy shades at very affordable prices, says, "Sunglasses are not just about fashion, they’re also about maintaining the health of your eyes. With i2i shades, you accomplish both. They don’t simply protect against the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays, they’re also a fashion statement."

In fact, shades are no longer for outdoors only, says Ricco. He should know. He’s spent many years observing the trends in youth fashion as the owner of stores such as i2i and Anonymous. In the six years that i2i has been providing fashionista eyewear, the company has been true to its niche: the 17- to 25-year-old market; they’re the ones that follow and make the trends. "You see people wearing shades at parties, inside malls, and even at night since light tints are now very popular and they offer better visibility."

With i2i shades at very affordable prices (you get one for just over P100), you can buy several pairs in various colors. Ricco says the trend for 2005, as it has been for the last couple of years, is bigger, aviator-style frames in matte metal finishes. As for lens color, light ones are in: light blue, gray, brown, orange, red and even off-white. "The lenses of today are so light you can see the wearer’s eyes, perfect for evening and indoors." By the way, a darker tint does not necessarily mean better protection; even off-white shades, which are slightly mirrorized, offer the same protection. The color gray doesn’t affect color perception while a green lens distorts color less than red or yellow. What you want, aside from UVA and UVB protection, is protection from the sun’s blue light rays to protect your eyes from macular degeneration.

Light tints are also preferred by Jericho and Piolo, two cool dudes who take their shades everywhere they go. "Jericho has been with i2i for five years now while Piolo joined us about two years ago," says Ricco. "They’re like family to us. They believe in the product and they love it."

Not everybody can get away with just any pair of shades the way these two guys can. For that, Ricco says we should choose the right type of sunglasses: The frame shape should contrast with your facial structure, not highlight its shape, and the frame size should be in scale with your face size. You don’t want to look like a kid trying on his mother’s sunglasses.

Just as there are different body types that suit specific silhouettes in clothing, there are particular types of sunglasses that suit one’s face. i2i gives these tips for the five common facial shapes – oval, round, square, inverted triangle or heart-shaped, and oblong.

Oval face: This structure has the most balanced proportions – it has high cheekbones with a softly curved jawline and a delicate chin – and almost any frame will look good on you. To keep the balanced look, choose a frame that’s as wide as or wider than the broadest part of your face such as horizontal- or walnut-shaped frames.

Angular or square face: This shape has a strong jawline and a wide, angled forehead; the cheeks tend to be flat but the width and length of the face are in the same proportions. To soften the angles, choose round or oval frames – frames that have more width than depth, and narrow ovals. If you have high cheekbones, get straight-sided lenses to lessen their prominence.

Round face: A fuller face with wide cheeks and small cheekbones and no angles, this face shape needs a square or angular frame to lengthen its appearance. Since the forehead, cheeks and chin form a circle, dark frames can make the face appear heavier. Choose light frames instead.

Inverted triangle or heart-shaped: Defined by a broad forehead and a narrow chin, this face can appear too long and the chin too prominent. To soften the look, go for frames with low temples and a rimless style to balance the face and make the lower part look broader. Or try frames that are wider at the bottom and those that use very light materials. Choose aviators, oval or round-shaped eyewear.

Oblong face: A face that’s longer than wide, it has a straight cheek line. The most complimentary style of sunglasses are round-shaped to make the face appear shorter and wider. Think Keanu Reeves’ shades in The Matrix. Killer loops or bar types will complement this face shape.

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i2i sunglasses are available at a hundred i2i kiosks in Metro Manila, Iloilo, Bacolod, Pampanga, Cebu and Baguio.