Vintage Sunglasses from American Apparel

Summer may be at an end in the Southern Hemisphere, but for the online store at American Apparel things are just starting to heat up with many vintage and dead stock treasures now added to their store including sunglasses and eye wear I'm clamouring to get my hands on. I haven't had a good pair of sunglasses that I was comfortable wearing since that ill-fated day when my host family's dog gave my lovely pair a chew and I'm still a little sore about that. I would love to order from American Apparel online, but they only accept credit card, a policy that has been a thorn in my side for far too long.

 

Purple is my favourite colour and I wouldn't mind having a pair of glasses, frames and all in the colour to shade my deep brown eyes. I'm really excited about the amazing colours of the vintage eye wear range, the chameleon-like matching of plastic frames and lenses as well as the circular shapes of the lenses. On occasion there is a cat's eye shape frame as well as accentuated detail and quirk that are sculpturally admirable but it's hard to know whether a pair of sunglasses will look good on you without being able to try them on for yourself.

 

The pair of sunglasses I lost to the jaws of that ungrateful bulldog looked much like the pair above- perfectly round with thin plastic frames in brown striped pattern without the golden metal over the nose bridge. I never remember in my youth this stylised shape of sunglasses ever being popular but I love its rise to power including the glorious rebirth given to it by the dead stock collection available from the American Apparel online store.

 

There seems no limit to the wonderful wealth of sunglasses shades, colours and patterns. One of my favourite effect for glasses frames is tortoiseshell because of the variety of shades of brown used and the amount of darker coloured spots that become apparent in the design. I love these dark green frames though, they're very bold and just a little bit deviant. Not for the faint of heart and I'm sick of being the shy little nice girl everyone thinks very little of- I want to make a name for myself in university and from what I've seen there's already some colourful characters. Last year was all about study and hard work, this year is going to be my time to shine and show myself off to the world.

 

It's not too often you see such a thick nose bridge for circular framed glasses- in that respect their a bit like goggles but hot goggles leaking 1970s goodness all over the place. I love the way their made, the horizontal lines across the front of the glasses as well as the sunburnt tones of brown and orange all over the place. The muted coloured lenses in brown are a nice touch to it all and I wouldn't mind trying them on for size. I bet a gorgeous looking girl with a high fringe showing a bit of forehead with long nails and drapery clothes could pull off these bad boys with ease and grace.

 

As well as classic shapes and designs there's the occasional quirky teen pair of sunglasses including these sweeties covered in floral design and a purple tinted lens. There's three colour variations for this single design each with varying designs in plastic but the floral print in pink with hints of dark green and red seems so romantic. Their the perfect pair of sunglasses to get you in the mood for St. Valentine's Day, if you're willing to buy into the merchandise and dream-filled fantasy.

 

It's harder to find more similarities between a vintage piece and modern design, but these pointed and angular cat's eye frames remind me so much of the sunglasses from Alexander Wang. There's only the deep and dark wine colour left, but I prefer it to the dusty black colour and tinted lenses- they look absolutely gorgeous against this blond with pink lips and pale complexion but I wouldn't mind rocking a pair for myself. It almost makes me wish I had my front fringe again with signature streak down the front of my bangs- instead of blond I would be tempted to try white instead in a Cruella DeVille homage to really bring out the red colour of these sweet sunglasses.

 

The sunglasses and accessories divisions of the high-end department stores in Melbourne fail to excite me with boring and unimaginative lenses without plastic frames and Karen Walker jewellery and clothing is only available in Myer at the CBD. It appears that the vintage collection from American Apparel is more to my liking and in tune with youth culture than the slow to catch on national brand I have known since childhood. You know that there's too much of a good thing when you long to have more than one face/ hand/ more fingers etc. in order to wear glorious colours and variations of clothing and accessories at once.

 

The closest variation to my dear sweet, departed sunnies that bit the dust just over a year ago now- they didn't make my nose look too rounded and like a mushroom but they were still stylish and able to be worn with any outfit. I don't wear a lot of brown, I'm more of a fan of black when it comes to basics including jeans and shirts but I do rather like the allure of brown/ tortoiseshell sunglasses. Their just such a classic and iconic on some faces. That's not to say I'm not a fan of pink perspex frames from Karen Walker, but the range of shades here is just marginally cheaper.

 

 

The perfect companion to a pool party or any gathering by the beach would be these blue tinted sunglasses complete with plastic frames and lenses all in the soothing shade. The flecks of yellow remind me a lot of the 1980s and abstract patterned bomber jackets in silk as well as windbreakers and anoraks. After spending about thirteen years of my life attending schools in which uniform was compulsory and they were both blue, I'm over the shade and probably will never chose to incorporate it into my wardrobe entirely.

 

Artistic and with thick frames in a marble effect swirling orange, red and purple these frames remind me a lot of rare vintage Chanel pieces as well as sunglasses worn by British television personality and DJ Alexa Chung. They're very mod inspired as well and have a sophisticated 1960s vibe evoked about them. I don't even think I would mind if they didn't suit my face, pair them up with a toggle duffel coat as well as skinny jeans and I would happily run about the place pretending to be my favourite celebrity personality.

 

Plastic red and the most expensive of all the sunglasses shown in this post, I think they cost close to $400 or something ridiculous, they're Vintage Red Walter Van Beirendonck Sunglasses but they remind me so much of the quirky view master slide show viewer I'd love to own a pair just for their aesthetic nature and the fun of wearing them in a red outfit. There's nothing soft, romantic that flows about them but I love the bright plastic and the bombastic nature of the frames surrounding those little purple lenses.

Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony Sunglasses

Ever since my One Teaspoon sunglasses got eaten by my host family's dog in America and I realised my Ray Bans were too big for my face, I've been searching with a heavy heart for a new pair of specs to protect my eyes. I have been a large fan of Karen Walker for a few years now but while I'm on this little bender, I thought I would spruik some of the work from Opening Ceremony in collaboration with Chloë Sevigny. As of late I've been obsessed with round and circular shaped frames and was considering getting a cheap pair from my local shopping centre that are a bit stiff and clunky but something more streamlined and refined might be a better choice.

I've never seen something as unnatural and whimsical as these shades before; the lens seems to hover in mid air and is caught between the plastic frames and although I normally go for black, something about the milky opaque pair and the pink pastel backdrop seems utterly romantic to me. Although one size fits most for sunglasses I usually prefer to try them on as well because you never know what features will be accentuated by wearing a certain pair of framed glasses- plus there's no telling what the tinted lens' will look like when you wear them and how long it would take for your eyes to adjust.

If you're a bit of a design freak and love all things angular, why not choose these daringly debonair sunglasses that have a small hint of aviator style about them as well as the 70s which was full of wooden TV sets and sketchy mustaches. I don't think I would personally buy myself a pair of these bad boys but I do like the intentional shaving of the top of the frames and I bet they would look fierce and formidable when worn with vintage leather trousers or a big denim jacket.

My favourite pair from this new collection are these retro throw-backs complete with rose red frames and psychedelic pink and orange frames. I don't care how hard they would be to style with an outfit, as an object on their own and with that pastel pink background behind them they look perfect and romantic. I bet I could wear them with a red and white floral sundress my mother bought me not too long ago as well as a straw bag and maybe some cute 70s clogs... I think about outfits a little too much these days but at least I have the guts to show them off to the world! 

Sunglasses

Well after raining all morning the sun has finally shown it's sorry but and has decided to throw a little rays out way! Too bad I'm already feeling the pain from yesterday andgot a bit of a sunburn even when I reapplied sunscreen. Maybe having something to shade the sun from my eyes would have helped and something stylish and large enough to cover the top of my cheeks like these large sunglasses. I do like the contrast of black lenses with shite frames and the black and white editing of the photograph- it makes the design and colours all the more striking. The hard thing about making large sunglasses is having them not make you look ridiculous and shrunken down to size in comparison.

I wish I had the soft, golden, honey-brown locks to be able to wear these pink and reflective sunnies and make the entire look romantic but also a little dark and gritty underneath it. It must be the painted over wall with graffiti as well as the maroon mohair knitted jumper worn with the sunglasses and soft pink lips. It's one thing to have a natural look of seeming delicate and girly but your own personal style and clothing will influence how you're perceived as well. I'd like to be able to wear leather and studs a little more but with my naturally serious expression and black hair it makes me look a little too unapproachable so there is a fine balance between what I look like and the clothes I want sometimes.

Now there's a fun party/ photo shoot idea: using cut-outs from magazines and advertising packages to make fun eye masks while wearing formal wear. I never would have been able to afford any of those fancy Italian masquerade masks anyway so why not make your own? Although I will be exempt from wearing the slogan pictured on the laddie above, it may offend my significant other.

With the clever use of a plain white and printed t-shirt I know the identity of these lovely sunglasses. Thank you Sass and Bide eyewear for having the good sense to sneakily place their name into a photo shoot for their sunglasses. I quite like the transparent blue tinted frames in contrast with the black lenses, though it's the bright red lipstick with a bit of an orange tinge that really adds some colour to the shot. I'm usually drawn to the sort of squared off and angular frames, it's either that or they have to be perfectly circular. It must be my attachment to Ray Bans designs as well as quirky mesmerising circular orbs.

Sretsis: AW12 Oh, My Dear, Deer!

The Melbourne heat wave must be frying my brain- it's not even the middle of Summer yet and I just want to cosy up with some comfy jumpers and be able to go outside without sweet profusely. It's not all doom and gloom- today my 2012 diary arrived today and it's a recycled Little Golden Book, specifically Walt Disney's Bambi! So after roughly flicking through the contents of my new diary, I'm in a deer-loving mood- this tension is only heightened by looking at the Autumn/ Winter collection Sretsis has in store for us this year! After sussing out Wikifashion as well as Maimillia's Sretsis website I found the gorgeous range of clothing- I'm very excited about it all. I first heard about Sretsis after reading about jewellery label Matina Amanita, turns out the two designers are sisters and sometimes collaborate their two brands. I've been a fan of both labels for a while but this deer inspired collection has me particularly excited.

I love thepainterly impression given by this fawn on a jumper with a black background. This year I should have  my mind focused on study, bit I can't help feeling that I should catch up on part-time work to make up for lost years and intense focus towards my VCE. Someone very wise and a little cynical once told that the ATAR score doesn't count for anything, it just gets you into your course. Since I should be safe in getting what I want, I can have more time to earn money and buy lovely clothing! Right now, the Sretsis AW12 collection is available to pre-order and will arrive on your doorsteps in March. At $263 AUD, I wouldn't mind getting this artistic piece for myself.

The collection has a lot of deer themed clothing, from the spotted and speckled jeans to the fawn inspired patterned jackets, dresses and jumpsuits. From their professional photo shoot these two lucky and lovely ladies is my favourite snap- it's overloaded and oozing with deer inspired clothing. I love the casual mai length dress in a light and soft brown colour which features another of the painted fawns- it features a loose fit with sleeves and the hem allows you to float around gently. I'm not sure as to whether I'd be brave enough to tackle a full deer fur inspired dress, but the use of the blazer with thin brown pinstripes on white is a nice touch to tone it down.

The Sretsis Autumn Winter collection combines the best of imaginative prints, luxurious materials and chic, comfy clothing. The deer printed pants and blouse combination would be perfect to hang on to for costume parties when teamed up with a pair of antlers and a little tail- even teaming up the pants with a classic rock band sleeveless shirt, a good leather hang bag and a lot of attitude. As well as clothing Sretsis also dabbles in making gorgeous sunglasses with floral motifs and thick chunky boots. The black ones remind me a little of Jeffrey Campbell boots but the cork effect around the soles allow them to be worn with brown clothes.

Sretsis creator and lead designer Pim Sukhahuta graduated from the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York in 2003 already with a store, two fashion shows, and a covetable internship with Marc Jacobs to her name. Sretsis is a collaboration between Pim and her two sisters, Kly and Matina. In fact, the name Sretsis translates to sisters spelled backwards.

As well as deer inspired clothes, there's a few chich blouses and skirts which feature flowers made of tulle and the collars of their blouses are siply gorgeous. Despite having left high school and seeing the backside of lockers, pencilases and grumpy teachers I can't resist channeling school girl charm with sharp clean blouses such as the new range to be released in March as well as leather satchels. There's a lot of variety to choose from as always and I am definitely going to have some tough decisions ahead of me choosing between denim shorts with deer spots in white, gorgeous floaty dresses as well as artistic prints of  deer in singlets and skirts. Then there's the wooden heeled boots with deer fur patterned, I love them too their so gorgeous. Definitely some of the shoes I'll be pining for in the next season.

Karen Walker: Sunglasses 2011/2012

The biggest, brightest and possibly boldest of all Karen Walker's sunglasses ranges, 2011/2012 is the most recent collection. It incorporates the filigree motif and rabbit you can see as a part of the jewellery range as well as brightly coloured perspex, tortoiseshell in rounded off and whimsical designs. Expressing my adoration for this range is difficult- since it seems oh so familiar to the other sunglasses collections from Karen Walker. But there's a little quaint difference in the finer details, the rabbit ears and the silhouette of the cute little bunny (I'm rabbit lover, had 6 at one time, sucker for rabbits incorporated into designs), also there is a variation in the round 1960's shaped glasses. Although there's a few with amazing bright coloured frames I also like the large reflective large circular shades without frames and arrow pointed detail. 

I am a bit tentative about circular frames with that said, I think Karen Walker's range gives you a diverse range of colours and materials, as well as different variations on the lens shade, detail over the nose bridge and size of the lens. It can either look amazing, quirky with 1960s style and flair or you can become looking like a dorky bug eyed eccentric. There is a fine line between the cutting edge style of tomorrow and the out-there, the weird and the shunned.When styles have to be reinvented and represented time and time again I think that sometimes the biggest challenges for a designer is to have a trademark look about the pieces they create but also be able to bring something new and alive to a collection. Karen Walker balances these two things well within her sunglasses range, but I'm not sure we see the same trademark elemental thread throughout her clothing collections.  

These new cut-off at the top sunglasses seem to have a sense of fullness about them. Cut off in their prime. I'm not sure if my writing throughout the year has generally been adapted to please examiner assessors or I'm looking too far into it but there is sort of an unfinished and incomplete element to the sunglasses. I love the mixture of the hot and vibrant pink with the tortoiseshell profile view. The purple tinted colour... the trademark arrow darts. It's a reinvented look for the KW sunglasses and the interplay between new materials and colours seems to emphasise a heavier aspect of summer and style. This type of high end sunglasses aren't the type you would dare bring to a sweat-soaked Summer festival full of moshing and body contact but for the beach they would fit right in. Were it not for my ray bans (which I hardly use) I might be in the market  for a pair such as this.

This is the best blending in between, named the 'Soul Club' the new sort of modern framed sunglasses, with the circular round frames and Woody Allen shaped ray bans. I think that's one of the best names given to a product, because these sunglasses really do have a lot of heart and soul about them. That said, Ray bans are the most imitated brand and are versatile for a range of faces. I've always been of the opinion that they look good on whoever they are perched on and ray bans have been the trademark and sought after brand of the sunglasses world. Just the slight widening, the heavy sense of plastic and a almost wide thickened cat eye flick at the top of the frames screams 60s freedom and colour but is also new age and modern in a sense. There's a versatility about the frame shape that is entirely the designer's own and I think that's fantastic.

Rabbit silhouette detail! There's the quirk and cuteness of the rabbit over the right lens of the sunglasses frames but the strong and rectangular design of the shades themselves evokes a Kanye West and untouchable sense of fame. You could wear them out at night with confidence and get away with it although I myself admit that I think wearing sunglasses indoors or at night is tacky and you'd need to be full of yourself to do it.

In contrast and possibly inspired by the tortoiseshell colour variations of the sunglasses comes a wood grain effect to Karen Walker's sunglasses with brown tinted lenses and bright yellow edges. I really like wood grain effects on cameras and I'm thrilled to see it on sunglasses now especially by this prestigious New Zealand designer. Possibly in the first design and structure listed above for this wood grain colour but I am open minded and if I had the cash and circumstances to loll around a high end fashion store I would be more than happy to be talked into buying such amazing sunglasses. This new colour variation and the neat presentation of the campaign affirms to me that there are style new designs that will be made from Karen Walker and I will never really be disappointed with a campaign. They will use their wiles and guises to reinvent old favourites with the new colours of the season and impress me. That we can both be sure of.

The presentation of the models for this collection was really different and new compared to previous collections; rocking pale complexions, nude lips and white hair. Think Ice-Landic

Here are some of my two favourites in the eye wear range in terms of structure, Bunny is the name of the second pair of shades in hot pink with clear perspex and the cut out arrow darts along the side and the first circular framed frames is dubbed 'Keep The Faith Sunglasses'. I'm sure you've heard this story before but when I was on exchange earlier this year in America, I  had a pair of round framed sunglasses that were perfect by One Teaspoon and their cat knocked them over from the table and then the dog chewed them and then they tried to hide the evidence... I was heart broken and I think I'm still trying to fill the void of my first pair of sunglasses and replacing them. I love looking at all the bright colours and variations in designs of the Karen Walker range but if I were to buy a pair I would need to do my research since they usually cost over $200 so you have to be sure that the pair you get is not only right for you but versatile to become a part of your wardrobe and everyday life to get the best out of them. That said though, the black pair with the tiny little rabbit over one eye are the cutest thing in the world and I will probably never seen the rabbit motif incorporated into any other design of sunnies...

That is one lucky and good looking mop.

Von Trapp Sunglasses and the Patsy Sunglasses shown above, The Von Trapp's are brilliant and I think I adore them more as a piece of art rather than something I would personally own or wear. I am tentative about the whole oversize sunglasses trend, I always look like a weird bug but I am somehow attracted to the super reflective nature of those shades and the fact that they are the only sunglasses within this eyewear range that doesn't have an actually colourful frame makes it just something special and different. Of course, I always love things that are special and different. The Patsy sunglasses really show off the gorgeous deep pink of the perspex coloured plastic Karen Walker has as a part of her collection and I love it! I don't wear pink that often but I am magnetically attracted to that colour. It screams Summer and good times. Going to the beach... I'm so excited for all these things and no longer being weighed down with Holiday Homework. I'm a free agent for the first time in about a year (in terms of study).

Simply named 'Va Va' these are the sunglasses that sort of tie together the jewellery range as well as the sunglasses collection of 2012 for Karen Walker. That, and the cheeky rabbit ear detail over the frames as well as the filigree motif. If you do happen to like the pattern on the top half of the sunglasses so much, there is an incredible gold cuff in the same weaved and intricate pattern. I just like this last pair for the design, but I can't see myself strutting around Melbourne with them but I am inspired by the new design and flamboyance of the Karen Walker range. 

Every now and then I feel apprehensive about fashion as if it has all been done before and there will never be any new designs made but I keep getting happily trumped by the fact that there are people slaving day and night to break out into the fashion scene and become a globally recognised brand. Karen Walker, the New Zealand label that breaks the fronts of fashion, eyewear and jewellery threatens to compete with some of the very best within the business and I think that's fantastic.