Sunglass Lingo Guide

Between technical terms and everyday slang, there's a lot of different ways to describe the details of sunglasses. Here's our guide to the sunglass lingo:

Polarized Lenses - Lenses that filter out the horizontal vibration of moving light from flat surfaces, like water or asphalt roads, which then minimizes glare and reflection.

Tinted Lenses - Lenses that have a certain color filter. Different colors block light in different ways. Some block light better than others and some can enhance vision and color.

Sunnies - A term native to Australia and New Zealand to describe sunglasses.

Aviator - A type of sunglasses with an inverted tear drop shape, usually with a metal frame. Think Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

Cateye - A style of sunglasses that gained popularity in the 50's and 60's and is still considered a fashionable shape for frames. Cateye frames can be recognized by an almond shape eye that sometimes is decorated with embellishments.

Flat-Top - A style featuring a flat brow line.

Spring-Hinge - A hinge with a spring that allows for more flexibility, more range of movement and less maintenance. They also tend to be more comfortable for the wearer and are usually more durable.

Shades - A slang word for sunglasses derived from sun-shades.

Sun Cheaters - Another slang word for sunglasses used in the early 20th century.

Glare - A shiny or intense reflection from a flat surface.

Glints - A term for sunglasses that originated from the reflection from the frames when someone is wearing sunglasses.

Spekkies -A term for sunglasses coined by those living in southern Australia.

Stunna Shades - A name for oversized, dark sunglasses coined by rappers of the 90's.

Glecks - A term the Scottish use for sunglasses.

Wood Frame - The type of material used to create a sustainable pair of sunglasses.

Fashion Frames - Sunglasses worn purely for their fashionable appearance.