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.