When Were
Sunglasses Invented? A History of Shades

The first examples of what we would recognize as sunglasses date all the way back to prehistoric times. The Inuit wore goggles carved from walrus ivory with tiny slits in them to help mitigate snow-blindness. Then, in 12th century China, lenses made from flat panes of smoky quartz called Ai Tai, meaning “dark clouds,” were used to conceal judges’ facial expressions during trials. While these early examples of sunglasses certainly weren’t winning any points for style, they represent the precursors to the shades we know and love. Luckily, sunglasses have gotten a far sight more fashionable and functional since then.

According to Pliny the Elder, the Roman emperor Nero was partial to viewing gladiator fights through cut emeralds, but historians find this a little dodgy. The credit for the invention of green-tinted spectacles goes to a London optician named James Ayscough, who began experimenting with green lenses to aid with vision problems in the mid-18th century. While his research had more to do with correcting vision impairments than sun protection, he was certainly onto something, as green lenses indeed offer the most powerful protection from the sun’s rays. His creations remained in vogue for quite some time, as evidenced by references to emerald spectacles in the works of preeminent authors of the time like Edgar Allen Poe. Also during the 18th century, women and children in Venice used Murano glasses to shield their eyes from glare reflected off the waters of the canals. Oh, to wear a pair of shades crafted by Venetian artisans. Our Lake & Harriett collection might be the closest you can get today.

Fast forward to 1929, when Sam Foster began selling the first modern-day iterations of mass-produced shades. They quickly became hot property on the Atlantic City boardwalk, and a few years later, companies began making sunglasses specially for pilots. From the 20th century to present day, sunglasses have steadily gained popularity and enjoyed a number of level-ups, including groundbreaking polarized lenses – and thank goodness for that.

In the early 1920s, the use of sunglasses was already becoming more popular thanks to the movie stars who were beginning to sport them. The first inexpensive, mass-produced sunglasses were made from celluloid and sold by Sam Foster beginning in 1929. He figured that the crowd at the Atlantic City boardwalk would be willing to pay for some extra sun protection, and started selling glasses from a Woolworth under the name Foster Grant. By 1939, Life magazine had officially proclaimed sunglasses to be a new craze, with around 20 million pairs sold in the United States. Simultaneously, sunglasses were becoming a tool for pilots, with companies beginning to make shades specifically geared towards American military aviators. That’s right, the first aviators were made for … aviators. We’d never have guessed.

Since then, sunglasses have continued to steadily gain popularity and have seen a number of significant upgrades. In 1939, Edwin H. Land began to experiment with creating lenses using his patented Polaroid filter, and thus polarized sunglasses were born. Revolutionary for their increased protection and visual clarity, polarized sunglasses are still considered the highest form of sun protection for your eyeballs. A decade or so later, the Armorlite company began producing lenses with game-changing CR-39 resin. If these features sound familiar, there’s a good reason – we offer polarized lenses for sunglasses and CR-39 lenses for our reading sunglasses, since they are still considered to be the last word in high-quality eyewear.

After the floodgates were opened in the 1920s, sunglasses took off as a fashion accessory, and have since been ever-present in trend cycles. The first popular shades were simple and round, setting a precedent for the trend to circle back around every few decades. The 1940s saw unexpectedly maximalist styles entering the mainstream, with the classic round shapes reimagined in thick, colorful frames, some of which were shaped like flowers. You’d better believe we’re taking notes.

Can you guess the most popular frame of the 1950s? We’ll give you a hint: they were cemented in the cultural consciousness by such icons as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. That’s right – cat eye sunglasses quickly became the quintessential style of mid-century trendsetters seeking to emulate the elegance and sophistication of its most famous wearers. Old Hollywood glamor gave way to the cultural renaissance that was Mod, spearheaded by trendsetters like Twiggy who made huge, neon, square-shaped frames the must-have pair of sunglasses of the ‘60s.

The disco decade kept the enormous lenses of the ‘60s, but softened up the shape and added colorful tints. People in the ‘70s needed their sunglasses to match their long, flowing hair and bellbottoms, after all. The ‘80s were defined by maximalism and power dressing, so naturally, the trendiest sunglasses followed suit. Celebrities like Madonna inspired waves of dark lenses and sharp angles, and Ray-Bans became a household name.

After decades of oversized sunglass frames, the ‘90s dialed it way, way back with teensy-tiny round sunglass shapes. The ranks of the beautiful and famous, including the likes of Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow, perfected the cool-factor recipe that mixed modern and vintage styles. Predictably, the trendy pendulum swung the opposite way during the 2000’s, with giant sunglasses and shield-like shapes taking center stage on the faces of it-girls like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

Now that sunglasses are permanently cemented in the cultural zeitgeist, the trends of recent years have left ample room for a wide range of tastes. We’re currently seeing styles brought back from past decades, with ‘50s cat eye shades, Moddish rectangles, earthy ‘70s tints, and the absurdly oversized styles of the early aughts all reappearing. It’s true: this is the best time in the history of sunglasses to buy sunglasses. Learn more about popular sunglasses trending today!

Congratulations! You can now call yourself a history buff as well as an expert on stylish shades. If this has inspired you to add a new pair to your growing collection of sunnies, get thee to our sunglasses collection of hot property posthaste. At the very least, you’ll certainly be seeing your current pair of sunglasses in a whole new light.