Who doesn’t want a pair of designer sunglasses? They’re effortlessly chic, timeless, and unless you lose or break them, will last you many years. Unfortunately, a lot of designer brands aren’t in a fresh college grad’s budget, but why should we have to go without? Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to score a pair of the trendiest designer sunnies without completely blowing your shopping budget for the month.
Where should you shop?
As a devoted Maxxinista, my first stop for any clothing item or accessory is TJ Maxx. Just the other day, I saw a pair of the cutest Betsey Johnson vintage-inspired clubmaster sunglasses for only $10! That’s cheaper than one lunch at Panera! TJ Maxx frequently carries brands like Ted Baker, Steve Madden, and Marc Jacobs, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a pair of womens aviator sunglasses, aviator sunglasses for men, cat eyes sunglasses, or round lens sunglasses at a much lower price. Another option is to shop discount sites for new items, like overstock.com or 6pm.com for designer womens sunglasses and mens sunglasses. Finally, one of the best ways to score a deal is to buy used. You can find a used pair of sunglasses in great condition for a fraction of the price on online consignment sites and apps, such as thredup.com and poshmark.com.
When should you shop?
According to Business Insider, the best time of the year to shop for sunglasses is the month of September (http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-time-of-year-to-buy-everything-2013-2#sunglasses-64). The price of designer sunglasses is obviously going to be the highest during the summer months, but retailers tend to drop prices as the temperature drops. So, you can even find discount sunglasses on designer’s sites themselves, like Ray-Bans, Oakleys, Tom Ford, and Gucci. If you’ve had your eye on a pair of men’s Oakleys wrap around sunglasses or a pair of round sunglasses for women by Gucci, now is the time to buy.
What styles should you look for?
The most popular styles of designer sunglasses that are discounted are oversized sunglasses and aviator sunglasses. Luckily, both of these styles can be pulled off by just almost any face shape. The toughest ones to find are sunglasses for round faces, but if you shop the sales, look for a pair of oversized rectangular or square frames to complement your face shape. If you have a small face, you can also take a look at the designer kids sunglasses because they will be cheaper year-round. Finally, if you do not have perfect vision, you can kill two birds with one stone and purchase a pair of designer prescription sunglasses (and your insurance may pay for some of it!).
