Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Self Reflection


Rag and Bone Keaton SunglassesFashion Latitude

When staring into mirrored lenses, it is impossible for me not to face the fact that I am obsessed with them. Like, couldn't-stop-thinking-and-dreaming-of-owning-a-pair obsessed. Ever since Rag & Bone introduced the Keaton glasses pictured above, I had been dreaming of owning a similar pair. But at such a steep price tag (not to mention that I already own more than enough pairs of sunglasses...stop judging me), I perished the thought. That is, until I came upon this blog post, and my desire returned with a vengeance.

Topshop nail polish
How awesome are these glasses worn by Karen of Where Did U Get That??

As soon as the spark was reignited, mirrored sunglasses started invading my Google Reader feed; taunting and tempting me with endless options. But it was this post from one of my favorite bloggers, Geri of Because I'm Addicted, that pushed me into the deep end.


image credit Harper's Bazaar 

Instantly, I was mesmerized. But while the fantastic frames pictured above were attributed to Westward Leaning, a San Francisco based brand with some pretty awesome products, I ultimately realized that the credit was a mistake.

After much Google-ing, hemming and hawing--my friend Jamie can attest to that--and a lucky stroke of good memory, I found them. (If only I put so much effort into other aspects of my life? But then again I am running trained for a marathon so...whatever.) Before I knew it, they were in my shopping cart. However, with a description of "orange lens" (don't they look red?), I was still a bit unsure if they were in fact the glasses worn by the ever fashionable Viviana Volpicella. Blame my anal retentiveness, but I knew I had to be entirely certain I was going to receive the exact sunglasses I had been lusting after.

After emailing the company directly, I received the nicest and most enthusiastic response (from the owner and designer no less!) and it was confirmed that I ordered the correct pair. They arrived early November to much excitement and I am just as obsessed with them in person. At $150 after shipping, while they are by no means cheap, they are certainly less expensive compared to your average designer frames (I know these look nothing like pair I purchased, but I happen to like them). I can also guarantee that few other people will be sporting the same shades.

Each pair on Spektre's site is gorgeous, made in Italy, and most (if not all) are limited edition. Not to mention that I believe in the importance of supporting small businesses, and this one couldn't be any friendlier.


My new sunglasses, sunning themselves in Thailand

To learn more about and/or purchase Spektre, you can go here, here, or here.

For US local options (and to ensure I stay unique, of course), I recommend:
- Oakley Frogskins
- Ebay
Asos
Super
- Westward Leaning

Now that I've done all the research, all you have to do is shop!

2 comments:

Jamie said...

Your passionate persistence for the perfect pair is inspiring. And they look pretty awesome :)

The Sensible Trendsetter said...

Thanks Jamie, your help with the research as well as your alliteration skills have not gone unappreciated. I'm holding you to your offer of coffee and writing!