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ENTITY shares best sunglasses

With the sun shining bright, we have to prepare our eyes for extra protection. While big sunglasses brands like Ray Bans, Tom Ford and Prada are fashionable and trendy, they also tend to be on the pricier side.

ENTITY shares why the best sunglasses cost a fortune, plus best brands

GIF via Giphy

Why do we pay such ridiculous amounts of money for sunglasses? Here’s a fun fact: It’s because the entire industry is pretty much dominated by one company, Luxottica. Whether it’s Gucci, Prada or Chanel, Luxottica has a hand in making almost all sunglasses on the market today.

The worst part is, it’s dirt cheap to make them, costing as low as three dollars per pair. Despite this, the price of a designer pair of sunglasses can be nearly twenty times the cost of production while the material is pretty much the same in a cheaper pair. Luxottica’s business model is successful because it gives people the illusion of choice. Instead of branding all their sunglasses with “Luxottica,” they have dozens of different brands that people can identify with. There is a style for everyone.

But if you’re not down to pay a ridiculous amount of money for sunglasses that cost almost nothing to make and instead want to support independent companies, look no further.

Here are some of ENTITY’s favorite sunglasses companies.

1 Crap Eyewear

ENTITY shares best sunglasses crap eyewear

Photo via Instagram / @crapeyewear

Despite the name, these sunglasses are actually pretty awesome and will hold up over time.

Crap Eyewear started in Los Angeles when they were upset with the absurd prices of sunglasses. Their mission is to create affordable but quality sunglasses for all of us to enjoy. Rihanna even wore them to the Met Gala, so you know the style can be both cool and classy.

If you want to pick up a pair, you’ll spend less than $100 and support an independent company that puts customers and local communities first.

2 Quay

ENTITY shares best sunglasses from Quay

Photo via Instagram / @quayaustralia

Quay [pronounced “key”] is an Australian sunglass company founded in Melbourne by Linda and Allen Hammond. They started selling sunglasses at concerts when they were young for some extra cash and eventually quit their full-time jobs when the company started picking up.

Their goal is to provide the world with “cool, affordable” sunglasses and with the maximum price sitting at just $75 dollars— and they’re definitely on the right track.

It’s important to mention, though, their low price tag doesn’t mean low quality. Even Jennifer Lopez and Vanessa Hudgens sported these shades even though they can easily afford a more expensive pair.

3 Proof

ENTITY shares best sunglasses proof eyewear

Photo via Instagram / @proofeyewear

Proof Eyewear is one of the most sustainable and ethical sunglass companies out there.

Through their “Do Good” program, each type of eyewear you buy donates to a different cause such as health and vision, empowerment, environment and education. These proceed helped provide tsunami relief in Japan, child soldier rehabilitation in Africa and reforestation in Haiti.

With every pair of glasses you buy, you’re giving back to the world in a positive way. The best part is you give money to people who actually need it, not lining the pockets of already rich Luxoticca executives.

4 Le Specs

ENTITY shares best sunglasses Le Specs worn by Dua Lipa,

Photo via Instagram / @lespecs

Another Australian sunglass company, Le Specs, determines to make proper eye protection available to everyone. They’re even worn by Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Dua Lipa (above).

Many of their sunglasses are at the $100 mark, but you can still find a number of basic styles for much less. The more expensive ones are truly unique, though, and definitely worth the price if you want to stand out. Another downside of Luxoticca brand sunglasses is they are a dime a dozen, so it’s generally not worth it to spend three times the price just to look like everyone else.

5 Solo Eyewear

ENTITY shares best sunglasses soloeyewear

Photo via Instagram / @soloeyewear

If you’re looking to shop in a more sustainable way, Solo sunglasses is your best bet. They make sure every manufacturer they work with passes an audit, which ensures the health and safety standards of their workers.

They also have a mission to give back to the world and donate 10 percent of their profits to help protect and restore people with vision needs by providing eye exams, eyeglasses and surgeries. Overall, their goal is to restore the world’s eyesight, respect the planet and ethically source products.

In the end, we all just need a pair of stylish, sturdy sunglasses that won’t leave us bankrupt.

By supporting independent eyewear companies, we not only save money but we also contribute to smaller brands going against the grain. So shine on and happy hunting!

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