For the penny pinchers among us, the best option is to buy high-quality goods that last rather than buying cheap crap that breaks, gets lost because you don’t cherish it, or never quite sits comfortably. It takes a long time to learn a hard lesson, and for most people who watch their wallets, it is a lesson that cannot come soon enough. If you want a pair of designer sunglasses, spend some time researching your options so you find the sunglasses you’ve always wanted. Buy them, whether they be Ray Ban, Rudy Project or Oakley. If you spend your hard-earned cash on something you really want you’ll find you take better care of it, you’ll not easily misplace them, and they’ll make you happy on a very small, but very consistent level.

Another way to optimize with your limited funds is to search for a look that is versatile and spans the seasons. For example, a classy pair of Ray Bans can be extremely versatile. They look great in the fall, they offer great coverage in the winter against glare from snow and ice. In the spring, they easily repel water and in the summer they offer width of protection and a classy look.

If you plan to save money somewhere, the only way to do it is to limit what you buy, buy high-quality goods, and take care of your versatile and expensive accessories. If you really want to save a bit more, one option is to buy vintage clothing and spend your money on accessories that compliment your look.

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Green eyes are the rarest eye color on the planet, and yet one of the most desirable and attractive colors. More and more people are getting green eyes via tinted contact lenses, like those by Bausch & Lomb, but for natural green eyes, you can expect lighter skin with red or blonde hair. Finding sunglasses that look good on a red head is not an easy feat. Here are a few tips to help the green-eyed beauties out there.

For red hair, you’ll want to do one of two things with your designer sunglasses options. For the eccentric and creative red heads, perhaps a nice pair of Alexander McQueen or Ed Hardy sunglasses would draw attention to your eyes so that when you do lower your shades the green emerald eyes beneath will stand out like a single tree on a prairie hill. This method is bold and creative, and for folks with red hair that is out of control wild perhaps it might draw too much attention to your head. For soft, gentle red heads this method, however, is perfect.

On the inverse, nothing can be more alluring than simplicity. A traditional pair of brown or copper-tinted sunglasses like those by Police (for men) or Bolle (for women) offer a slight bit of contract and really accent the green eyes beneath the sunnies. The simple approach is far more high brow, but can be played down with bright colored clothing or a fun hat.

Finally, to keep your green eyes looking bold, outline them in copper or brown shades of shadow and liner to make them really pop. If you wear contact lenses, a slight green enhancer in your lenses could really boost your color and give your whole look added pizzazz.

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Carrera. These are, of course, always in style. But more recently Carrera shades have made it off the beaches and into cinema. You can see these shades, and similar ones, in such films as Iron Man, they have adapted from purely surfer’s wear to a chic urban option as well. (Paris Hilton seen in Carrera in image).

Emporio Armani. Always hot, Armani has made a splash this summer with their 2010 line. Not always the classy black shades you imagine, Armani has something for every style fanatic, and the diversity of the new line is a firm step in the right direction for Armani.

Versace. For women, there are very few designers more aware of the female form, or more focused on enhancing natural beauty with fashion. For the true diva, Versace has always been a top choice, this summer is no different.

Jimmy Choo. For the urban elite, Jimmy Choo has managed to steal some of the limelight only Prada used to enjoy. His shoe, purse and eyewear designs are legendary, bold and in high demand. Expect to see a lot of Jimmy Choo in the coming months.

Chloe. Always feminine, always cute. These summer shades are ideal for beach time, casual relaxing with friends or a first date. The designs are adorable, and because they are designed for women, they don’t overly crowd the face.

Bvlgari. For elegance, charm and simplicity, there is nothing more stable than Bvlgari for a nice yacht ride, a long summer drive, or even an elegant trip to the race track. The women’s line is simple and yet elegant while the men’s line infuses masculinity and rustic grace into a final product that is definitely lust worthy.

MiuMiu. Only an offshoot of Prada could have earned such fame and renown in such a short amount of time. MiuMiu is incredibly popular with a younger, more vibrant crowd of urban and rural dwellers. The simple designs of Prada have been infused with color and spunk.

Rudy Project. For men, especially serious athletes, military fanatics or sports fans, there is nothing on the market better than Rudy Project. The Israeli military even uses them in their sniper division! Pro athletes from around the globe adore them, and they are sure to be around for quite a while.

Marc Jacobs. The simple and yet memorable designs of Marc Jacobs have always been popular. This summer we expect to see more men then women following the Jacobs trend. The simple sophistication they offer is perfect for the workplace or business as well as casual sport.

Spy. A classical newbie to the summer hot list, these sunnies are a charming new favorite and we’re excited to see what new designs they produce this fall.

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What is scarier than a mad scientist with round eyeglasses and plastic gloves that extend past his elbows? Answer—nothing. For most villains and cinematic bas asses, glasses are simply an essential part of the bad ass wardrobe.

To get the bad ass look Matt Damon has here (image) you can pick up a tastefully similar pair of Oliver People eyeglasses. You’ll recall that Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm wears a very similar (and sinister) pair of round glasses throughout his HBO series.

To get the look of Antonio Bandaras in almost every film he stars in (other then Zoro, that is) you can pick up a pair of sexy Police sunglasses. Or, and he wore a similar pair in Spy Kids, Ralph Lauren eyeglasses in gold frames. What could be sexier than a Latin lover who is also intelligent, adventurous and has a designer wardrobe? Answer—again, nothing.

What about George Clooney, whose recent starring role in Up in the Air gave middle aged men hope for their romantic futures as well as a shameless look at the world of mid-range executives. His sunglasses are always classy, gold or brown tinting, and simple. Think Serengeti or Ray Ban, though I’m partial to the more adventurous look of Serengeti’s gentle gold tinting and gradient lens hues.

Finally, the ultimate box office bad ass recently was Iron Man, whose star- Robert Downey Jr., has long been in love with designer eyewear. You’ll find him in several custom designs that you can find similarly in the designer world for less than having them hand-crafted for you in Milan. Carrera is particularly good at making bad ass designs that could make even the cuddliest of men look like a superhero’s alter ego.

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For summer, there are few designs more perfectly suited for both the city and the outback than Serengeti. These sunnies are perfect for any warm climate and offer great protection with casual style at an affordable price. Need more reasons to love Serengeti?—Here are just a few to get you started.

1. Serengeti sunnies have perfectly tinted lenses in a soft brown/orange hue that actually works to increase visual contrast and cut down on peripheral glare. The hue is also visually attractive on almost every skin color as a casual and yet coordinated color that has an overall adventurous and calculated look that can match any outfit.

2. Serengeti frames are made from sturdy, high-quality materials that make them suitable for the great outdoors as well as the cement jungle of city life. With a dynamic lens hue and beautifully accented frame colors, you’ll have a great looking set of sunnies that are top quality and long lasting.

3. Serengeti sunglasses are perfect for a broad range of sports and hobbies, including driving, shooting, biking, hiking and day-to-day urban use. Because of the wonderfully and expertly tinted lenses, Serengeti sunglasses are especially popular in the driving world, both for casual drives and for professional and stunt drivers. For driving, you really want light weight, tan or orange tinted sunglasses that block glare and decrease the shock from reflected light (headlights, for example).

4. Serengeti sunglasses have a prestige to them similar to Ray Ban in that a very distinct class of people wear them. Yachting, driving, and golf are just some of the sports and life-styles that are in love with Serengeti sunglasses.

5. For designer sunglasses, Serengeti are surprisingly affordable. And this is especially cool since they are frames most commonly worn by the upper crust and those obsessed with sporting and hobbies.

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Lindsey Lohan in there Dior sunglasses is a great example of a celebrity who has found the perfect look for her face shape and color. Though she wore this getup while appearing before a judge recently on several charges, she still managed to look professional, crisp, clean and most importantly—not like a menace to society! She makes these old-fashioned, throw-back frames look extremely modern, chic and cool. Thanks Lindsey Lohan for giving a nod at fashion the correct way. For a bit more ‘out-there’ coolness, take a look at Elton John’s sunglass-wearing career. From strange piano and sunglasses album covers to random appearances in public and on stage in cool sunnies, he never failed to entertain and impress with his cool eyewear fashion. In the same vein, Bono, from U2, is pretty much famous for his red sunnies. He started wearing them early in his career as a way to block some of the stage glare, and they clung to him like part of his personality.

Finally, an example of someone who makes sunnies look uncool, and completely horrible. You may know and love Lady Gaga, but I’m certainly no fan. While she claims she is rejecting the way our society sees women by dressing and acting in an homogenous way, I think she dresses and acts however she wants and then hires a superstar publicist to come up with rationalizations after the fact. She appeared on Larry King Live on the 1st of June in the most ridiculous sunglasses imaginable. They made her head look like a science experiment. They were simple, round black frames and lenses that blocked her entire face. Whereas Elton John made silly sunglasses fun and cool, Lady Gaga is making them inaccessible and awkward.

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For those of you who love nature, care for the environment and want to see a sustainable future for our grandchildren yet still look fashionable and chic—there are finally sunglasses out there that are friendly to your dual purposes. One of the leading contenders in environmentally friendly eyewear is Oakley, whose Gascan line honors the tradition of good fashion as well as sustainability. The frame is made from excess materials left over from the manufacture of other Oakley products, and its bamboo emblem is not only adorable, but also a sustainable resource that has been proven to be better for the environment than plastics or most other kinds of tree. They look chic, clean and the high fashion won’t set you back any carbon points (unless you use air fright, that is). In addition, the sunglasses come in a bamboo, organic certified storage bag. Some of the proceeds even go to a sports-environmental organization.

A lesser known company is working along the same lines by manufacturing entire frames out of bamboo. Kayu also donates $50 of every paid bought to Unite for Sight, a charity aimed at eliminating preventable blindness. Smart Buy Glasses also donates funds from each sale to this worthy cause. (http://www.smartbuyglasses.com/community). Another, very similar company is iWood. Their frames are made from exotic woods hand fashioned by American high school students to help teach them a trade while also earning college credits. The designs are modern, chic and fresh and the frames are smartly crafted with non-toxic glues and high quality products.

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We know celebrities are trying to keep a low profile when out on the town, but that is no excuse for abusing fashion! Look at what too much is doing to Rihanna in these Ray Ban Wayfarer sunnies (image) and hoodie. She looks like a stalker more than a superstar, and that look simply isn’t flattering! There is a right way to do eyewear and headgear, and some of the superstars have got it together…while others of them could take a few lessons in stardom!

So, how to you do the eyewear and headgear combo successfully? Well, you might want to take a lesson from Dita Von Teese on that (image), or Katy Perry—who also does it very successfully. The hat-sunglasses combo is not an easy one to pull off, and it takes real coordination and fashion gusto to even attempt such high-fashion pizzazz.

A few things to consider while trying the hat-sunglasses combo. First, you’ll want to choose one of the two accessories to be the stand out piece and let the secondary piece take the back burner. In addition, you’ll have to prove that you mean business by making this a fashion statement instead of a fashion cop out. More makeup is actually necessary with the combo then less. Look at what Rihanna could have looked like if she had done up her makeup and hair. This would have been a fashionable choice instead of a designer blunder. Finally, if your sunglasses are your stand out item, then you’ll want to make sure they are designer grade. If your hat or other headgear are your headliner item then make it something unique, bold and daring. Otherwise the designer eyewear will outshine the headgear.

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Many of us have been wondering when this over-sized eyewear craze would abate. I’ll be honest, the Miu Miu over-sized look (image here of blonde) just isn’t a look that works for me and I’m not particularly attracted to the fashion sense behind the look. I think they are somewhat bulky and hide the face too much to be a realistic, day-to-day accessory. Nevertheless, I have to admit that people seem to still be crazy for the bug-eye look. People seem to think seeing the world through giant, bottle-sized lenses would be preferable to sleeker, more modern shades and I have to respect their fashion choices. The look has adapted quite a bit over the past two years from the traditional round frames, like the ones seen on Paris Hilton here, to a more square look, like the Louis Vuitton sunnies seen on Demi Moore

(image here of brunette). I think the squared look is much more attractive. It adds depth and charm to Demi’s round face and the color choice really highlights her naturally dark hair and tanned skin tone. Meanwhile, the round look on Paris Hilton serves to make her look like a 12 year old human-fly hybrid. She looks somewhat like Willy Wonka’s offspring in those white, goggle-like frames. Not very attractive, is it?

Ideally, I’d like to see more women embrace the natural curves and looks that suit their particular face shape, hair and skin color and find a look that works for them rather than blindly following what they perceive to be in fashion.

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Prada has long been a kingpin in the fashion industry, and there are undoubtedly thousands of reasons to love Prada. We’re offering you the top five reasons we think Prada is an amazing design house with creative, fresh takes on traditional products.

1.) For the Love of Heels. Prada’s innovations in shoe designs, especially in high feels and taking the simple black shoe from an elegant must-have, to a daring and sexual accessory no city woman’s wardrobe would be complete without.

2.) For the Love of Sunnies. Whenever you think of Prada you are likely thinking of a modern woman, probably a successful one, in dark sunglasses and fashionable attire. The Prada love of innovative, powerful and yet elegant eyewear is renown in the highest circles of the fashion world.

3.) For the Love of Handbags. There has been no major innovation in the handbag category as big as Prada’s. They brought high-quality, tough and durable fabric into high fashion. A Prada bag should last a lifetime, with Kevlar-like toughness, these bags can be dropped, scraped, banged around and drenched and still look perfect.

4.) Even Hollywood Loves Prada. In the hit film, “The Devil Wears Prada” we learned that success in the world of high fashion is beyond cut throat. Nevertheless, we come away from that film loving Prada as much as we did before we found out it was Satin’s clothing of choice.

5.) Finally, the Fit is Perfect. While Prada may make clothing, the real reason for their fame has long been their wonderful, perfect accessories. They fit into any outfit, and into any lifestyle.

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