What is Ultraviolet Radiation?

Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than that of x-rays. Specifically, it’s radiation with wavelengths in the spectrum between 400nm and 100nm. The three types of UV radiation we’re concerned with regarding eye protection are UVA, UVB, and UVC, in order from longest to shortest wavelengths, respectively. While UV radiation is often referred to as UV light, that is technically incorrect because you cannot see UV rays with the naked eye.

How is UV Radiation dangerous to our eyes?

Ultraviolet radiation is dangerous to the human eye for several reasons.

Year after year the United States throws down with some of the best music festivals in the world and 2014 is no exception. Below is a chronological guide to major music festivals in the USA along with dates, lineups, and the perfect pair of shades for each show.

Ultra Music Festival

March 28-30 (Miami, FL) - www.ultramusicfestival.com

Featuring: Afrojack, Avicii, Armin Van Buuren, Above & Beyond, David Guetta, Empire of the Sun, MGMT, Tiesto, Kaskade

Each year around spring break Miami kicks off festival season with a bang. Ultra delivers the premier electronic dance music experience, attracting throngs of neon rocking ravers to the thundering bass in Bayfront Park located in downtown Miami. Arguably the most famous EDM festival in the world, Ultra attracts electro-heads like moths to the proverbial flame of unstoppable electronic beats pumping through the tables of globally eminent DJ’s, producers, and electronic music artists. Oh yeah, and did we mention there are lasers?

Pack a pair of Sunski’s and prepare to have your face melted off by a wall of subwoofers.

Based in Oceanside, California, RAEN was created in 2008 by designers at Libre Design as an independent, classics-driven brand to bring quality and authenticity to the boutique eyewear market.

Branding & Culture

RAEN Optics epitomizes the notion of an endless summer. Driven by classic Californian style, the designers of RAEN cleverly combine acetate and metal to create sunglasses comfortable on gritty urbanites and global roadtrippers as well as the most seasoned fashionable beachgoers. Of all the brands here at NYGlass.com, RAEN owns its culture of relentless exploration with the best of them.

This is Part 2 of a series on the Luxottica corporation and how its monopolistic behavior is damaging the industry of designing, manufacturing, and selling sunglasses.

The top three reasons you should buy sunglasses from independent labels:

1) You're paying for the product - not the brand.
2) Small brands rely on the quality and creativity of their product.
3) Your purchase supports independent labels instead of publicly traded companies.

Corporations like Luxottica are incentivized to pump out cheap products. Shareholder profits are paramount for big business, mandating high margins and optimized production tactics while product quality falls by the wayside. In the eyewear industry that means using cheap plastics and low-grade metals. Not only that, Luxottica dominates the industry at a near-monopoly level.

This is Part 1 of a series on the Luxottica corporation and how its monopolistic behavior is damaging the industry of designing, manufacturing, and selling sunglasses.

The sunglass market is rigged. A monopoly lurks in the shadows, creating cornucopian display cases brimming with sunglasses of every brand and variety. What you don’t know is they’re all made by the same giant corporation: Luxottica.

“Luxottica's domination and carefully crafted illusion of competition has cemented its role as "price maker"…[which] results in routinely pricing for $200 or more glasses that cost less than $30 to make”

Kansas City Legal Examiner, Oct ’12

Luxottica owns several brands outright and licenses numerous others. Ray-Ban, founded in America in 1937 to make sunglasses for Air Force pilots, was acquired by Luxottica for $640 million in 1999. Oakley was founded in 1975, and after pricing disputes in the late 90’s and numerous legal battles, was acquired for $2.1 billion in 2007. Oliver Peoples was acquired by Oakley the prior year and was thereby included in the deal. Persol, a traditional Italian brand founded in 1917 was acquired by Luxottica in 1995. These classic brands are sold alongside the numerous other brands that Luxottica licenses.

Glare from the road, bodies of water, and other sources is an annoying and dangerous part of life for many people. The solution to this daily problem is polarized sunglasses, which eliminate glare and can be a valuable investment for personal safety and comfort.

The fall months are a time to bring out the earthy wardrobe tones that go neglected for much of the year - that goes for sunglasses, too. The advent of wooden sunglasses alongside the numerous new designers who have emerged in recent years presents an opportunity for eyewear experimentation this fall. While the summer months are arguably limited to sunglass staples and brightly colored frames, the fall months call for tortoiseshells and heartier yellows, browns, and blacks. Read on for the NYGlass.com picks for Autumn 2013.

The rule of thumb when choosing sunglasses that will look attractive is to choose frames that contrast the geometry of your face shape. Angular frames look best on a round...

NYGlass.com is an online store for stunning, high-quality sunglasses. We sell sunglasses from around the world — wooden frames from Idaho, vintage designs out of California, vibrant styles from Croatia, and the...