Acting shady

Go big or go home. It’s the first piece of advice Smarter Eyewear owner Paul Nguyen offers up about sunglasses shopping. “You don’t want to go too big—but big enough to cover the entire eye area. Bigger frames and lenses provide more coverage from the sun,” he says.

Standing today in his Perkins Road store, Nguyen is surrounded by hundreds of frames. The store sells eyewear in all shapes, colors and sizes and by more than 25 designers. But he suggests that, when trying on a pair of shades, customers step away from all that. Exit the store to be in the sunshine for just a moment.

“Most stores do not have the best lighting, so wearing outside will allow you to confirm that the lenses are dark enough or too light for you,” he says.

Nguyen likes polarized lenses, which filter out UVA and UVB rays and also reduce glare, allowing you to see truer, sharper colors. If you like to put your sunglasses on top of your head, find a pair without nose pads that could catch on your hair, he says. Before you buy it, make sure a frame fits right and doesn’t pinch your nose.

“If the frame does not fit perfectly brand-new at the store with an optician available to adjust them for you, what makes you think that it will be better when you get home?” he says.

Here, Nguyen shares a few favorite pairs in the store, plus suggestions for face shapes they’d flatter. He emphasizes, though, that many factors will play into how a frame complements your face, including its shape, color, size and thickness and your own hair color and complexion.

“And most importantly, your personality,” he adds. “The glasses will enhance and bring out your personality.”