Kanye West Sunglasses Guide
Singer Kanye West has been a huge influence on people who love his music and who just love style. The singer, known for his tunes including "Stronger," has done great things for the eye-wear industry.
In popularizing various styles of shades, West has created throngs of fashion followers and brought attention to forgotten and vintage styles of sunglasses.
Let's look at some of the different styles Kanye as worn, what designers make the real deal--and how much to pay for the real steal. You'll be stronger for knowing.
Shutter to Think
First things first. The video to the song "Stronger," brought the 1980s shutter shutters back on the map. These sunglasses feature no glass, but plastic horizontal slats. Created by Alain Mikli, the sunglasses can be purchased from the designer's store in New York City or in Europe by paying the designer price. For under $10, though, you can get the same look. Visit an online retailer ans search for "shutter shades." You'll find an utter rainbow of sunglasses colors, in white, blue, orange, green, black, pink and purple.
Wayfaring Stranger
One of the all-time classic brands of sunglasses is Wayfarer, made by Ray-Ban. The company has been at it since 1952, about the time that rock&roll was born. After the 1970s, the style went out of fashion, but was reborn in the 1990s and 200s, thanks to acts like Kanye, who wears the stand-out white frames or the cool black ones. The classic design features a slight cats-eye on the upper part of the frame, which give it a retro look. purchase the real thing for about $120, or get a cheaper version for under $20.
Like a Million Bucks
Finally, Kanye has made sunglasses into gold wearing the Louis Vuitton Millionaire style. These shades ave two gold stripes across the bride and on the arms. He's worn the black, but they also come in white, red, purple and teal. For the man or lady with thousands in disposable cash, you will easily drop $2,000 to $3,000 on these well-constructed sunnies. And you'll find the imprint of Louis Vuitton embellished in the gold stripes, in case anyone gets close enough to check if they're real. If not, shell out about $15 for the fakies.
The Aviators
One style the rapper can be seen occasionally in are aviator sunglasses. But these aren't your standard "Top Gun" aviators. Kanye tends to choose sunglasses with a flair, such as his over-sized plastic aviators with a stripe on the bridge, rounded aviators, vented aviators or retro aviators. One of the most memorable styles were his 1980s style M1 shades from Alpina, priced at $900. another is the steel temple and steel bridge accented Bottega Veneta shades, which cost a more accessible $300.
For those who can't afford the Bottega Veneta or the Alpina aviators, you can maybe shell out a measly $200 for the classic Carrera. Carrera makes some of the most unusual, cool and sought-after sunglasses. Kanye wears the style No. 5512. There's also the sporty Turbo Sport aviators sunglasses, which feature the small vertical line on the nose and the tiny "T." Fashion plate Victoria Beckham has also been spotted sporting the Turbos. You can find them cheaply for under $10 or vintage sites such as eBay.
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