Michael by Michael Kors Sunglasses: Medina

THE BASICS
Company: Michael by Michael Kors
Price: $85
Official Site: MichaelKors.com

80 THE ASKMEN TAKE

Michael Kors’ collections are always classically executed. The same goes for his accessories line. This is especially true with these Michael by Michael Kors Sunglasses (Medina model), in which Kors put his own spin on the classic aviator-style sunglasses that have been around for forever. These shades will complement any menswear item from Kors’ collections, but for those who don’t have much of the designer in their closets, these sunglasses will still work with a lot of other options.

The Medina model come in two different colors: black plastic frames with purple lenses or tortoise plastic frames with brown frames. The latter is the harder to style because of the print. For spring 2011, brighter colors will be coming to the forefront, but a warm-weather staple seems to be white. If wearing an all-white look, either style of these shades will work well, and in some cases, it might serve as the splash of color that will round out a look. Another classic staple is denim, which would highlight the tortoise frames. Pairing denim with orange (a leading color for the spring) and the tortoise frames will also work. Our pick: Michael by Michael Kors sunglasses (Medina).



70 UNIQUENESS

These shades aren’t particularly over-the-top. As with Kors’ collections, the special and unique quality is in the details and construction. What makes these sunglasses most unique is the choice that costumers are offered in style. The purple tint on the lenses is faded to the bottom with tonal hardware on the black frame and golden tonal on the tortoise. This adds a small and subtle embellishment to the overall look and feel of the shades. For tortoise, the uniqueness is in the glasses. That probably means that an overall look will need to be minimal. In other words, basic clothing should be worn with these shades. And in spite of the print, the color makes them wearable in any season; the same can be said about the black frames.

90 DURABILITY
Kors’ accessories are executed with durability in mind. These glasses offer 100% UV protection. The arms are covered with circle logo detail. Sometimes too much embellishment can make a product more susceptible to breakage, so the good thing about these shades and their minimalist styling is that not too much care will need to be exercised when handling them -- they are durable on their own.