By Gretta Monahan
Tim Gunn is, without a doubt, one of the smartest people I know. No, not one of the smartest “fashion” people I know. Just one of the smartest people, period. He’s also dear friend, an all-around wonderful human, and a style mentor of mine. So of course, when he told me he was majorly rethinking one of the key parts of his wardrobe, I had to see what he was up to.
So here it is: Just in time for all of our summers, Tim has some seriously good advice about shades.
I rang him up yesterday, and was reminded of how much he and I stand on common ground, believing that the power of honing and owning one’s signature style is key to feeling confident and comfortable. And that applies to everything we wear and carry, right down to our favorite accessories.
For him, that’s always meant glasses. At the age of 10, he was diagnosed with molecular degeneration in his right eye. But everyone knows Tim isn’t about to give an inch on sophisticated style and function…. for anything. So he told me that when his optomologist suggested he consider Transition glasses, he was a little iffy.
“Truthfully Gretta, I was hesitant at first,” he says. He was concerned that there would be limited styles (his signature frame is feather-weight and rimless), but he was so impressed with the innovation and design that he was instantly hooked. “They are weightless—actually buoyant. I forget I have them on, and they change from clear to dark within moments.”
So all of that got me to thinking about my own glasses. I’m near-sighted, so I need lenses to drive, read a teleprompter, or basically see anything from far away. I’ve only gotten my first pair of prescription lenses this year, so now I have a chance to add a new accessory to my style identity. But on the flip side, that can be a headache when I have to carry around sunglasses in addition to my regular glasses. I’ve realized that it can seriously cramp your style swagger to be switching glasses throughout the day… not exactly smooth.
So once again, my hat’s off to Tim. He’s out in front by embracing the new versions of Transition lenses—they’ve evolved into a new collection of fashion-forward shapes and colors that can flatter every face shape and skin tone with instant lightening and darkening technology. (Oh, and they also have UV protection, to boot.)
My favorite part is that they’re a “do it all lens,” which means I don’t have to spend double the money on two pairs of shades. Even better, I won’t have to be giving up prime real estate in my summer bag to two pairs of anything. Problem solved.
I knew there was a big reason I loved Tim; does his sage style advice ever end? Apparently not. Check out the kinds of styles he’s wearing right now—while he’s preparing for the next season of Project runway, by the way, right here.
