One of the most practical pieces of fashion to grace the commercial world are sunglasses. Invented in order to prevent strong light and UV rays from reaching the eyes, sunglasses have come a long way since their introduction. The practical functions sunglasses offer have increased to include the shielding of identity, crying eyes, or even to disguise yourself in periods of mourning or depression. Sunglasses have featured in film and movie stars are almost never seen without them. Over the years there have been a vast array of different sunglass styles for people to choose from and this has seen the sunglass become one of the most important pieces of fashion in history.

Being in the 21st century we are spoilt with so much choice of sunglass style to choose from. Lucky for us however we are able to make better informed decisions on what style we should buy for you see all the sunglasses you on the market have some story behind them. Famous and iconic people within history have embraced sunglass fashion. Take the Teashade style, a style made with thin wire rims and circular often nicknamed "John Lennon glasses" or "Ozzy Glasses" after Ozzy Osbourne this style of sunglass can be bought from many major sunglass brands.

Another familiar style is the Aviator. Aviators are sunglasses with an oversized teardrop-shaped lens and thin metal frames. First appearing in 1936 by Ray Ban for US military aviators, aviator shades have had much success in fashion from the 1960s right up to the present day having been seen on celebrities in films like Top Gun, where Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise sported them. Other notable wearers include Jackass star Johnny Knoxville and rock legend Freddie Mercury.

Then there are Wayfarer shades. Like Aviators, Wayfarer sunglasses were originally design for pilots. Introduced by Ray Ban Wayfarer is thought to be one of the most popular and best selling shades to date. Made popular in the 1950s and 60s by celebrities such as James Dean, Audrey Hepburn, John F. Kennedy and Andy Warhol. Wayfarer shades have had incredible staying power in the fashion industry and after a decline in the 1990s is making a strong comeback presently with designers such as Gucci.

Some more modern sunglasses that are very fashionable are sport sunglasses and goggles. Made with innovative materials such as fibre glass and titanium as well as rubber for added comfort these types of glasses come in wrap around styles and are manufactured in order to withstand forces that come into play when undertaking sport such as cycling. Sport sunglasses were made popular by Oakley who offers a huge range of different styles and colours both in frames and lenses. Oakley sunglasses have been made popular through Hollywood film featuring heavily in films such as X-men series, Mission: Impossible 2, and Blade 2. Oakley is also the sole company that Lance Armstrong has a life time deal with.

There are vast amounts of sunglass styles and makes on the market and choosing the correct pair is important. Whether you are buying sunglasses for purely practical reasons or for fashion you have to pick a pair that suits you which means understanding what type of shade best suits your face shape. If you stick to some of the big brands like Oakley and Ray Ban sunglasses then you will seldom go wrong. Big brands give that added sense of style and they last a lot longer.

Remember no matter what style you buy look after them carefully because if they do go out of fashion it will not be long before they are in fashion again.