Men’s designer sunglasses

What decides it

Lenses: glass lenses (Persol, some Oliver Peoples) are scratch resistant and clear; polycarbonate is lighter and safer for sport. Hinges: spring hinges and metal core wires keep frames adjusted. Size: lens width usually runs 50–56 mm; match it to your face width.

The pieces we would buy

Start with the Persol 649: teardrop acetate with Meflecto. The Persol 714 Folding is the better buy if you want the McQueen folding. Usual prices run from $170 to $8,000. See the full buy-or-skip list or the head-to-head Persol 714 Folding vs Tom Ford Snowdon.

Buying in the US and Europe

An optician can adjust temples and nose pads for free in most cases; ask when you buy. Buying in Europe: European prices include VAT, and many Italian and French makers of sunglasses, gloves and leather goods sell for less at home than in the US. Check the warranty and repair service before buying across borders.

Quick answers

Which men’s sunglasses suit most faces? A classic acetate rectangle like the Persol 649 or Tom Ford FT0237, or a teardrop aviator. Are Persol sunglasses worth it? Yes: Italian-made acetate, crystal lenses and the Meflecto flexible temples.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.

How we make the call: we read the house’s own product details and care guides, compare materials and construction, follow owners’ long-term experience and track the usual retail and resale prices. A piece gets “Buy” only if we would tell a friend to spend that money on it. No fashion house can pay for a verdict.