As Jack Nicholson said, “With my sunglasses on, I’m Jack Nicholson. Without them, I’m fat and 60.” The point here is simple; a good pair of sunglasses can define a person and their style. As such, I’m always on the hunt for that one great pair of shades (isn’t everyone?), and in this quest to discover them I’ve come to learn what works for me, and what does not. For instance, I now avoid square and wrap-around frames – a hasty purchase at a Prada store near the Matterhorn taught me that. Onwards…
Last year, during a brief visit to Assembly in the Lower East Side, my life changed. I noticed a wall of sunglasses, but in particular a pair of sunglasses that put all others to shame. The culprit, Illesteva, is a New York City-based brand that fuses textures (including wood and buffalo horn) and uses varying color-ways to create shapes that marry retro with the right kind of modern cool. Expectedly, Illesteva’s ‘Leonard’ has quickly became my all-time favorite. The matte tortoiseshell works well on the round-meets-mild-cateye acetate frame. The result is classically old school, which essentially means I’ll be wearing them forever.
– Classic sunglasses are every man’s best friend. Shop Illesteva by clicking here. Photos by Alexander Atkins.
