[unpaid/affiliate] I have what some might call an unhealthy amount of CHANEL sunglasses, acquired over many years. The thing is, you never get rid of a pair – I found a wonderful lens replacement service and I’ve used that a few times just to revamp some very scratched lenses – so it looks like a lot of pairs but it’s been about 20 years in the collecting. In full disclosure, a couple have been gifted by the brand (many moons ago), when my son worked at Harrods and they held a staff sale for lost property that had never been reclaimed, he bought me a pair there, and others have been airport or store purchases. I’m priced out of most CHANEL things, but if you are quick off the block, I’ve found a pair in the Liberty sale that are the perfect ‘starter’ sunglasses if you’re new to the brand.
I’d always recommend tortoise shell frames because they suit everyone – my black frames are the ones I wear least, while the ones I wear most have a round, brown frame. The last time I wrote about CHANEL on my Substack HERE, I got a snippy comment from a journalist saying how much she ‘hates the fetishising of CHANEL’. Excuse me! For some, it’s not a brand they can align to, and for others it is, so take a chill pill honey and move along while I enjoy my sunnies!
I wear mine all year round – obviously not in the February sleet but some sharp, intense January sunshine with a scarf and my big coat – yes! I like this pair for being somewhat understated – one thing you can say about this brand is that you can go large if you want to with pearl rimmed frames, red frames, hexagonal frames, thick frames, thin frames (my very first purchase was a very gold aviator pair – still love them). Anyway, cutting to the chase, these are £288 HERE, reduced from £360 which would beat an airport price, I am fairly sure.
They’re not for everyone, but I just remember feeling so excited (and guilty, and thrilled and I’m just going to say it although I can’t rationalise it – grown up!) every time I wore them and I still get a little bit of that rush now. That’s my son, photobombing!
