Cool Sunglasses

Now that spring is here, I'm looking for a cool new pair of sunglasses as an accessory. How can I find the right pair?

Men have become a lot more hip and "with it" than they used to be. They're willing to take more chances with accessories to look cool, and many new options in sunglasses offer that opportunity. Finding the right pair for you begins with the contour of both the frames and your face.

Shape

You don't want to get frames that too closely mirror the shape of your face. If you have a round face or a square face, you want to avoid frames that accentuate or emphasize those features. There needs to be a contrast to achieve a positive effect. You want to select a shape that's the opposite of your facial structure. If you have a square face, find a frame with at least a little softness.

Retro shapes and styles inspired by the '70s and '80s are trendy right now. Look for bigger aviators -- try the ones from familiar companies like Ray-Ban -- interesting square-shaped frames, and double bridges.

Size

Another big trend right now is big frames. If you're a guy that has a smaller face, you don't want to go too big, because you'll look like Urkel. The frame should fit within the facial pocket between your cheekbone and your eyebrow, and not occupy more than 25 percent of your facial real estate.

Frame Style

It used to be that you wouldn't see a lot of different hues for men, but we're starting to see a lot of navy blues and greens. Colors are big now -- even in sports lines (such as those made by Kaenon ), which are traditionally the territory of the conservative. Barton Perreira makes many desirable frames that come in an interesting array of colors, and that's a new development. Clear frames are also really in.

More flamboyant guys are grabbing more stylish frames, like those made by Chrome Hearts. They feature a lot of detail on them, including sterling silver, leather and wood. These frames tend to be on the larger side and are fairly bold and trendy. You'll see over-the-top celebrities like Jim Jones, Lenny Kravitz and Eddie Murphy wearing these. I wouldn't recommend them to accountants or bankers who have to maintain a conservative look.

Lenses

No matter what your style, you want to make sure you have close to 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. If you're buying a frame off the rack, there should be a sticker that tells you how much protection the glasses offer. If there is no sticker, don't buy them. If they're not 100 percent, it means you're getting UV rays into your eyes, which could lead to cataracts later in life.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/jonathandowney

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