While the start of sunglasses season is usually welcomed with a smile fueled by anticipation for the summer holidays, it also raises an important question: What should you do with your sunglasses when you are not actually wearing them?
Some, without much thought, simply slip their sunglasses into the chest pocket of their shirt or jacket, leaving them at risk of falling out with the slightest downward motion. Others prefer to distort their T-shirt or blouse by wedging the glasses into the neckline. Still others like to wear them on a cord around their neck, securing both their glasses and their entry into old age. But the boldest have an entirely different technique: They balance their frames above their eyes, somewhere between the top of their forehead and the crown of their head.
This option, of course, is not without consequence. In this precarious position, the glasses essentially become a common headband. On a head with hair, they can push the hair back, sometimes revealing dubious roots or even causing a cowlick to appear.
On a bald head, the effect is even more unflattering. If prolonged exposure to the sun causes a tan line to appear, we could even call it carnage. While life sometimes calls for charming sartorial improvisations (the biker tucking his pack of cigarettes into the rolled-up sleeve of his T-shirt will always have a certain cachet), wearing sunglasses on your head definitely falls into the opposite category.
Here, the improvisation lacks any charm. Balancing awkwardly, they lead the guilty party into a fashion faux pas from which there is no return. Which brings us back to our persistent dilemma: What should you do with your sunglasses when you are not wearing them? Setting them down in a safe place is effective, but requires you to stay put. Storing them in a case designed for the purpose is a secure method, but logistically annoying and mentally taxing.
That leaves slipping them into the inside pocket of a jacket. It is not a perfect solution – especially for those who do not wear jackets – but at this point, it is the most reasonable option we can suggest.
Find all the 'Is it ever a good idea...' columns here.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.