About JohnLennonSunglasses.com
We started up a UK based online sunglasses business many years ago motivated by the lack of choice of affordable good quality sunglasses in a market dominated by premium designer sunglasses brands. From the outset it was clear that there was a large demand for round John Lennon style sunglasses but we struggled to find good quality products we could sell at affordable prices. We were limited to either low quality products, usually sold through costume suppliers, or very expensive high end designer products. Having a passion for such sunglasses ourselves we decided to do something about it.
And so JohnLennonSunglasses.com was born. All our products are purchased exclusively by us directly from our supplier and manufactured to our own specification. This has allowed us to produce a high quality product whilst keeping our prices affordable.
The History of John Lennon Sunglasses
Round Sunglasses were originally known as Teashades and were a type of psychedelic art wire-rim sunglasses often worn, purely for aesthetic reasons, by members of the 1960s drug counterculture and by opponents of segregation. This term was also used to describe glasses worn to hide bloodshot eyes or the effects of marijuana (conjunctival injection) or opiates such as heroin (pupillary constriction). Rock stars such as Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia and Ozzy Osbourne (Ozzy Glasses) all wore Teashades. Big screen stars Johnny Depp, Tim Roth, Whoopi Goldberg and even animated characters Ban Mido and Basara Nekki often wear them as did former professional wrestler Bret Hart on live television appearances.
The original Teashade design was made up of medium-sized, perfectly round lenses, supported by pads at the bridge of the nose and a thin wire frame. When Teashades became popular in the late 1960s they were often elaborated. Lenses could be coloured or mirrored and they were produced in excessively large sizes or with the wire earpieces exaggerated. A uniquely-coloured or darkened glass lens set in the traditional frame was usually preferred. Modern versions tend to have plastic lenses as is the case with most of today's sunglasses. The term is now rarely used, although references can still be found in literature of the time. Today they are most commonly referred to as John Lennon Sunglasses.
The Future of John Lennon Sunglasses
Following the launch of our first collection in September 2009 and our unique polarised models in April 2010 we will continue to evolve our product range to offer an increasing variety of lens and frame options. If you have any suggestions please email us at info@johnlennonsunglasses.com