The Buy: "Nice" Sunglasses

I used to be one of those people who believed buying sunglasses for more than $25 was throwing away money because I was bound to a) lose them b) break them or c) get bored with them over the course of a summer. 

But then I had three pairs of cheap sunglasses in a row, two of which broke without me doing anything careless to break them, and one pair that was so cheap the glazed finish peeled off in the heat, leaving my face itchy and, well, gross. So maybe, subconsciously, I'd had enough. Still, I never thought sunglasses would be an item I'd splurge on. 

Then came the perfect storm. I was stuck—stuck being the operative word—in a mall alone, waiting for a friend. It was a sunny—can I emphasize sunny?—day outside and I decided I needed sunglasses to get by. And I happened to wander into Sunglass Hut, where most of the shades are in the $200 to $300 range (Prada! Chanel! Ray Ban!) so finding a pair for 89 bucks seemed like a downright steal. 

I bought the $89 sunglasses with the swipe of the devil-on-my-shoulder credit card, rationalizing all the while. They're Club Monaco, naturally, because that brand has itself wrapped around my little finger. (They could sell Bandaids and I'd probably buy them...analyze that!) Post-purchase, I fled to the restroom to check myself out in the new shades, and thought, with relief, 'damn, I look cool.' 

A few days later, I saw the Joe Fresh version of my space age-ish aviators online for $14—this after my boyfriend told me the glasses looked too big for my face—and whimpered a bit inside. 

But then I shook it out, walked outside with my newest CM accessory, and held my head high—towards the sun, wouldn't you know?—with not a trace of squint in my eyes.