Can you put a price on style..? (Oakley Minutes)

Member Name: hotknight

Product:	Oakley Minutes
Date:	28/02/02 (849 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stylish, Comfortable, Clarity of vision

Disadvantages: Price, Frame quality?

Well the answer to that would be yes you can put a price and name to probably the most stylish and comfortable sunglasses available. That name would be Oakley. I was actually introduced to Oakley sunglasses about 2 years ago, and at that time had not heard of this strange name. My cousin had a pair of Oakley’s fives that I thought looked pretty good and after wearing them and trying them on I knew what my next glasses were going to be. After wanting a pair of much needed sunglasses (and after seeing MI2), it was pretty self-explanatory as to which brand I was going to purchase.

I confess...I now own 5 pairs of Oakley sunglasses worth almost a 4 figure sum (I know what your thinking..he's mad..prob not far from the truth!)
My first pair was the Minutes, which I really like and wear most often along with the fives. They are one of my favourites as they have a good shape, very nice design and offer superb vision and clarity. Having said this they do fog up easily but it soon evaporates.
I can not fault the clarity or lenses on these are they are superb, but be warned the frames do have a tendency to snap as they are specifically designed to the contours of one's head and not to be worn any other way.

I also own 2 fives, penny and Juliet (the latter being my preferred choice). Spending over £100 for sunglasses does seem a tad excessive, but IMHO no other brand comes close to the comfort, fit and of course style. These are much better than Gucci’s or Armani by a long shot! Being an avid Oakley fan now I can honestly say that the black iridium lenses are my fav choice. As we know black represents that sleek, timeless, elegant movie star quality with just a hint of sophistication thrown in for good measure.:)
As opposed to some of the other more...hideous colours.
For the stylish and more consensus person black is the way to go. (As preached to me by the various so called "Oakley consultants”).
Of cou
rse everybody has their own unique sense of style and should look into what frame and lens suit them best. But lets be realistic, since when do wearing fire or gold lenses scream out style...which is what one of the aspects the Oakley brand is all about. Are they thinking about going Asphalt skiing or something on the streets of GB???
I could never wear some of those....colours, as they are specifically designed for skiing. Why anybody would want fire..gold...etc on the streets is beyond me, but hey what do they care about my opinion for (haha). The wire frames are not bad, but are badly let down by their nose-piece, which looks ridiculous. I personally don’t recommend these frames. Instead go for the Juliet’s which are much more acceptable and apparently made from 5 metals fused together..wooooo.

There are many styles of frames and lenses available from the classic black to red, greens, gold etc etc (ugh). Ultimately take time to find your own style and look..but please..please nothing that looks ridiculous, if your paying that much for a pair of sunglasses you may as well look good in them instead of abit of a joker.
To sum up the minutes are a great pair of shades for around £85, mine cost £120 (black frame-black iridium polarised lens through prescription), they feel great, look even better and just ooze style. I recommend buying from an online store such as http://www.oakley-eyewear.com/sunglasses/ or other stores which actually do sell them at much lower prices…so go on just explore. My last pair of sunglasses were quite good, but I found that after wearing them my eyes felt tired and slightly sore. S problem which is eliminated with these shades as they block out most of the harmful U.V rays and glare and thus protect your eyes well and I find that my eyes don’t get tired or sore anymore. No matter how long I wear them for…my eyes feel great (and I do wear them quite a lot). For the more avid users of shades I
suggest the Juliet’s or penny (the best money can buy). IMHO try the black lenses first then you can always deviate if you want and go asphalt skiing if you so wish…J

Oh I forgot to mention that there is apparently an “Oakley etiquette” to these shades that I was unaware of until the dealer so nicely (lovely chap) educated me. All Oakley dealers or consultants as I call them..probably will be more than ready to help you and teach you the correct procedures and mannerisms associated with these sunglasses <they take it seriously ..no joke>. So if your buying online I advise you go and see what they look like first..choose your style and lens and then order from the net. The minutes are good for smaller faces, if you have a big head…then try the Romeos. Hence they were a perfect fit for Tom Cruise in MI2..(hahaha).
You will feel good after you have bought a pair..and it is worth it when random strangers come up to you and say..”Hey..cool shades”…and you see heads turning when you walk by…honestly they do i'am not making it up!

And remember..as they say…Black is most definitely best!!

Happy Oakley-hunting

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