At one point, when I was still in middle school, I had a collection of sunglasses that was unmatched. I remember arranging them neatly and evenly on a shelf that spanned about 60 inches, placing them each about 3 inches apart, tidy & folded, and just admiring them in their bountiful glory. This ritual happened about once per month – before I wore every single pair within a few weeks and scattered them about the house in the process. (Sorry, parents.)
I had about 20 pairs, at my most obsessed. There were lavender-tinted wayfarers, the ever-so-popular bug-eye sunglasses from the mid-1990s, many vintage pairs picked up at thrift shops, and even a few fake glasses thrown in to round it out.
Eventually, I started developing a more permanent taste in shades, and my collection rapidly dwindled and disbanded. I went for years with a single-pair-of-sunglasses philosophy – mostly because I didn’t want to justify shelling out the dollars for a new pair just because I’d become bored with my current shades. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me a little sad to have only one pair.
Wild Soul recently wrote to me and offered to let me check out a pair of their unique sunglasses. As you can imagine, I was on it like a rabid dog. Foaming at the mouth, slipping violently on my hardwood floor, etc. I was all over it.
The hardest part was picking a style. They aren’t a sunglasses emporium by any means, they are a high-quality (but affordable) design-focused brand whose styles are as unique as their company’s business model. (More on that later.)
The four main styles are (clockwise from top left) Lion, Elephant, Rhino and Owl. Each style and design is inspired by an “enchanting, untamed” animal.
I love each of the styles for different reasons; they all seem to have a very distinct and loud voice – which I love. I like sunglasses to be bold and shades that blend in bore me. Wild Soul is a perfect match for my philosophy.
Oh, and did I mention they’re philanthropists?
Yeah, they are. And so are you.
With each purchase, you get to select one of nine different organizations to receive a portion of the proceeds! That’s right, Wild Soul donates 5% of every sale to an organization who needs it. Since each pair is squarely $100, that’s $5 per sale!
The nine organizations are organized into three categories:
Health
Society
- Habitat for Humanity
- Adeona (helping disadvantaged children get educations despite socio-economic obstacles)
- Bread for the World Institute
Environment
The Choice.
I had to make one. I went with the Owl frames in “Sand.”
These photos were taken during a particularly luxurious afternoon in my apartment’s living room.
I’m absolutely enamored. Not only have I received compliments abound on these shades, but I feel like a half-villain, half-spy when I wear them. I’ve never had such round lenses before, but I love the dramatic shape! Thanks to the sand-y tan color, they look awesome with everything, but I particularly like how they look against a really loud lipstick. (I’m wearing Grappa by Borghese!)
Here’s a shot of these beauties in less oh my gosh direct sunlight:
Check it out: TheWildSoul.com
The sneak-peek I put on my Instagram last week. (Follow me! @TheMissile)
Click here for a bonus birthday picture of these shades, from B&B’s Facebook!