

Are Designer Sunglasses Worth the Price?  - latif
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704518904575365362932852610.html?KEYWORDS=sunglasses

======
petercooper
Rational arguments against the purchasing of veblen goods -
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good> \- don't hold much weight. Being
"worth the price" doesn't entirely mean how good they are glasses but how good
they are as fashion items too, a point this article totally misses.

Disclaimer: Wearer of Benetton glasses that I _know_ are mass produced and
overpriced when classified merely as glasses.

------
cmurphycode
Questionable assertions about overpricing (as petercooper discusses) aside,
this article is interesting if only to demonstrate the vertical integration of
Luxicotta. FTA: "The eye doctor telling you that you need a new pair of
glasses, the sales people helping you choose them and the people who design
and make the glasses all work for the same company. "

That sounds like an enviable position for lots of companies. At the same time,
it provides insight into current internet heavy hitters' strategies. For
example, Google's fiber networks and internet tools (Chrome, JS libraries,
etc) are probably all designed to improve the efficiency of their cash cow
(search).

------
matwood
I've worn various Oakley sunglasses for years paying $100-$200 each. I usually
keep them 3-5 years before they get too beat up to keep wearing. I've tried
switching, but I haven't found any optics that I liked as much. I guess it
could be a mental thing...dunno.

One thing the article didn't touch on was comfort. I hated wearing sunglasses
until I bought Oakley Zeros years and years ago. They were so light you could
forget they were on.

The next time I need glasses I'll go out and try to find some cheaper ones
that fit my criteria instead of being lazy and just picking up another pair of
Oakleys :)

------
noelchurchill
It's worth it if you're willing to spend the extra money to not see too many
other people wearing the same glasses.

------
Gonsalu
How is this Hacker News?

