A Korean and an American's Sunglasses Wishlist

Two editors, driven to the brink by the blinding glare of daily life, find themselves spiraling into the depths of the Jente Store sunglasses tab. Here's how it all began.

 

The Sun Is More Than 2000 Years Old

If you're squinting into the sun like it wronged you, you're not alone. Even in the city, the glare bounces off glass like it’s out for revenge. Now picture that light bouncing off a snow-covered world. That’s where the Inuit living in the most reflective place on earth got inventive, whittling reindeer antlers into snow goggles to keep their eyes from frying.

 

Someone was already wearing sunglasses 2,000 years ago. Inuit "snow goggles" carved from reindeer antler.

 

They knew what we still do: if you can’t avoid the sun, you better learn to filter it. Today’s sunglasses carry that legacy, but also much more. They give us privacy. They buy us time. They allow a kind of visual edit, making space for retreat or reinvention. There’s no better accessory for hiding yesterday or shaping the person you want to be tomorrow.

 

ⓒ@haileybieber

  

Whether you’re walking down a sunny street, riding the subway, or waiting in line for a party, sunglasses draw a line between you and the world. Moving through life with half your face covered is a subtle way of claiming your own space. In that privacy, maybe we find the freedom to be ourselves.

For something so useful, why do so few people in Korea actually wear sunglasses daily? In Western cities, everyone from toddlers to grandparents tosses on shades the moment the sun peeks out. Yet in Seoul, barely anyone is wearing them even when the sun is blindingly bright in the sky. I, an American person living in Korea for 10 years, sat down with my co-editor Editor H to figure it out.

 

 

It’s All in the Eyes

Editor H’s Take

H is Korean, and these days, she wears sunglasses for her eyes' sake. But in her teens and twenties, wearing them at all just wasn't common. They weren't for eye health, they were a sign that you were trying to look cool. My first thought was often, "Oh, they're trying to be different." This idea that sunglasses are for showing off is pretty common here. Protecting your eyes was absolutely a secondary thought. It makes total sense then that GENTLE MONSTER nailed its branding, becoming synonymous with all things "cool" and "hip" here. Because in Korea, sunglasses mean you not only have style, but the confidence to own it, too.

 

Jennie, unofficial ambassador of the Korean National Sunglasses brand. ⓒGENTLE MONSTER

  

There’s also a deeper, cultural layer. Westerners are more likely to read expressions through the mouth. Eastern cultures focus on the eyes. Think of Hello Kitty. No mouth, yet hugely popular in Asia. Less so in the West. We can even see this in the emojis we use.

Western Emoticons - : ) : (

Asian Emoticons - ㅠㅠ ^^

From that viewpoint, sunglasses felt like breaking an unspoken social rule. How can you connect with someone if you can't see their eyes? For a long time, that meant sunglasses were mostly for fashion-forward people who were willing to be different.

Cool kids in their sunglasses. 1998, Seoul

    

But things are shifting. UV damage is real. Looking after yourself and playing with style aren’t opposites anymore, and these days, sunglasses are becoming more common.

Editor O’s Theory

"Why is no one here wearing sunglasses?" I asked, starting this whole mini-project. No one really thinks twice about putting on shades in America. Once I started realizing I was often the only one wearing sunglasses wherever I went here in Seoul, I thought it might be just because the average person is shy about looking too flashy. Turns out, biology and weather also play a role.

 

Justin Bieber wearing America’s favorite sunglasses, RAY-BAN (Justin Bieber) ⓒJeff Bottari/Getty Images

 

Westerners often have lighter eyes with lower melanin levels, making sunlight unbearable without protection. Koreans, with darker eyes, have a naturally higher tolerance for brightness. The distinct seasons also mean sunglasses are only necessary for a few short months each year.

  

After learning this, I further self-proved my theory with an extremely scientifically-accurate personal anecdote. Moving into my first apartment in Seoul, the house had these extremely blinding LED lights installed in every room. I’m talking middle school school musical when you first walk out on stage and the spotlight hits you right in the eyes type light-fixture. Except in your home, in every room, all the time, no dimming. I always thought the interior designer had just kept working through retirement, but little did I know it was just my light western eyes being too weak.

 

Two Editors, Two Cultures, Two Wishlists

Realizing that sunglasses we’re now truly becoming accepted in Korea, the editors got serious, combing through Jente Store’s accessory section under the intense June sun.

 

Editor H’s Picks

PHOEBE PHILO SCORE SUNGLASSES

Editor H dove deep into every available option to find the ideal cat-eye sunglasses. Her final pick was Phoebe Philo’s SCORE Sunglasses (already sold out, we should know by now not to leave things in the cart).

 

ⓒ@phoebephilo

   

Phoebe Philo has a special talent for design. She seems to know what modern women want even before they do.

Bold, sculpted, structured, they carry weight without being overbearing. From the goggle-shaped BOMBE to the angular PEAK, her designs know when to hit hard and when to pull back. The SCORE lands right in the sweet spot.

 

ⓒphoebephilo.com

 

They come in tortoiseshell, black, and brown tortoiseshell. Lens height: 4 cm. Width: 6 cm. They’re large, but not loud. The arms are thick but in balance with the lens. And no shouting logos. Minimal in the most stylish way. That’s what won H over.

 

  

She’s spent a decade finessing the perfect eyeliner flick. She knows angles. The tilt on these lenses are perfect. Out of thousands, the SCORE hit number one in her book. On the wishlist they go.

 

ⓒphoebephilo.com

   

MIU MIU LOGO SUNGLASSES

When H thought about sunglasses, a familiar image popped up. Jean Reno in Léon: The Professional. A quiet killer with a tender side, always behind his dark frames. His sunglasses felt like armor. Like space.

 

 

Matilda, the orphaned girl who finds him, begins to echo his look. If she were around now, in 2025, H thinks she’d go for the MIU MIU Logo Sunglasses.

 

ⓒMIU MIU

Puerto Rican Rapper Young Miko ⓒ@itsyoungmiko

Her main goal for this pick was ditching the perfectly round shades Mathilda rocked in '94. These MIU MIU Logo Sunglasses, with their rimless, flat oval lenses, are basically a snapshot of 2025 trends. They’ve got the vintage vibe, ultra-lightweight metal frames, and of course, the MIU MIU logo flaunting on the temples. 

ⓒmiumiu.com

   

Since they're ultra-lightweight, the temples are incredibly thin. Plus, the rimless style means they don't exactly scream "indestructible" at first glance. In reality, these glasses have some real crowd-commanding power. Put them on and you instantly radiate a certain aura. Kind of like Mathilda herself. Fragile on the outside, but with this undeniable inner strength.

 

ⓒ<LEON, 1994>

 

  

Editor O’s Picks

OAKLEY STRAIGHT JACKET

If you relegate sunglasses purely to the realm of privacy or fashion, you would somehow be forgetting about OAKLEY. Think about it, sports and sunglasses are practically inseparable. Ever caught a glimpse of a cyclist's eyes mid-race? No (probably). They're cutting through wind, reading every tiny dip in the road, all thanks to their shades.

This isn't just about seeing better. Sunglasses are a full-on protective shield, guarding those sensitive organs while cranking up focus to max. In that split second, victory literally rests where their eyes are fixed. Honestly, few eyewear brands have inked their names into the history of winning everything they compete in quite like OAKLEY has.

 

Greg LeMond, three-time Tour de France winner, wearing Oakley @lemondbikes

  

OAKLEY never misses a single detail in the pursuit of winning. The STRAIGHT JACKET carries that OAKLEY DNA through and through. They hug the faces of cyclists hitting insane speeds, surfers conquering monster waves, and snowboarders tearing down powdery slopes, shrinking the distance to their eyes to absolute zero.

 

SATISFY® Oakley® Straight Jacket® https://satisfyrunning.com

SATISFY® Oakley® Eye Jacket™

 

The STRAIGHT JACKET is classic OAKLEY. It's designed to fit close to the face, whether you're on a bike or a surfboard, creating a secure shield for your eyes. The name itself tells you what it is: disciplined, tough, and serious. The frame's curve is protective gear that, through some design magic, also looks incredibly stylish. With athletic wear, they look perfect. Worn with a dress or a blazer, they create a cool, high-fashion contrast.

 

@overgg

   

These aren't just sunglasses to block out the sun. They're the sheer force that pushes your entire look forward, with every millimeter precisely dialed in. The STRAIGHT JACKET isn't about hiding something. It's about visualizing the choice to not show. When your styling hits a roadblock, toss these on. The entire narrative of your day’s look instantly shifts.

  

13-time Grammy award winner Michael Jackson rocking Oakley New Eye Jackets, Oakley New Eye Jacket (gen2) @ovvergg

    

BALENCIAGA SUNGLASSES

As a DJ, I spend as much time in the dark as under daylight. And for those who’ve been around nightlife long enough, you know sunglasses aren’t reserved for sunny weather. In dim clubs and foggy festivals, they function differently. They become sometimes important than the rest of your fit combined — helping control attention, deflect light, and sharpen a look.

  

Film BLADE (1998)’s famous opening club scene, Blade Rectangle Sunglasses ©jentestore.com

   

If you haven’t seen Wesley Snipes kill an infinite amount of vampires in the movie Blade, you can finish reading this article later. Done watching? Okay, back to Balenciaga’s Blade sunglasses. Thin, sleek, and inspired by the 1998 cult film, these shades draw a single definitive line across the face. They don’t overstate, and that’s the point. Their minimalism is their power. Worn with oversized shirts, sleeveless tops, or monochrome jeans, they balance the look. Quietly, but forcefully.

 

Under Armour® Rectangle Sunglasses @myfacewheno_o

SS25 BALENCIAGA X Under Armour ©vogue.com

  

Similarly, Balenciaga and Under Armour’s new collab sunglasses, recently spotted in the Spring 2025 collection, follow the same design logic. Narrow, elongated, and futuristic, they deliver that slightly cold, untouchable aura. These will fit nicely anywhere, whether you’re going through customs at the airport, finishing your festival fit, or just want to feel invisible at the club.

 

@ravoria_worldwide

 

Sunglasses aren’t simply an accessory. They’re a statement, a shield, and sometimes even a boundary. Whether you’re hiding from yesterday’s hangover or building tomorrow’s persona, they offer one of the simplest ways to shift how the world sees you, and how you see it.

So this summer, go ahead. Click into the Jente sunglasses tab. Your perfect pair might just be waiting.