Where Do You Keep Your Sunglasses?

Hang them off a loop on a chain...

On top of your head? So that you can forget that they're there and then run around like a madwoman looking for your lost sunglasses? (With sincere apologies to any man who might be reading this post.)

I've had bad luck with sunglasses recently. Within the span of one week, two pairs cracked on me, popping out the lens(es). I managed to Crazy Glue one back together, but the other pair suffered irreparable damage and had to be thrown away. No great loss (since I don't own designer sunglasses; all of mine are in the $5-$10 range) but the way in which these accidents happened made me wonder: how do most of you like to carry your sunglasses?

The pair that had to be tossed was hanging off a decorative horizontal strap on one end of my purse. I was reaching into a front pocket to get my credit card when I heard a noise and saw my sunglasses fly down to the floor in three pieces. (One of the lenses actually skittered off to parts unknown, to the amazement of a cashier who saw it happen.)

...or put them in a pocket?

The other pair that got damaged was actually in my jacket pocket at the time. I rarely do that, but I was in a situation (on a boat) where I wasn't toting around a purse and it was just convenient.

Otherwise, depending on the purse, my sunglasses can be found in an inside slip pocket, an exterior zippered pocket, hanging off a piece of hardware (like the excess chain in the photo at top) or — in the case of my own Make it Yours bag — hanging off an interior "loop" specifically made to accommodate glasses.

When I designed the bag, I knew it would be an "open concept" type of bag, with just one central space. Sometimes — with the help of some well-placed pockets and organizers of course — I prefer to have just one big opening inside a purse. But having sunglasses floating around "who knows where" at the bottom of such a bag is not ideal, not for quick retrieval nor for their protection. It was my thought that to have them hanging above everything else at either end of the bag would be perfect.

Thus was born my idea of the sunglasses loop:

View of my Make it Yours bag interior with its two sunglasses loops...

I have to admit that when I was carrying this bag, I really appreciated this handy little loop. And as you might imagine, it's a relatively easy feature to add to a bag when you're making it.

I only wish it could be easily added to bags that I already own!