Lighten Up!!!

Hello again!
The last few days have been quite busy for me; my wife and I welcomed a new daughter into the household, and what with accepting family and friends at home and keeping our son from feeling neglected, we haven't had much time for much else. I wanted to squeeze at least one more August post in... I have been trying to be very good about updating the site more often but I want to remain focused on quality posts rather than superficial crap that is doomed to be nothing more than uninteresting filler.
I recently purchased a new pair of sunglasses from the illustrious eBay marketplace, and an opportunity presented itself!
I think that many men go to the black frame when buying sunglasses because the black requires a little bit less thought... and, perhaps, a little bit less daring. In order to inject a little bit more color into one's outfit, however, tortoise-shell frames are excellent for lending a little bit of character to the ensemble. For people like myself that have a fair complexion, tortoise-shell frames are more flattering to the skin tone and hair color, actually brightening the skin complexion and bringing out vibrance in the hair color.
My new shades (pictured) are not tortoise-shell, but have a lovely brown and clear two-tone Rhodoid frame. These are vintage and are made by French manufacturer Selima Optique. Selima is now working in collaboration with J. Crew to offer a few styles to the lineup, the most flattering (in my opinion) being the Rivington model ($250, jcrew.com), which is available in tortoise-shell.

I like the idea of having a vintage pair of sunglasses as a unique and (most likely) one of a kind (or close to it) accessory/conversation starter. My idea behind this purchase (other than getting an amazing deal on the shades) is that these will compliment my complexion in a way that my black frames do not. I love my Persols and my Ray Bans, but it's time to add something new to the rotation.
Jazz up your accessories and go for lighter frames. They will enhance colors in your clothing and solicit others to look at your face, rather than inhibiting others' glances by wearing "security black". There is a reason that the secret service wears all black shades: it better enables them to fade into the background and maintain anonymity. Stand out. Don't blend.
If anything, take away from this post the benefit of a brown or tortoise-shell frame to a fair complexion. If you are fair-skinned and have light hair, black frames can easily wash you out, which, on this side of the matrix, is not a good thing.
Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul