Reasons to wear sunglasses

Friday, June 27, has been declared National Sun Glasses Day. These days, we don't need a special day -- or even daylight -- to wear sunglasses.

1. Inspired by movies and television: Walter's shades in the popular "Breaking Bad;" Brad Pitt's aviator-style glasses in both "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Killing Me Softly." Aviators also gained fame in "The Big Lebowski" and, more recently, the Christian Bale character in "American Hustle." Probably the most remarkable styles are inspired by "The Matrix," worn by both Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne.

2. Memorable ads: The 1960s advertising campaign, "Who's Behind Those Foster Grants?" added to the allure of sunglasses when stars such as Julie Christie, Raquel Welch, Robert Goulet and, yes, OJ Simpson were revealed. The campaign was reprised 50 years later with Brooke Shields, Cindy Crawford, Jeff Gordon and, yes, Raquel Welch.

3. Sam Foster introduced inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses in 1929 on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Polarized sunglasses became available in 1936, with Edwin Land making lenses with his patented Polaroid filter. Life magazine wrote in 1938 that sunglasses were a "new fad for wear on city streets ... a favorite affectation of thousands of women all over the U.S."

4. Inspiring music: "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" was a 1986 hit single by Timbuk3. I don't think it's ever been licensed for advertising. In "Sunglasses at Night," a 1983 hit, Canadian Corey Hart sings, "You got it made with the guy in shades." The song is played when Seattle Mariners DH Corey Hart steps up to the plate.

5. Cartier sells shades costing more than $600. The Tiffany Twist retails for $270. Oakley markets them with names such as Frogskin, Oil Rig, Flak Jacket and Daisy Chain. The market research firm Grand View Research sizes the 2012 global market for plano sunglasses -- plano means polarized and non-polarized glasses not used for vision correction -- at $10.82 billion or 285.5 units.