We don't just wholesale sunglasses to retailers. We're passionate about sunglasses. We're also interested in their history, which is what today's post is all about.

It is commonly believed that sunglasses were invented in the early 1900's. Whilst this may be true for what we think of as modern day sunglasses, their history stretches back far further.

Here's a very brief look back!

Sunglasses history

The advent of sunglasses as a popular fashion item, is rumored to have started in Hollywood at the turn of the 20th century. Apparently, Hollywood's first stars wore them to shield their eyes from the bright studio lights. 

It was 1929 in Atlantic City, where sunglasses were mass-produced for the first time, by Sam Foster, founder of Foster Grant. 

Many people believe that polarized sunglasses are a relatively new invention. It was in the mid 1930's that Edwin H. Land started creating polarized lenses. They were named after his patented, Polaroid filter. The Polaroid brand went on to become one of the world's best known. 

Today, pretty-much everyone owns at least one pair and they provide us with highly valuable protection from sun damage.

Sunglasses from way back

In 12th century China, smoked quarts is documented to have been use to cover they eyes of court judges. It's believed these were used to hide their facial expressions during questioning, rather than protect their eyes. 

One form of sunglasses are believed to date back even further - thousands of years, in fact! To protect themselves from what we now call snow blindness, early Inuit peoples wore a type of frame over their eyes. These were made from ivory or bone, with no lens; just a narrow slit carved into them, to reduce the sun's glare. Those who have replicated this design and tested it, were able to confirm that they didn't need to squint as much. It's actually a very smart design, when you consider the limited materials available.   

In short: Sunglasses as we know them today have a long and rich history.

Wholesale sunglasses

… is what we do. It's our passion, just ask our retailers! if you are a retailer who either stocks sunglasses or wants to become a stockist, CTS Wholesale Sunglasses are here to help. Just email us or call us, using the contact details on the top right of this page.

We look forward to hearing from you!