The first people to wear sunglasses could have hardly imagined that, centuries later, they would be a glamour accessory whose function often bore no relation to the presence of harsh sunlight. To cut the relentless glare of light on white in the arctic region of North America, the Inuit people carved slits in pieces of wood or bone to create snow goggles. To more opulent effect, legend has it that while watching gladiatorial events, Roman Emperor Nero shaded his eyes from the sun through an emerald. In 15th-century China, lenses were made from flat pieces of smoky quartz. Emerald-tinted Goldoni glasses were worn by gondoliers on the sunny canals of This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-Four Buy Now Related Stories Fashion Issue 48 Bodies of Water Two friends, one drop in the ocean. Fashion Issue 48 Mineral Content The healing powers of a long, hot soak. Fashion Films Issue 47 Farida Khelfa France’s fashion muse. Fashion Issue 47 Between Us The world looks brighter among old friends. Fashion Issue 47 Veneda Carter An interview with a superstar stylist. Arts & Culture Fashion Issue 47 A Picture of Health Xiaopeng Yuan photographs the world’s weirdest wellness cures.
Arts & Culture Fashion Issue 47 A Picture of Health Xiaopeng Yuan photographs the world’s weirdest wellness cures.