Word: sunglasses
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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What is the de rigueur fashion accessory intended for outdoor use but often worn indoors, made famous by celebrities seeking anonymity but now flaunted by just about everyone? Sunglasses, of course. Last year Americans snapped up 189 million pairs (sales: $1.3 billion), from retro-1950s plastic shades to space- age wire rims with mirrored lenses. When it comes to protecting the eyes, however, the emphasis on style may be shortsighted. A cheap $5 pair of sunglasses picked up at a beachside stall may do a better job than those $200 movie-star specials. What's more, the quality of your...
...information, however, is not included on all the tags. Says a spokesman for the Food and Drug Administration: "If you're a consumer and there's a rack of sunglasses, you usually have no way of telling the amount of ultraviolet transmission." The agency is now considering proposals to establish mandatory labeling standards for the sunglass industry. Ultimately, say experts, the best solution may be a simple rating system similar to the numerical system now used with sunscreens...