A Tale Of Two Essential Pairs Of Costa Sunglasses
For the traveler that must look good everywhere, from the airport to the deck of a yacht, the Fernandina and Flagler styles deliver.
Anyone who spends any time near water is probably familiar with Costa's reputation, both as a manufacturer of great sunglasses and apparel and a company that is devoted to giving back. For example, Costa's partnership with OCEARCH serves two purposes: First, protecting great white and tiger sharks, which in turn protects our oceans, and second, producing the extremely cool and shark-influenced OCEARCH line, of which each sale goes toward funding one of the organization's expeditions. And, again, the gear looks pretty great.
It should go without saying that the name Costa and quality go hand-in-hand, since these are sunglasses that are built to withstand everything the ocean can throw at us. Fishing, surfing, jet-skiing, paddle boarding, floating on massive inflatable with a cooler an arm's length away—whatever your preferred water activity, Costa probably has a pair of sunglasses that will be up for the job. So, I found myself wondering, what if I'm keeping my weekender bag slim and need just one pair of sunglasses to cover everything from heading to the beach for a snorkeling excursion to watching the sunset from the patio of my favorite restaurant?
This came up several months ago when I was set to visit Baha Mar, and my wife was giving me a hard time about my go-to sunglasses that, while having lasted about five years (and counting), have taken quite a beating, between being shoved around in my bags, dropped a considerable number of times and manhandled by a curious toddler with insane hand strength. They're scuffed to heck and back, and I think my wife was concerned that they'd ruin my dad-casual look when we walked down to dinner at Cleo.
Costa Has Something for That
One of Costa's latest men's designs is the Flagler, a sophisticated, modern style that draws inspiration from the Florida beach town of the same name that is home to nice beaches and great fishing. Essentially, it's like if Costa was a city. The Flagler frames come in brushed gunmetal with a variety of polarized, 100 percent UV protection lens and temple colors, so depending on your preferred look and color scheme it's understandable if you want to model in front of a mirror before choosing.
I chose the gray silver mirror lens for their ability to adapt in most everyday activities, and the black-ish temples go with just about everything, so the look is effective-yet-stylish. In fact, they're so stylish that it caused me to think a little more about how I looked when leaving the room for the day. Not that I look like I just crawled out of my own suitcase, but sunglasses are a first impression accessory and the Flagler style is just that impressive.
Did They Do the Trick?
Yes, so much so that my wife insisted on trying the Fernandina style as well. Also a part of Costa's Del Mar lifestyle collection, the Fernandina design (featured at the top of the page) also takes its name from a popular Florida beach town, and these sunglasses are just as stylish, if not more so, than the Flagler.
The Fernandina's frames, available in four colors, are more rounded and, dare I say, sleek than the Flagler, but they make a perfect couple. In fact, I remarked several times how I wished the Fernandina pair was as big as the Flagler, because I like the rounded look better. They're the kind of sunglasses that you'll find in the glovebox of a 1968 Porsche 911 that is parked outside the coolest beach villa you'll ever see.
Look at that—I've only had my new Costa sunglasses for a few months and already I'm daydreaming about the perfect life. I'd say they certainly do the trick.