Pardon the slew of commercial posts ahead. After all it’s Christmas and we’re supposed to be shopping Starting with the Sony Ericsson post, I will be featuring here a host of products to have and to hold…. not necessarily wallet-friendly, but then again, who can argue with quality??

Why do I get the feeling that Pinoys wear shades as a matter of form, rather than function? I can see this from the deluge of hip-lookin’ eyewear in the market that’s Made in China, priced at something like $2 each. Sometimes I am tempted to scoop a dozen or two, just to satisfy my fashionista cravings..except that the real purpose of having eyewear is lost somewhere. Heck, the cheap accessories might even let us go blind!! Donning professionally-tested shades in this tropical country is a must to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful UV rays and not just look as luscious as Eva Longoria in her red tracksuit. We use eye protection to guard ourselves against melanoma, cataracts and premature aging of the skin.

Point well-taken. See your optometrist for details.Although my eyewear radar revolved around Gucci, Ferragamo and the classic RayBan, I honestly wasn’t prepared for the capacity of real heavy-duty designer shades until I got acquainted with Rudy Project recently.

Rudy Project products have been Made in Italy since 1985 and is worn by select military forces around the world, aside from being the official eyewear of the Tour de France and other prestigious competitions. The proof of the pudding is in the breaking, and Rudy Shades are invincible - as blogger Rico Mossesgeld shows, trying to crush the Rudy lenses with his hands:

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Rudy Project heir Cristianno Barbazza flew in from Treviso, Italia to orient members of the New Media on their top-of-the-line ImpactX lens. Its materials, made from “polyurethane optical polymers,” are the same ones found on Apache helicopter windshield panels and airplane cockpit doors. ImpactX is totally scratch-resistant, has high thermal ability and is equipped with superior optics for sharper, higher definition images.

Rudy Project ImpactX lens

Rudy execs brought along a hammer to demonstrate that Rudy lenses can’t absolutely be crushed. Reminded me of my dearly-lamented Dior shades which was torn into a few pieces when I sat on it. Talk about clumsiness. Other excellent features of the Rudy shades include adjustable nosepiece for customized fit, interchangeable/bendable temples and removable flip-ups which have a snap-in/snap-out mechanism for when you want to change into your optical frames.

Now, wouldn’t your husband, boyfriend or some Significant Other love you all the more if you gave them the gift of Rudy Project this Christmas? It’s guaranteed unbreakable for life, much like the love and passion you profess for each other *mush. Just don’t lose these precious expensive at $300! shades, or you’ll be sorry.

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