Optical Carry · Sunglasses Guide
Sunglasses have an awkward in-between moment. You step indoors, the light changes or the sun disappears and they come off—but you may need them again a few minutes later. So where do they go?
The Short Answer
If your sunglasses are being put away or transported, a suitable case is often the more appropriate option. If they are only coming off temporarily and are likely to return to wear soon, you may prefer to keep them accessible using a pocket, an attached chain or cord, or a separate holder-style eyewear necklace.
The Between-Wears Problem
Unlike eyewear that remains on the face throughout the day, sunglasses can move repeatedly between being worn and removed.
You may take them off when you enter a shop, restaurant or café, put them back on when you return outside and remove them again when the light changes.
That creates a recurring sequence: Wear → Remove → Carry → Return to wear.
Barroccu & Co describes that middle stage as Optical Carry—what happens to eyewear after it leaves the face but before it is needed again.
Watch · Independent Holder Mechanism
Watch how eyewear moves from being worn to being placed through a separate central loop, carried between wears and returned to wear.
The easiest way to decide is to think about how long the sunglasses are coming off for.
If you have finished wearing them and are putting them away, storage may be the main requirement.
If you are walking into a café and expect to put them back on when you leave, you are dealing with a shorter between-wears period.
A case answers one type of need. A wearable carrying method answers another.
Neither situation requires one universal solution.
For a fuller explanation of attached and independent approaches, read Glasses Chain, Glasses Cord or Glasses Necklace: Which Is Right for You?
Temporary Carry
A wearable approach can be relevant when sunglasses are expected to return to wear relatively soon.
An attached chain or cord remains connected to the eyewear. An independent holder-style necklace remains separate while the sunglasses are being worn, and receives the frame only after it has been removed.
The Signature was developed with thicker acetate-style glasses and sunglasses in mind. Its oversized matte-black triangular loop can hold any type of frame. After removing your sunglasses, pass one temple arm through the central Signature Loop.
Before choosing any holder, chain or cord, look at the sunglasses themselves.
Consider the shape and thickness of the frame, where the carrying accessory contacts it and how the mechanism actually holds the eyewear.
The Signature was developed with thicker acetate-style glasses and sunglasses in mind. Its oversized matte-black triangular loop can hold any type of frame. After removing your sunglasses, pass one temple arm through the loop.
See The Signature Eyewear Necklace for its measurements and a demonstration. The Best Glasses Necklace guide explains the main holding mechanisms in greater detail.
A Different Approach · The Signature
The Signature is Barroccu & Co’s first Optical Carry eyewear necklace.
Rather than attaching permanently to both arms of the eyewear, The Signature is worn independently. After the sunglasses are removed, one temple arm is placed through the central Signature Loop. The sunglasses are removed from the loop before returning to wear.
The Signature was developed with thicker acetate-style glasses and sunglasses in mind. Its oversized matte-black triangular loop can hold any type of frame.
The Signature is not presented as protective storage, an anti-loss device or a guarantee against dropping eyewear.
The Decision
Start by deciding whether you are storing them or carrying them temporarily.
If the sunglasses are finished with for the time being, an appropriate case may make sense.
If they are likely to go back on shortly, consider the method that fits your routine: pocket, bag, attached chain or cord, or an independent holder-style necklace.
The important part is not finding one supposedly perfect answer. It is choosing a method that makes sense for your sunglasses and the way you actually move between wearing and removing them.
Carrying sunglasses and keeping their lenses clean are two different parts of everyday ownership. Fingerprints, facial oils and dust can build up as sunglasses are handled throughout the day.
For routine lens care, Barroccu & Co’s oversized 43 × 30 cm optical-grade microfibre cloths provide generous clean surface area, are washable and include a protective pouch. Check for loose grit before wiping, and follow any specific lens or coating manufacturer’s instructions.
Individual cloths £24.99 — four limited-edition designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers about cases, chains, cords and independent holder necklaces.
It depends on whether you are storing them or expecting to wear them again shortly. A suitable case may make sense for storage or transport. For shorter periods between wear, people also use pockets, bags, attached chains or cords, or holder-style eyewear necklaces.
A case and a wearable holder serve different purposes. A suitable case may be preferable when sunglasses are being put away or transported. A wearable carrying method may be considered when the sunglasses are removed temporarily and expected to return to wear relatively soon.
Yes. Attached sunglasses chains and cords are established approaches. Some eyewear necklaces instead use a separate central loop or holder into which the eyewear is placed after removal.
A traditional sunglasses chain generally attaches to both arms of the eyewear and remains connected. A holder-style necklace can be worn independently, with the sunglasses deliberately placed into a central loop only after they have been removed.
The Signature was developed with thicker acetate-style glasses and sunglasses in mind. Its oversized matte-black triangular loop can hold any type of frame. After removing your sunglasses, pass one temple arm through the central Signature Loop.
The Signature · Optical Carry
The Signature is worn independently from the eyewear. When your sunglasses are removed, one temple arm is placed through the central Signature Loop until you are ready to return them to wear.
See product details, measurements and the carrying demonstration.
