If you asked me to rank my favorite accessory, I might break down a bit but, after careful pause, I’d put sunglasses right up there near the top. Practicalnot only do they shield glare but also keep squinty-eyed wrinkles at bayand the best way to achieve that effortless cool-girl look, the right pair of sunnies is like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae.
It begs the question: as such a critical wardrobe staple, should you hunt down and purchase that perfect pair of shades or should you chase different styles as a renter, mixing and matching as often as you like? Let’s closely examine each option.

Owning: In a lot of ways, sunglasses are as personal as shoes (which I strongly advise against renting)they sit directly against your skin, get molded over time to fit your shape-of-face and, let’s face it, they soak up a lot of sweat and grime as you go through your day.
Finding the shape of shades that is perfect for youcat eye? Aviator? Bug eye? Can be a process – once you find that one pair that just works, can you imagine sending it back to a rental company? I can’tI’d just buy a few in all different colors and thank the accessories gods for letting me meet my match. Of course, that perfect pair of sunglasses could run you several hundred bucks and, if your style tends to shift a lot, ponying up the cash may cause you to balk. If that’s the case, consider the rental option.

Renting: Where once renting sunglasses was unheard of, now there are several services now that let you do soBag, Borrow or Steal, Rent the Runway and Endless Eyewear’s Ditto service, just to name a few. For the girl (or guy) who wants to change sunglasses as often as you change your outfit, renting lets you swap out shades as frequently as you like, without having to shell out hundreds of dollars every time you try out a new look. And, in most cases, you still have the option to purchase a rental pair if you decide you can’t bear to return it.
Of course, there are some downsideswhile the price of most rentals includes insurance for basic wear-and-tear, if you happen to sit-on-and-crush or leave a pair who-knows-where, you’ll have to pay (a lot!) to replace sunglasses that didn’t even work for you – how much would that stink?

Ultimately, the decision to rent or buy will likely depend on how careful you are with your stuff, not to mention whether or not you prefer to create a signature look or fancy yourself more of a fashion chameleon. As long as you know the ins and outs of each option, you can’t go wrong either way.