Most outdoor activities will put your eyes at risk from ultra violet radiation, not to mention the exposure and discomfort associated with squinting and eyestrain. Contrary to popular believe, ultra violet radiation can penetrate the eye even on a cloudy day. Sunglasses were originally worn as fancy items; they later became clinical items to protect the eyes from UV tradition. Though sunglasses date way back, the 80s is when they really caught on, albeit as a fashion item. Some of the fashions that were most popular back then are slowly creeping back into the fashion world. These include:

Aviators

Named aviators because of the teardrop shape that they have, these have been used in the military since the 1970's but made their mark in the 80's. They were made most popular by Tom Cruise with his top hit movie 'Top Gun' in which he wears aviator sunglasses. The late king of pop, Michael Jackson also wore these fashionable 80's sunglasses. Most people who had stocked their Aviators away are now finding themselves wiping the dust off their aviator sunglasses since they are now back in fashion.

Wayfarers

These shades were definitely all the craze in the 80's. If you were to be considered cool in the 80's, then your choice of sunglasses would have been Ray Ban's Wayfarer. If you don't know what Wayfarer sunglasses are then you either didn't grow up in the 80's or you had absolutely no sense for fashion. Tom Cruise again popularized these 80s sunglasses in the movie 'Risky Business'. Also the fact that Wayfarer sunglasses were mentioned in the song 'Boys of Summer' helped their popularity to soar even more. Unlike most fashion trends in the 80s, Wayfarer sunglasses never really went out of style so to speak. They're still popular today and you can buy them at most stores that sell Ray Ban products. Also quite popular was the two-colored Wayfarer sunglasses that featured a different color in the ear pieces. These were mostly neon in shades of orange, yellow, green or pink. The choices of Wayfarers were endless and these 80's sunglasses were used with almost every color and finish you could think of.

Robot Sunglasses

These were 80's sunglasses that, like their name suggests, would make the wearer look very robotic. The frame merged with the ear pieces and they came in all sorts of colors. These were also quite popular in the 80's though they fizzled away and are yet to make a big come back. They are still a favorite of 80's fanatics.

Shutter Shades

These have definitely made a big comeback after Kanye West was spotted in them in his video for 'Stronger'. The trend caught on and even Paris Hilton was spotted with a pair. They are really cool sunglasses that were very popular in the 80's.