Coach Sunglasses Marries Luxurious Design With Function Coach is, of course, well-known for its high quality leather goods. A Coach leather handbag is an accessory staple of many an American woman's wardrobe. The brand has been around since 1941, when it got its start in Manhattan. In the 60s they began making sturdy cowhide handbags with much better workmanship than most of the handbags of that time. In the 70s, designer Bonnie Cashin came on board and added splashy touches like brighter colors and distinctive hardware, including the famous silver toggle.

In 1986 the company was bought by Sara Lee, which opened a number of Coach boutiques in malls across America, plus several boutiques contained within department stores. Now there are over two dozen Coach stores in the U.S. that carry the full Coach collection, which includes jewelry, shoes, and briefcases.

When it comes to sunglasses, Coach does the same thing it does with its leather handbags: it marries design and function, giving classic shapes Coach's top quality construction so that Coach sunglasses always look great and last for a long time. They're made in Italy, where much of the world's top eyewear is made, and they all provide 100% protection from ultraviolet rays.

Coach's Jenni sunglasses are made in a gorgeous light tortoise frame with brown gradient lenses. If you're a blonde, this is a color scheme that you should try out. The Coach logo is etched into the temple, and your sunglasses come complete with a signature hard case and cleaning cloth (as do all the Coach styles). The Simone and Odessa styles are classic oversized rectangular frames done up in shiny black. The Simone has an abstract circular logo on the side pieces, while the Odessa has the traditional Coach logo on the side pieces. They're both very Hollywood - very "movie star." The Allegra and the Hazel are two metal frame designs with a more fashion-forward look. Allegra features spring hinges and silver and pink metal frames. The lenses are gray gradient, and the earpieces are pink. Hazel is a mono-lens design in gray gradient and the frames are black. The Coach logo is featured on the side pieces. It would be easy to imagine a young starlet like Megan Fox or Leighton Meester wearing one of these styles.

The Peony is a more rounded-off oversized style in black frames with gray gradient lenses. It's a little more laid back than the rectangular frames - something you might see on Nicole Richie. It also has the Coach signature flower design on the inside of the side pieces for a nice touch. Eva is a classic rectangular frame in dark tortoise with brown gradient lenses that would go with just about any outfit. It has a rhinestone / dragonfly logo on the temples, and the Coach flower design on the insides of the side pieces.

Coach is classic American style at its best. A little dressier than Ralph Lauren, with prices that are in the same range. It's really hard to go wrong with styles like these that have been so carefully and meticulously designed.