The first sunglasses made for the public came to light in the 18th century, when English designer and inventor James Ayscough created eyeglasses with blue or green tints. Ayscough believed that the tint could improve vision, and he sold the shades for public use.

Were there sunglasses in the 1800s?

Not usually, sunglasses weren't readily available, especially in the frontier areas. ... In the 1800s, store-bought sunglasses came in a variety of shapes, such as round, horizontal or octagon. They were usually dark blue or black, although green wasn't uncommon. They were not stylish, like today.

When were the first sunglasses worn?

The first sunglasses, made from flat panes of smoky quartz called Ai Tai, meaning 'dark clouds', which offered no corrective powers but did protect the eyes from glare, were used in China in the 12th century or possibly earlier.