And then there’s my favorite upgrade- our newest addition- the Stay Connected tab! Ok so maybe I’m a little biased but this section is rad. You’ll find every single one of our social media sites right there in one place. From our favorite Tweets to your favorite Instagram photos, it’s all there. You’ll never miss an announcement, giveaway or fab photo again!

I’d love to sit here and tell you some amazing tales of how HJ’s sunglasses were a pinnacle part of her race day success but unfortunately this race day scenario did not fall into that category. In fact, after speaking with her post-race all I got out of her was a sad story of how she hit a huge pothole right at the beginning of the bike knocking her custom, perscription Oakley Radars (ahh the perks of being a professional athlete) onto the ground. Only to later have a kind gentlemen call out to her in T2 that she lost her shades and have them tossed back to her for the run.

{One of the few shots caught of HJ flying by the competition in her Oakley’s. Photo compliments of Wattie Ink}

Now in an attempt to make up for that anticlimactic story I requested a photo of her in some casual shades or really anything. This is what I got…

I’m not sure if she was trying to show me her signature prescription eyewear (which I appreciate) or her post-camping dreadlocks that she was using to the block the sun instead of her sunglasses (a method we DO NOT condone here at Hibiscus iWear). Nonetheless- congrats Heather and we know there will be many more W’s in your future!!

Catherine wrote this:

“Quick little facts that I love about my sunglasses.  Two pair in the car, one in my purse, two for working out and one in the beach bag.  Can’t have enough, just a natural habit I have made to make sure my eyes are covered when I’m outside sunny, cloudy, car or the beach. I wear contacts so when I’m biking or running I have my Oakley Half Jackets on, it keeps the wind, pollen and bugs out of my eyes. When I’m running a marathon it keeps the sports drinks out of my eyes and focus on the road.  Most importantly sunglasses keeps the glare down so I’m not spending energy squinting.”

{Pick Oakley for performance and you can’t go wrong.}

Short, sweet and to the point. Am I right or am I right? Each pair serve their purpose- from Oakley’s keeping the bugs and pollen out while you’re screaming down the road on your bike to candy coated, mirror lensed VonZipper’s keeping you covered in style while lounging on the beach. Sure it’s just fine to use one pair for all purposes but whoever started the saying the more the merrier was definitely talking about sunglasses!

{Did someone say mirror lenses? The VonZipper Frosteez collection has it hooked up!}

Helping him along the way to this stellar performance were his Tifosi Slip sunglasses. A big advocate for interchangeable lenses, Heidman is first in line to recommend Tifosi’s to fellow athletes primarily for their super easy interchangeable lens systems. Whether it’s a training day or race day Heidman says of Tifosi sunglasses- “the interchangeability allows me to adjust my eyewear to environmental conditions on the day. Interchangeability allows me to safely have the right level of eye protection from an early morning ride to a midafternoon run. Multiple lens options are a must for me when I am selecting a pair of performance sunglasses!” We couldn’t have said it better our self Drew!

{Drew goes for Oakley Fuel Cells for his post-race casual sunglasses. A killer choice in our book!}

Congrats to Drew and all of the other Wattie Ink Elite Athletes that raced this month! Keep on rocking!

“Not only are my Hibiscus iWear Smith Pivlock V90′s super cool looking…but they actually fit my face and are so comfortable I forget I am wearing them. I usually have problems finding performance sunglasses that fit my face. Most are too big or just don’t sit well and I keep having to adjust them. These glasses stay where I put them and the lenses are so easy to interchange even I can do it (as opposed to having to pull out the “girl card” everytime I need them changed.). My vision is never obscured by an ill fitting frame and the lenses are very clear. I don’t lose perception when going from full sun to a shaded part of the road and I have had this problem before with other lenses.”

Lisa rides for the SC Velo/Empower Coaching Women’s Cycling team so to say she knows what she’s talking about is an understatement. Not to mention, Smith Pivlocks are the sunglasses of choice by a number of her teammates including Olympic cyclist (and Hibiscus iWear owner) Dotsie Bausch.

With the absence of any frame to get in the way, the view on your bike is crystal clear no matter where you look. Whether you’re sitting up cruising or in aero position grinding it out, it’s smooth sailing on the vision front. And another benefit? With no frame, these shades are as light as they come. There’s no doubt about it, Smith Pivlocks are a no-brainer!

With that being said, we recently spoke with pro cyclist (and self-proclaimed cycling enthusiast) Amber Gaffney of the SC Velo/Empower Coaching Women’s Cycling team about her experiences with all things eyewear. What she had to say about her casual shades was especially interesting because I think it hits close to home for many people on a couple different levels. Whether you’re purchasing gas station shades for $8 in fear of losing expensive ones or trying to “train your eyes” to get used to no sunglasses at all- these options are a lose lose. It’s bad news on a day to day level as well as seriously effecting your eyes on a long term basis. Here is what Amber had to say:

“After I lost my last pair of causal sunglasses (cheap ones that I picked up at a grocery store), I decided to train my eyes to become accustomed to light without the aid of sunglasses. Although I told myself that I was doing this as a matter of principle, I am quite sure it was out of cheapness. I wore only a baseball cap in the sun and squinted my way through last summer. I tend to get headaches from squinting, and until I started wearing my new Smith casual sunglasses, I did not realize just how bad those headaches were until they were gone! When I received my casual sunglasses, I started wearing them straight away (as a matter of principle, of course!) and they have made my walks to school and work much more pleasant, my time in the car much more pleasant, really all of my time in the sun is much more pleasant- I am no longer squinting my way through sunny days with a headache!”

We love Smith casuals as well! Might I suggest the Smith Invite?

We’ve all been there- trying to convince ourselves that the cheap-o shades are going to do the trick or not break just this one time! Or even worse, that we don’t need to wear sunglasses at all! But it’s not until you invest in a really great pair of shades that you realize just how imperative good sunglasses are. Take if from Amber, they are worth every cent!

{From the Electric Acetate Collection- the Hardknox in Charcoal. These limited release shades are one of a kind and no two pairs are alike so get them while you can cause they won’t stick around for long!}

Looking for an unexpected pop of color? Try Electric’s hot off the press Flip Side in Midnight Green. A brand new addition, the Flip Side has clean lines of perfection and is impossibly flattering on every face. If that’s not enough their dark green hue is one you won’t be seeing on the streets every day… and I mean that in the best possible way.

{Electric Hoodlum in Ash Grey}

Looking for a little more of an extreme pop?  The ever popular Knoxville should git er done. From Gloss Black to Ultra Marine this model has a whole slew of colors to compliment its ultra popular frame.  Get this cult classic while it’s in stock because these puppies go fast!

{Electric Knoxville in Black Box}

And easily one the fav’s out there. The Tonette in this seasons hottest hues. This iconic frame is cutting edge and completely brings to life such an extreme color palette. I cannot get enough of this candy color collection! The question here isn’t whether to get the Tonette- it’s what fabulous color to get them in. Panther? I like the sounds of that! Purps? Nothing but good times ahead! Blizzard? Love it. Heck, try em all!

{Electric Tonette in Panther}

{Peter Leavitt and John Shilt were all smiles post race. Peter rocked Oceanside 70.3 finishing at just a smidgen over 5 hours. John sported some serious race swag with his Wattie Ink trucker hat and fierce Oakley Jawbones while rocking his way to a 3rd place age group finish!}

{Another hot performance came from Gerry Forman. He rocked the W and his Oakley’s to a 1st place age group finish earning himself a qualifying spot to Vegas!}

{I always love a little sibling rivalry so this one is extra awesome in my book. Brothers Chris and Derek Liou both had stand out performances at Oceanside. Here they are post race throwing up the W and sporting matching Rudy Project shades.}

{Chris Masilon rocked some fresh Von Zipper’s and his hibiscus tat at Oceanside. Not sure if he got that in honor of his favorite sponsor or to keep up with his biggest rival- Heather Jackson }

{Moving out of Oceanside, Chris Hanson spent his Sunday taking 3rd place in his age group at the Alpha Delta Pi-athlon in Tennessee! Sick work and how good do those new kits look!?}

So proud of every athlete this weekend! Keep up the amazing work team!

{One of Von Zipper’s most popular frames & colors! The VZ Fulton Frosteez in Ploobie Dip/Kosmic Chrome. All that for under $100!}

Stand out on the beach with the sleekest designs splashed with the freshest color combos cause these shades are never going out of style. Von Zipper is known for their classic frame styles that flatter nearly everyone. Combine that with delicious candy color combinations like Vanilla Ranga/Astro Chrome or Huckleberry Tang/Astro Chrome and you’ve got nothing but fun times ahead. Featuring two people that love to have fun (I think the term fun is open to interpretation here…) check out the video below to see just how sweet this collection.

VonZipper : Frosteez Collection from VonZipper USA on Vimeo.

Or kick it into high gear with the Shift-Into-Neutral collection. This eco-friendly slew of shades is the perfect combo of going green meets fabulous style. Looking for a way to reduce your footprint? Check out the Von Zipper Decco. This 100% UV blocking shade is made with a 50% recycled frame and bundled into minimal packaging all while keeping their signature trendy frame design intact.

{Von Zipper Decco Shift Into Neutral- $89.95}