Tender’s sunglasses are hand made in England from cellulose acetate derived from cotton pulp.

The fronts of the frames are carved out from a single thick sheet of acetate, scooped away at the back around the cheeks and eyebrows, with the full thickness at the nose and temples. The sides are shaped to grip the head, then curve gently down over the ears. A hole is drilled through at the tips of the side bars, as an interpretation of the way in which wire spectacles were made in the 18th Century. The wire was bent around to form a loop at the end, which would shape to the ears and head. The hole in the tip of Tender’s glasses allow them to be worn with a neck cord, and are delivered with a removable braided cotton cord.

While this style is slimmer than the original Round Tops, they are cut from the same full thickness 8mm acetate sheet, so they feel no less solid.

The joints of the glasses are made with substantial new-old-stock 7-chenier/” hinges (a chenier is a section of a hinge- the more cheniers, the more solid the hinge) which are pinned to the frames (rather than the glued hinge and decorative mock pins often used). The lenses are fully UV protective and coloured a warm grey.

Any good optician should be able to change the dark lenses of Tender’s sunglasses to prescription lenses, if necessary.