Spring, a time for longer days, romance, bluebirds and ... squinty eyes? It's a fact, with spring comes warmer weather and sunnier skies, but if we're hit without warning (as we have been this passing season), it can come as a shock to our eyes. And, being the fashion conscious person that you are or aim to be, you don't want to throw on any old pair of sunglasses for this season.

Yes, protection from those harmful UV rays should be the number one reason why we wear sunglasses, but also we want to look good and unique at the same time. However, picking out the perfect pair of sunglasses can be quite a challenge: Shape, color, price, as well as originality are all key factors when deciding which pair of sunnies to choose.

When it comes to sunglasses and men, guys usually just go for the first thing that they think they'll look good in: aviators. Don't get me wrong, a solid pair of aviators should be a must-have staple in any man's accessory closet/drawer/thing, but variety is the spice of life.

Instead of purchasing the usually gold metal frames with brown lenses, try black lenses and frames for something modestly different.

Also, white is making a comeback. White-framed aviators with colored lenses like dark red, blue or purple make a large fashion forward statement.

If you want to steer away from the aviator shape, there are many more trends in style this season. History has a way of repeating itself, and the black square-framed glasses that stars such as Elvis Costello are famous for are making another appearance for the summertime with darker lenses.

Like men and their aviators, women and their Jackie Os are practically inseparable. However, not all of us can afford the double "C" logo on the side of our big black sunnies, so we must go for the alternative, more affordable route, but also keeping it fresh and unique.

Color is the name of the game here for this season. Yes, black goes with everything, but to match your bright new summer dress, your sunglasses need to be on par: pink, white, red, green and blue frames do wonders and stand out much more than black, as well as different colored lenses.

Also, clear frames with lightly colored tinted lenses are a fun and unique way to welcome the sunshine.

Unfortunately, not every frame fits every face. When shopping, make sure you go to many different stores and try on as many pairs as you can to find the perfect fit(s). Also, make sure you bring an honest friend who can give a truthful second opinion on whether certain shades look good. (Because we all know the sales associate will say that you look great in all of them, especially the most expensive pair).

Just in case you can't get a fashionable friend to go shopping with you, here are some tips to pick out the right frames: if you have a round face, frames with a square shape fit perfectly. The same goes with a square face with a pair of round frames; longer faces also match well with round frames.

For everyone, you can make the same fashion statement with a pair of $300 shades as you can with a pair that's only $20. Believe me, if I had the money to buy a pair of Chanels, I would, but I don't, so I can't. That's why there are affordable stores like Urban Outfitters, Fossil and all the secondhand stores up and down the Ave. and Broadway to give us poor college students an opportunity to find similar shades, without going over our credit limit.