Put on a pair of sunglasses, and see – instant symmetry! The dark
lenses cover up any asymmetrical oddities around your eyes, and
research on facial attractiveness shows a clear link between symmetry
and our perception of beauty.
As an added bonus, Brown pointed out, sunglasses provide a kind of
scaffolding effect, imposing the appearance of an external, extra-
chiseled bone structure on top of your relatively softer-featured
face.
Because mystery. Many of the snap judgments we form about people come
from looking them in the eyes; shade yours, and you’re instantly a
more intriguing presence. “The eyes are such a tremendous source of
information — and vulnerability — for the human being,” Brown
explained. Eye contact helps us form judgments about someone’s
intelligence, confidence, and sincerity, and sunglasses keep us
literally in the dark about forming those perceptions about a person.
And it works both ways, because the wearer of the sunglasses feels
more inscrutable, too. One recent study showed that people who wore
sunglasses acted more selfishly and dishonestly than those wearing
eyeglasses, which, the researchers argue, suggests that shades delude
us into feeling more anonymous, or unknown.
It's colloquial wisdom that an air of mystery increases sexual desire,
and research bears that notion out. Think of the common “the thrill is
gone” complaint that accompanies the long-term relationship, for one.
And one recent study showed that women who were uncertain of a man's
feelings toward them ended up reporting more attraction to those men. We're drawn to the people
we can't quite figure out. Sunglasses are a relatively modern everyday
accessory. The way sunglasses were most often used prior to their
commercialization helps explain some of their inherent coolness, Brown
said, because in their early days sunglasses were primarily used
during risky water and snow sports, and were also associated with new
technologies like airplane travel, which made them seem “daring and
thoroughly modern.”