The History Behind Daylight Saving Time

Does one hour make that much of a difference?

The rays of sun are getting weaker and colder air is slowly trickling in. You notice the days are shortening and the once sunny drive on your way home is becoming dimmer and darker. Then, every year on that one faithful day, the clocks turn back and your ride home now pitch black. As you grumble to yourself in the dark the whole way home, you think to yourself, what is the point of this Daylight Saving Time ordeal?  Since we just experienced “fall back,” Sunglasses Avant Garde is here to give you a little history behind the clock-changing madness.

The idea of Day Light Saving Time was first brought forward by Benjamin Franklin in an essay form called “An Economical Project.” Franklin wrote the essay while in Paris in 1784 and it wasn’t until over a century later that his idea was taken seriously.

In 1907, William Willett of London wrote a pamphlet called “Waste of Daylight” proposing to advance the clocks 20 minutes during each of the four Sundays in April and to retract the minutes during the four Sundays in September. Willett’s persistence led to a bill that was drafted and presented to Parliament in 1909. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until after Willett’s death that the bill was approved.

In 1916, Britain passed a daylight saving act that was put into play on May 21, 1916. Although there was some public confusion and concern about the process, the time change went as planned and the United States followed suit not long after.  

During World War I, the U.S. government established Daylight Saving Time in order to save energy for war production. Up until 1966, individual states and communities could choose to take part of Daylight Savings Time at their own discretion. After Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, the majority of U.S. citizens no longer had a choice about changing their clocks.

Not long ago in 2007, Daylight Saving Time was extended by four weeks. This was based on the possibility of saving 10,000 barrels of oil per day due to the reduction of energy used by companies during daylight hours.  

Believe it or not, there are a few U.S. territories that are exempt from this rule. Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the parts of Arizona do not follow the time change.

Do you live in a time-change exempt area?

Finding it too bright in the morning during this Day Light Savings transition? Put on a fabulous pair of TAG Heuer sunglasses and filter out the sun’s glare.

Have any questions or comments about this blog? Let us know by the box below!

~Charlene Marie

Insightful and Entertaining Facts About Eyewear

TAG Heuer Squadra Series sunglasses

Have you ever wondered about what others think about your choice in eyewear? Sunglasses Avant Garde now has some closure for you.

You’re at your local eyewear shop and you’ve spent 3 hours of your day trying to pick out the perfect frames for your face. Just when you thought you’ve hit the jackpot in the eyewear department, you see another pair of adorable spectacles staring back at you as you head towards the register. Just as you snatch them off of the shelf to give them a try, you think to yourself if all of the effort is worth it. In your mind you feel it is, but will others like your choice too? Sunglasses Avant Garde has uncovered some fun facts about sunglasses and eyewear.

Just about everywhere you look, someone is sporting some sort of style over his or her eyes. It kind of makes you wonder about how many people actually do wear eyewear in the United States? Here are the raw facts:

• There are 174.2 million eyewear users in the United States for vision correction alone.
• 35.8 % of Americans own and use two or more pairs of glasses.
• 195.8 million US residents don non-prescription sunglasses and 53.1 % use two or more pairs of sunglasses.
• 25.6 Americans utilize non-prescription reading glasses.

Who has an eye for fashion? Check out these facts about how people feel about utilizing eyewear to make a stylish statement:

• 44% of US residents feel eyeglasses are a fashion accessory; however, in 2005, only 29% shared the same belief.
• 73% of Americans feel that eyeglasses reflect a person’s persona.
• 55% of US residents notice a person’s spectacles when they first meet them.

Who’s looking at you?

• 87% of US residents do not agree with the statement: “Guys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses.”
• 92% of men and 84% of women do not agree with the quoted statement above.

The look is in the eyes of the beholder. US residents feel as though:

•  59% of eyeglass wearers appear intelligent
•  34% look fashionable
•  30% seem sophisticated
• 10% look nerdy.  

What are your thoughts about eyewear? We’d love to know! Share your comments or questions anytime with us!

Have a great day!

~ Charlene Marie

Source: Complete eyewear survey is a courtesy of eyecessorize.com.

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas: Fun Shaped Sunglasses

Uh-oh, it’s Halloween and you are still not too sure about what to wear. Don’t panic, we at Sunglasses Avant Garde have conjured up a few fun looks for you. Of course we had to go with the sunglasses-theme, but just look at all these fun shapes!

Image source: All images are from chinawholesaletown.com

Now add a funky wig to the equation and you’ve got yourself a fun little costume! Here are some great styles at a reasonable price!

Image source: All images are from acewigs.com

Wear a mismatched outfit and go as a clown or don a pair of shimmering pants and be a rock star! The possibilities are endless!

What do you want to be?

When the night is over, you can always pop your trusty TAG Heuer eyewear on and leave in style!

Do you have any questions or comments on today’s blog? Let us know!

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

~Charlene Marie