Shutter shades, also known as slatted shades, louvered shades, or Venetian blind shades are

sunglasses Sunglasses or sun glasses (informally called shades or sunnies; more names Sunglasses#Other names, below) are a form of Eye protection, protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damagin ...

that, instead of having darkened

lenses A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...

, have horizontal slats similar to

window shutter A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails (top, centre and bottom). Set within this frame can be louvers (both operable or fixed, horizontal or vertical), solid ...

s, which are an integral part of the

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

. The shades are available in an assortment of styles and colors. Depending on the design, shutter shades may not function as sunglasses; although some models contain UV resistant lenses, many do not. The horizontal plastic "shades" neither provide protection for the eye from UV light nor prevent a substantial amount of light from entering the eye.

History

The first louvered sunglasses date from the 1950s. A modernized version was released in the early 1980s. Sometimes referred to as "Venetian blinders", examples were featured in the music videos for "Glittering Prize" by

Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977, becoming best known internationally for their song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Billboard Hot 100, Hot 100 ...

in 1982 and "Obsession" by

Animotion Animotion is an American synth-pop band from Los Angeles, California, best known for the songs "Obsession (Animotion song), Obsession", "Let Him Go (song), Let him go", "I Engineer, I engineer", and "Room to Move, Room to move". Formed in 1983 ...

in 1984. They were also popularized by professional wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage, which he wore before many of his matches, as well as in his promos. Alain Mikli made a contemporary custom design for

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, again influenced by the fashion of the 1980s. West popularized Mikli's design in the

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

for " Stronger." In 2007, Shutter Shades, Inc. released a design, which they also patented, and trademarked the term "Shutter Shades" with the

USPTO The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Ale ...

. However, in 2015 a court in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

ruled that "shutter shades" had become a

generic term Trademark distinctiveness is an important concept in the law governing trademarks and service marks. A trademark may be eligible for registration, or registrable, if it performs the essential trademark function, and has distinctive character. Re ...

at least since 2009.Rebecca Tushnet (2015):
Court throws shade on TM claimant’s naked licensing
. Online article, posted on June 18, 2015. Legal case "Amscan Inc. v. Shutter Shades, Inc., No. 13-CV-1112" Southern District of New York, April 30, 2015. Accessed on 2019-04-15.

References

External links

* {{Glasses , state=expanded Eyewear Sunglasses Eyewear brands 1980s fashion 2000s fashion Hip-hop fashion 1980s fads and trends