Forest Eyewear’s Sleek Wooden Shades

Grow ahead: Try them on.

There’s only one law of the jungle we’re strict about: Look fly in every way. We know you’ve got your ensemble down pat, but you’re not out of the woods yet. Accessorizing is super important, so we’re giving you a little tip that will really help you grow your style.

Branch out and snag some shades from Forest Eyewear, a locally designed sunglasses brand from O‘ahu-born-and-raised Keoua Whitlock. The idea for these handcrafted pieces came to Whitlock after he lost one too many pairs of shades in the water. The solution? Wooden frames, which float and also gave him a fun woodworking project to tackle. Three months after creating a stylish prototype, the sunglasses wouldn’t stop netting admiring comments from family and friends, so Whitlock took it to the next entrepreneurial level and officially launched a line of them in February of this year. To speed production time and keep costs down, he enlisted the help of a small woodshop in China to manufacture the sunglasses.

Each ecofriendly pair is UV400 polarized and water- and sweat-resistant; plus, Whitlock donates $5 from every pair of sunglasses to Charity: Water. Beautifully detailed walnut and beech wood grain give each pair of the “Duke” glasses a unique look, with a retro aviator silhouette and straight brow bar. The Forest Eyewear take on the classic wayfarer, the ultra-hip and popular “Shaka” comes in a variety of shades, including black-stained or natural bamboo, and zebrawood. Our favorite, though? A two-toned, chunky aviator, with brown gradient lenses and sustainable bamboo.