When it comes to summer accessories, sunglasses reign supreme. Not only do a good pair of sunnies protect your peepers from harmful UV rays, they’re a chic cover-up option for those bags under your eyes that hint at one too many nights on the town. But as any self-proclaimed four-eyes will attest, shopping for frames at big-name optical vendors and department stores can be a bit like buying a top from Aritzia: there’s a 99.9 percent chance you’ll eventually have a “same dress” moment with a friend or three.

Head to Gastown for a handful of independent optical boutiques that are all about championing the obscure, little-known labels while offering an array of customization services that keep your look unique. Durant Sessions (315 West Cordova Street), limited-edition specs from hard-to-find brands like Jacques Marie Mage and Oliver Peoples are typically edited and reworked before and after hitting the sales floor. Temples can be removed and attached to a different frame front, for example, while lenses may be tinted in custom shades of jade, blue, amber, and beyond.

And while the shop is known for an eccentric selection that ranges from the avant garde to the demure, this season, it’s all about functionality. “Utilitarian is definitely, definitely a big thing right now, where glasses are gender-neutral,” Eric Dickstein, owner of Durant, tells the Straight by phone.

The optical pro, who also runs local denim destination Dutil, is a big fan of Japanese line Eyevan 7285’s 759, which boasts a frameless, rounded square shape and metallic gold or silver hardware. Updated aviators in hexagonal forms or equipped with gritty leather side-shields by the North Vancouver–based Northern Lights Optic are also fit for both men and women.

A few blocks east at Bruce Eyewear (216 Abbott Street), you’ll find an equally impressive array of established and up-and-coming labels. Like Durant Sessions, Bruce and its Main Street iteration, Bruce Too (3553 Main Street), stock innovative brands that emphasize handcraftsmanship and anonymity. In other words, you won’t find designer names and flashy logos splashed across temples here. “We look for the out-of-the-ordinary, the not-so-generic,” says optician Timor Ben-Yehezkel, “the handmade, independent eyewear stuff that you won’t find anywhere else.”

So, what’s shining the brightest among a slew of new arrivals this season? According to Ben-Yehezkel, it’s the’70s-inspired circle frames, which are making a comeback in stainless-steel, double-bridge shapes by the Berlin-based Mykita Studio and Garrett Leight’s classic tortoise-shell models. “We’re seeing lots more of those rounder, John Lennon styles,” he says. “That sort of thing is back in.”

Mixed materials are also hot: check out Bruce’s selection of sculptural shades by Kuboraum, another German line, which combines titanium and acetate in dramatic square, round, and cat-eye shapes. The acetate here has been hand-burned, -painted, or -carved, resulting in a one-of-a-kind pair that functions as much as a statement piece as protective eyewear. Prices vary widely depending on prescription and custom finishes.

Of course, independent boutiques that specialize in products outside of optics are also great for sourcing offbeat sunnies. Not far from Durant and Bruce, there’s curated fashion retailer the Block (350 West Cordova Street), which carries buzzed-about brands like Vuarnet and Super. Nouvelle Nouvelle (209 Abbott Street), meanwhile, offers minimalist frames by the Danish line Han Kjøbenhavn.

These Gastown-area shops, along with Durant Sessions and Bruce Eyewear, are among 40-plus retailers participating in the 21st biannual spring edition of the Gastown Shop Hop next Thursday (June 8). From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., shoppers will be able to score deals on apparel, accessories, home items, and more, while enjoying bubbly and other refreshments.

Given the number of coveted, indie, and exclusive labels available in the ’hood, this is one event worth breaking a shopping ban for—especially when it comes to eyewear. “You’re not just buying a design,” says Dickstein. “You’re buying sort of a piece of artwork that you wear on your face.”