There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who look good in absolutely any pair of sunglasses and those who don’t. It pains me to admit that I’m one of the latter. My fashion fantasies don’t involve handbags or shoes as much as wearing the best women’s sunglasses ever. I picture myself seamlessly switching between a cat-eye style à la Marilyn Monroe, oversized ‘70s aviators that don’t make me look like a cop, or Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s minimal-chic oval frames. The reality? Whenever I try to step up my sunglasses game, I look funny at best and plain bad at worst.

But as to any rule, there has been an exception. Almost ten years ago, a pair of Retrosuperfuture’s Drew Mama sunglasses came into my life—and these handmade Italian sunglasses have stayed with me ever since.

The author in her Retrosuperfuture Drew Mama sunglasses in Berlin.

Like with most things in life, the perfect match shows up when you aren’t looking. In my case, the Drew Mama were a gift from a former boss who, luckily for me, must have never heard that you shouldn’t choose perfume or sunglasses for someone else. You can imagine my surprise when, in trying them, they looked just right in my face. Not too big, not too small. My eyes were protected but I still looked like myself, maybe even a bit more glamorous. It was a real Cinderella-fitting-her-shoe moment—had Cinderella swapped shoes for sunnies.

The beauty is all in the Drew Mama’s shape. What makes this pair fit great on my otherwise hard-to-suit face is that they’re neither round, square, nor cat-eye: They’re all three things in one. The round lenses help soften my face’s angular features, the elongated tips add a tad of expression and the angled arms give structure, so the overall effect is one of sleek sophistication rather than quirky ingenue. The design hits a sweet spot between retro and modern, which means that they’re perfectly cool—and after nearly ten years, it’s safe to say they’re also timeless.

As the confessed sunglasses devotee that I am, I also appreciate this pair’s higher quality details, such as the golden detailing of the arms, sturdiness of the black acetate, comfort of the nose pads and the precision with which the arms open and close. The dark-but-not-too-dark lenses still show no scratches, a true feat considering they’ve seen a few beaches in their lifetime (and, I’ll admit, have been carelessly chucked into a handbag without a case on too many occasions).

The beauty of Retrosuperfuture's Drew Mama sunglasses is in the details, like the sturdiness of the ... [+] black acetate frame, comfort of the nose pads and scratch-proof lenses.

Over the years, I’ve spotted other wearers of the Drew Mama and they’ve spotted me, discreetly acknowledging we’re part of the same cult. Retrosuperfuture is, after all, a brand for the fashion class, seen on style icons such as Rihanna or Sophie Turner. The Milan-based company often collaborates with Marni, Sunnei or the Andy Warhol Foundation, and unisex models like the Drew Mama have been in rotation for years. For around $150, the investment here is also very reasonable. The only thing that could come between me and these sunglasses? Another pair of Drew Mama: The same design is available in different colors, with tinted lenses or even as a regular pair of glasses. Because when the look is this good, I recommend stocking up.