When does it make sense to fork over nearly four large on a pair of sunglasses you’re probably going to leave on the counter at Starbucks? Never, probably. And yet, there I was, flipping open the case to my new tortoise-framed Selima Optique Chad shades like that Indiana Jones character whose face melted after peering into the ark of the covenant. Why those particular sun-specs? Two words: Ryan Gosling. He wore the hell out of the frames in the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love, while telling a rumpled Steve Carell to “be better than the Gap” (slap!). I wanted to be better than the Gap. I wanted to look like Gosling (One out of two ain’t bad. Hint: Sorry Gap). OK, $385 hurt. But believe me, they really are works of art. Unless you find them on eBay, however, brace yourself for a wait. It took me a month on Selima’s list to get the call that they would deign to sell me the things. Was it worth it, Mr. Smith, you may ask? Call me Ryan.

$385 at selimaoptique.com