Shwood

If you want handcrafted sunglasses that look as good as they feel, Shwood belongs on your radar. Dr. Melissa McCulley and her team at McCulley Optix Gallery hand-select these wood frame sunglasses for their natural materials, comfortable fit, and laid-back style that suits everyday life.

Shwood pairs natural wood and eco-friendly materials with real optical performance, so you get sunglasses that protect your eyes while turning heads. A lake trip, a fall tailgate, and a walk downtown all call for the same relaxed, easygoing look Shwood delivers without much effort on your part.

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The Shwood Collection

Shwood built its name by rethinking what sunglasses could be made from, and the collection still reflects that spirit today. Browse our full sunglasses collection to see where Shwood fits alongside our other brands.

Heritage & Craftsmanship

Shwood’s story started with a limb from a madrone tree, a pair of rusty cabinet hinges, and salvaged lenses picked up from a thrift store, a scrappy first attempt at handcrafted sunglasses that grew into a full frames collection. That sense of individuality still runs through every pair today, since each frame passes through several sets of hands for shaping, sanding, and finishing the natural wood rather than being stamped out by machine.

Newer styles built from Italian acetate, titanium, and brass sit alongside the original wood frames, giving the collection more range without losing that original spirit. It’s less a manufacturing process than a labor of love, and it shows in the grain pattern of every pair.

Style Range

Shwood offers styles for nearly every face shape and personality, ranging from classic rounds to bold, oversized frames. You’ll find warm wood tones alongside tortoise, matte black, and other finishes that pair well with any wardrobe.

Some wooden glasses lean toward classic aesthetics, while others bring more of a modern flair with cutting-edge design details like layered acetate or mixed-material temples. Our team can help you narrow down the range based on what fits your face and your lifestyle.

Lens Technology & Protection

Every Shwood lens blocks 100% of harmful UV rays, meeting the standard the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends for everyday sunglasses. Many styles include polarized lenses, which cut glare off water, snow, and pavement for clearer, more comfortable vision.

This matters if you spend time outdoors around Fargo’s lakes or during winter glare season. Good lens technology isn’t just a bonus with Shwood; it’s built into every pair.

Prescription Options

You don’t have to choose between clear vision and great style. Many Shwood optical frames can be fitted with prescription lenses, turning them into fully functional prescription eyeglasses without losing the wood-inspired look.

During a comprehensive eye exam, our team measures your prescription carefully and works with you to select a frame that supports the right lens shape and thickness. That way, your sunglasses work as hard as your regular glasses do.

Fit Guidance

A frame only looks great if the shape actually suits you, and wood frames can run slightly wider or heavier than plastic ones depending on the style. Our team starts by looking at your face shape and lifestyle to point you toward silhouettes worth trying on, rather than leaving you to guess from a wall of options.

Curious which shape works best for you? Our personalized glasses survey can help you narrow things down before you even walk in.

Protection Only Works If You Actually Wear Them

A study of sunglasses use at public beaches, parks, and pools found that only about a third of people were actually wearing sunglasses on sunny days. Heavy frames are a big part of why: they slide down your nose on a hot day, pinch behind the ears after an hour, and end up pushed onto your head more often than they’re actually protecting your eyes. That gap between owning sunglasses and wearing them is where most real-world sun damage happens, since even the best lens technology does nothing for eyes it isn’t covering.

Shwood’s wood construction solves that problem in a practical way, since wood frames typically weigh less than many acetate styles built to a similar size. Less weight means less pressure on your nose and temples, so the lightweight comfort feels more like a natural extension of your face than something you’re tolerating. That comfort adds up over a full day outside, on a run, at the lake, or just walking between errands, and it’s a big part of why people who own a pair actually keep it on. Sunglasses only protect your eyes when they’re on your face, and Shwood is built to make that the easy choice.

Meet Dr. Melissa McCulley

Dr. Melissa McCulley has cared for Fargo’s eyes since 2006, bringing both clinical expertise and a genuine eye for style to every patient visit at McCulley Optix Gallery. A Fargo native, she studied at Boston College before earning her Doctor of Optometry degree with honors from the Southern College of Optometry. Before returning home, she spent four years in downtown Minneapolis fitting specialty contact lenses and treating low vision patients at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Ophthalmology.

Her patient-centered approach has earned her recognition as a CooperVision Best Practices Honoree, and she stays active in the Fargo community through local mentorship and business events. Today, she brings that same attention to detail to helping patients find sunglasses, like Shwood, that fit both their vision needs and their personal style.

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Finding Sunglasses That Actually Fit You

Understanding Your Needs

Your visit starts with a conversation about how you use sunglasses day to day. Dr. McCulley or a team member asks about your activities, prescription needs, and style preferences. This helps us understand what you actually need before we pull a single frame.

Choosing the Right Frames

Next, we put together a shortlist of Shwood frames based on your face shape, lens needs, and budget. If you need prescription lenses, we factor that into which styles will work best. You’ll leave this step with a clear picture of your options.

Getting a Precise Fit

Once you’ve chosen a frame, our team fits it precisely to your face, checking the bridge, temples, and overall balance for lasting comfort. We double-check every measurement and coordinate any prescription lenses before your order is finalized. Small adjustments here make a real difference in how the glasses feel later.

Keeping Your Glasses in Good Shape

We’ll walk you through simple care tips to keep your wood frames looking their best, including proper cleaning and storage. Avoiding excess moisture and heat helps protect the wood’s natural finish over time. A little care goes a long way with Shwood frames.

Making Sure Everything Still Feels Right

After you’ve worn your new Shwood sunglasses for a while, we welcome you back for a quick fit check. Small adjustments keep your glasses comfortable as time goes on. We’re always happy to answer questions that come up after your purchase.

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Come See the Collection in Person!

Every Shwood frame has its own grain pattern, so the pair that looks great in a photo isn’t always the one that feels right on your face. If you already have a shape or finish in mind, mention it when you book your appointment, and Dr. Melissa McCulley’s team will have it ready for you to try.

Not sure yet? Stop in and we’ll pull a few options based on your face shape while you’re here. Got a quick question first? Our contact form is the fastest way to reach us, and we post new arrivals on Instagram and Facebook as soon as they land. Living in the Fargo area? You may also visit McCulley Optix Gallery in person!

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FAQs

Is it true the first Shwood frames were made from a tree branch?

Yes, the earliest Shwood sunglasses were built from a limb of a madrone tree, a pair of rusty cabinet hinges, and lenses salvaged from a thrift store. That scrappy first attempt eventually grew into a full lineup that now includes Italian acetate, titanium, and brass alongside the original wood. The brand still leans on that same handmade, experimental approach today, even as the material lineup has expanded.

Does every Shwood frame come in a polarized option?

Not every single style, but polarized lenses are available across a wide range of the Shwood collection, especially frames built for time outdoors. Our team can confirm whether the specific frame and lens combination you’re interested in comes in a polarized version before you commit. Mentioning that polarization matters early in your fitting helps narrow down the options quickly.

Are Shwood sunglasses environmentally friendly?

Many Shwood frames are built through eco-conscious production, using sustainably sourced wood and other natural materials instead of standard petroleum-based plastic. That approach lines up with a broader push toward sustainable eyewear, especially since up to 75% of the acetate used across the eyewear industry ends up as waste. If eco-friendly sunglasses matter to you, our team can point out which Shwood styles lean most heavily on these sustainable materials.

Are wood frames actually lighter than acetate frames?

Yes, wood is naturally less dense than many of the acetate blends used in mass-market sunglasses, so a wood frame in a similar size often weighs noticeably less on your face. That difference matters more than it might seem, since discomfort is one of the most common reasons people stop wearing glasses regularly. A lighter frame is simply easier to keep on through a full day outside instead of pushing it up onto your head.

How do I take care of wood sunglass frames?

Wood responds to temperature and humidity more than acetate does, so leaving your frames on a hot dashboard or in a steamy bathroom can cause the finish to dry out or warp over time. Beyond the basics of a soft cloth and a case, giving your frames a break from extreme heat or moisture goes a long way toward keeping the wood grain looking sharp. Our team can point out which finishes need the most attention if you’re between styles.