Sunny Chinese have an eye for fashion

For 25-year-old barista Xu Xinyue, choosing a pair of sunglasses from her collection for a holiday in Thailand is a tricky task. She has more than 120 pairs to choose from!

It took her some time to finally pick three. "You can take along just one pair. But you need one pair for proper protection against bright sunlight, and at least another two to match your clothes, if you want to take nice pictures."

For Xu and many of her ilk, sunglasses are no longer just summer-time protection for eyes. They are toys, gifts, souvenirs and, yes, masks, especially if you don't want to be recognized or discovered when staring at a handsome hunk, said Xu.