Fireworks and dancing dragons will welcome the Year of the Rat on Feb. 7, but revelers of Asian descent also have something else to celebrate: new lines of trendy and proper-fitting sunglasses.

Oakley’s Asian Fit line is a prime example.

“This line fits higher on your face with a narrower and deepened bridge,” said Andy McSorley, Oakley’s eyewear brand manager. “This helps to lift the sunglasses off the face of a person with a shallower nose bridge and higher cheek bones.”

Oakley, which introduced its Asian Fit line of sunglasses last year, is one of several retailers catering to Asian-American consumers, whose buying power is expected to reach $579 billion by 2010. Oliver Peoples also introduced a line of frames for Asians, which sell for about $300 a pair, and the Gap’s petite line is geared to Asian customers.

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