Sunglasses are just as susceptible to trends as any other fashion accessory. This is hard for me because every now and then, a trend comes along that I love, but I don’t want to invest money in expensive sunglasses that are likely to go out of style before the “blink of an eye”!
Luckily, what seems to have hit the runways and different catalogs this year are not the super trendy things that will most certainly be out of style within a year or two. This time around, the sunglass industry is offering far more classic styles that may not be “trendy” in a year, but they will still be beautiful.
This side of the fashion industry is heading in a direction that will definitely bring some new (old) players to the game. I’m really pleased to see we’re getting away from the drab looks of the last few years and introducing some old friends in the name of beauty and style.
Retro Rebellion Against Irony
One thing I have noticed about the sunglass industry recently is a shift away from loving things ironically. Instead, we’re falling back in love with retro and beautiful. We’re no longer trying to pass off ugly as “in style”. Now, we’re tapping into more classic, older styles because of the grace and beauty they emulate.
In fact, just about every style mentioned in this section of my website is a throwback to some version of an older pair of glasses however the biggest differences are slight modernizing twists.
Right As Round
Round lenses are back, and they’ve brought with them some impressively large frames. Let me be clear, these are not oval or aviator frames. These are big, round circles with no straight lines except maybe on the temples. These are meant to look very much like sunglasses that were in fashion in the late 60s and early 70s. They are in no way subtle, but they definitely make a statement. One of the best round options on the market is the Prada PR27NS I reviewed here.
Finding Your Wayfarer Back
Wayfarers and sunglasses that look like Wayfarers have re-entered the scene since their last emergence in the early 90s, and they’re more popular than ever because of the beautiful class they have. They don’t always look like brightly colored kid glasses anymore. Now, they offer some serious style with options like the Ray-Ban New and Original Wayfarer glasses.
Meow!
One of the more prevalent retro trends is cat eye sunglasses, and Ray-Ban has offered their own take on this style with the Vagabond Cat Eye.
Kate Spade also offers her own version of Cat Eye sass. The options are not quite as severe as they were when the Mad Men era made them super famous, but they’re definitely a throwback to that style.
Forward
It is a true breath of fresh air to be moving away from feeling culturally uninspired for liking things just because other people do. For a few years we were so busy being cynical, it was almost taboo to like things that were nice just because they were nice. While everyone is allowed to prefer or not prefer anything they want, the current emerging trends give me a sigh of relief.
