I'm no conspiracy theorist, but it feels as though designers and celebrities have united and decided that a simple pair of wayfarers will no longer suffice for the summer. It's clear — sunglass designs are getting more abstract by the day.
There's a constant flow of new OTT sunglasses hitting the market, and thanks to co-signs by Kim Kardashian, A$AP Rocky, Bella Hadid, and more, our appetite for extreme frames is only getting larger.
Want some proof? Most recently Gentle Monster x Coperni's collaboration looks straight out of a sci-fi movie, 100% x MAAP has taken cycling glasses to a whole new level, and Oakley has reminded us it's the boss of hi-tec sunglasses with its Re:SubZero model. Based on recent sunglasses releases, there's no such thing as going too far.
To help navigate this wild world of sunglasses, we've collected some of the overarching eyewear trends for this summer that you can shop along with the wearers who have proven their stylistic capabilities. Check them out below.
Scroll down to shop our favorite sunglass styles
Futuristic sunglasses
This one is all thanks to Kim K. The reality star's space-age shades have become her signature, made up of oversized lenses which are seemingly sculpted around her face. It's a look that has spread, being worn by the likes of Nicole Kidman to Kanye's recent Kim K lookalike girlfriend.
While Kim's pairs are of course close to impossible to track down, you can easily get the same look with the pairs below, which includes the Oakleys that I would conspire the high fashion label was inspired by.
Tinted lenses
Lakeith Stanfield's outfit for The Oscars in 2021 confirmed for us that sunglasses with tinted lenses are set for a big moment and they've only proven to only get more popular since then — as has 70s style in general.
If you're looking to add a few more touches of color into your fits, then look no further than the shades below.
Rimless sunglasses
Fashion's collective Y2K obsession is not slowing down and another of the sunglass styles that have risen to prominence is taken directly from that era. Bella Hadid has almost single-handily brought these tiny, rimless, Matrix-style shades into our collective consciousness and convinced us that they are cool again.
There are a bunch of pairs from high fashion labels available to buy (as shown below), but you might want to dig through some old draws for a pair directly from the era before pulling the trigger on a new pair.
Sporty sunglasses
Linked to the trend toward super-futuristic styles is the revival of sporty 90s sunglasses, such as the Oakley Eye Jacket which the brand recently re-issued only for them to sell out immediately. And they're not alone: Balenciaga has put its own spin on the style (which Kim Kardashian has also worn), ARNETTE has re-released its Catfish Sunglasses, and Lexxola's latest shades also have a 90s vibe.
Here are our favorite pairs that share the retro-futuristic aesthetic.
Chunky frames
In all honesty, this is probably the least bold of the sunglasses categories shown above and therefore it's also the easiest to incorporate into everyday wear. In their essence, these are all pretty standard shapes for sunglasses, just blown up to have big proportions thanks to thick frames.
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