The fashion world has most recently been centered on the importance of bold sunglasses. Sunglass culture focuses on gaudiness, divaness, and coolness. With that being said, sunglasses now more than ever are beyond protection from the sun. Since the rise of the notorious clout glasses, brands have applied focus power on creating the next shade wave. The nature of the 2010’s is borrowing from all the iconic fashion statements of the past and making them modern by applying a new twists to them. High-end name brands like Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana have set the standard of incorporating the style of past decades into their collections and making the rest of fashion world both high-end and low-end follow suit.
Featured below are the most prevalent shade trends to catch up on.
Oversized Square Lenses
Oversized square lensed glasses derive inspiration from the big plastic frames of the 70’s. Gucci popularized this trend in their last collection. It was inspired by eccentric aspects of the 70’s featuring funky patterns and intricate fabrics tied into an immensely bold campaign. Beyonce was one of the first celebrities to rock the bold Gucci frame. Last Spring, Beyonce began revamping her Instagram with photos centered around her accessories and patterned clothing. In the pictures below you see Beyonce emphasize the pattern of the Gucci blouse she is wearing a by using it as a border frame of her collage. The complimentary piece of the outfit is of course, the gradient oversized Gucci glasses. Lucky for us, plenty of brands have started recreating this look at a much lower price range. Glasses similar to this (not knock offs) are available at the Clark Atlanta University’s Market Thursday.
Cat Eye Frames: Half Cut & Embellishments
Cat Eye glasses were popular in the 50’s and 60’s. They were made famous by celebrities like Audrey Hepburn and seen in notable movies like Grease. Cat Eyes were made based off feline inspiration. They embody sleekness and femininity. Instagram star Teisha J (@teishajenaie) started a business named BABYDOLLFINDS (@babydollfindsxo) that is catered toward the millennial interest. This business combines vintage inspo and millennial innovation of the internet to create an aesthetically appealing store that attracts customers through internet marketing. On her site she features a variety of cat eye frames. More specifically the sleek half cut frames named “Ronnie”. These shades embody taking vintage inspiration and making it your own.
Another huge trend revolving around cat eye frames are embellishments. Dolce & Gabbana released The Flowers Collection, a collection of “dramatic eyewear inspired by nature”. These frames focus on a more high end couture side of accessorizing. With jeweled accents and large flowers these frames can make or break your outfit by being an accent piece or being too much. The best way to combat that is to pick what you want them to convey and focus on it, whether that be a bold look or a simple look with some “stunna shades”. These shades are another Market Thursday (CAU) and Market Friday (Spelman) favorite. If you’re interested in trying out this trend find the pieces at a low price point first before spending $500+ on a pair of designer shades that may not work for you.
Colorful Translucent Frameless Shades
Colorful shades were a big aspect of the 90’s. Stars like Aaliyah were specifically known for wearing them both on and off set. Now colored lenses have come back through a new concept as frameless shades. These have been huge thanks to online brands like Shop Demure (@shop.demure on Instagram) who supply them in almost every shape and color. These frames embody the color wave of the 90’s while incorporating the flair of various shape and size options. Anyone who is interested in this style should check out Instagram brands like Shop Demure or come out to the AUC markets for easy access.
The best part of any trend/wave is that the items become easily accessible making them a breeze to try out. When keeping these trends in mind be sure to make them your own and have a good time with experimenting new ways to add on to your look. Enjoy shopping around and figuring out ways to style them to perfection.