You can never have too many accessories – sunglasses in particular being worthy of collecting. Each season brings its own new and interesting trends into the mix, but a seriously stylish pair of sunglasses is timeless.
Plus, the fact that there’s a health and safety aspect to the whole thing means you’ve the perfect excuse to indulge!
Sunglasses are a comparatively small and discreet accessory, but the impact they can have on your look as a whole is limitless. When selected in accordance with your outfit, your preferred style and your face shape, a good pair of sunglasses can boost both your image and your mood.
These days, online retail has made it easier and more affordable than ever before to pick up a practically endless range of stellar sunglasses in all imaginable shapes and sizes. Go designer if you like, but there are plenty of cheap and surprisingly stylish alternatives available, if you’d prefer to hang on to your cash.
But what are the biggest sunglasses trends for summer 2024, which are already making waves worldwide?
According to layoners.com, opt for any of the following and you’ll be firmly on-trend while the warm weather sticks around:
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Retro Vibes
As we’re talking 2024 styles, vibes from the early 2000s now qualify as retro. Now that you feel suitably old, be sure to check out the kinds of blingy, glitzy and borderline OTT styles of 20 or so years ago. Pink-tinted lenses, rhinestone frames, scalloped edges – all harking back to a simpler time and still every bit as glamorous today.
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Tinted Lenses
Speaking of colourful lenses, this is also a style you really cannot go wrong with right now. Pinks and Reds in particular are the order of the day, but don’t shy away from going green, grey or anything else that takes your fancy. Dual-coloured lenses are also an option, if looking to take things one step further this summer.
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Classic Aviators
Seriously – you cannot go wrong with a classic pair of aviators. Opt for an expensive pair of Ray Bans if you like, but a decent imitation will work just as well. If you go with aviators this summer, be sure to check out the various tinted and coloured lens variants available. Sunset hues in particular have enjoyable summer afternoons written all over them, but dark greens also look great with almost any ensemble. If in doubt, you won’t go wrong with classic black aviators.
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Small Rectangular Designs
They’re not quite as practical or protective as their larger counterparts, but tiny rectangular designs have been the in thing for several years now. Miniscule rectangular sunglasses are more about presentation and prestige than practicality, but there’s no denying how fantastic they look on the beach. Or for that matter, anywhere else you care to head on a bright and sunny day.
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Shield Sunglasses
The only proviso with this trend being whether or not you can pull it off. Shield sunglasses basically bridge the gap between personal protective equipment and the latest designer accessories, meeting somewhere in the middle. Available in a wide variety of round and square configurations, shield sunglasses are just about as bold and statement-making as it gets. Hence, not for shy and retiring types.
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Flat-Tops
Summer of 2024 is definitely the season of the flat-top frame, which has the potential to look anything from understated and retro to statement making and futuristic. Simply by adding a straight top to almost any conventional frame design, you suddenly find yourself looking at something eye-catching and inspiring.
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Bright White
Looking for something a little more sophisticated and statement-making than basic black? Easy – set your sights on the opposite side of the scale and go for a pair of brilliant white frames. Bright white works in just about any style going – oversized, aviators, tiny frames etc. Hence, you don’t have to get particularly creative or elaborate to make a pair of brilliant white frames work.
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Futuristic Structure
This particular segment is wide open to interpretation, but essentially incorporates everything that looks as if extracted from the pages of a sci-fi novel. Something that opens the door to endless experimentation and creativity. Futuristic-styled sunglasses can also be a great way of complementing an otherwise simple outfit with a real statement piece.
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Thick Oversized
The oversized frame has burst back on to the scene with vigour this year, harking back to decades gone by though with a slightly more modern twist. An interesting contrast to the trend for teeny-tiny shades, which are also strutting their stuff on catwalks worldwide right now.
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Cat Power
Speaking of cats, designers all over the place are once again putting their own funky spins on the classic cat-eye frame. Though this time, with more focus on bold colours and statement-making patterns than ever before. One of many retro designs to be back on the scene for some of 2024.
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Side Shields
Protective, practical and presentable in equal measures, side shields provide additional UV protection while at the same time looking exquisite. Branch out into side shields and you’ve a huge range of shapes, sizes, colours and configurations to choose from.
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Chains
Irrespective of the style you go for, chunky and oversized chains are one of the big sunglasses trends for 2024. Along with being on-trend for the season and making it easy to accessorise, they also play a functional role of importance when out and about.
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Modern Vintage
Last up, there’s something simply irresistible about the combination of a classic vintage sunnies design and a hint of the 21st century. Think the shapes and trends of the 60s and 70s, only reinvented with cutting-edge lenses in a whole bunch of tints and shades. The best of both worlds in one neat package, which is guaranteed to turn heads for all the right reasons.
