1. Sunglasses matter
Unless you have a huge beard or some heavy-duty piercings, sunglasses are the most high-profile accessory you will put on your face all year. So strong are their transformative powers that they even make movie stars feel more like movie stars (as Jack Nicholson says: “With my sunglasses on, I’m Jack Nicholson. Without them, I’m fat and 60.”) You owe it to yourself to find a pair that makes you feel at least 25% more fabulous.
2. Know your icons
Jackie O, obviously, if you want to look regal. Anna Wintour, of course, if you want to terrify underlings. But right now, we’re channelling much-loved and recently departed Coronation Street character Deirdre Barlow, whose contrast frames feel very new-era Gucci.
3. Raybans aren’t the current alpha choice
Fashion editors still have a pair of Raybans in their sunglasses suite, but these are not the power frames they slip on just before the street-style photographers start snapping. Right now, those with 100k-plus followers on Instagram are into tricky lenses, such as the Miu Miu frames that look as if they’ve been sliced off at the bottom, or the Dior So Real sunglasses, pictured below, with a geometric reflective panel at the top. It’s difficult to replicate such detail on the high street, but Zara’s two-tone stripes, above, are a neat approximation. Large, squoval, slightly cat’s eye tortoiseshell frames are also a thing right now, and available to us civilians in H&M.
4. Find your own classic
The Guardian and Observer’s menswear editor Helen Seamons is the proud owner of a pair of yellow-rimmed Chanel sunglasses that perfectly illustrate this point. The shape is timeless, not trend-led – think Françoise Hardy, above – but the colour is so bright they’re unlikely to become ubiquitous.
5. Know your limits
If you know your sunnies might get squished, designer brands may not be for you and an excellent range of high-street frames can be found at H&M and Topshop. For styles that could be designer, head to Le Specs, a favourite of the Guardian’s fashion stylist, Melanie Wilkinson, where you can find a pair for £35 or £40.
6. Don’t wear sunglasses on your head
“Imagine if a guy turned up on a date with sunglasses on his head,” said a colleague, shuddering, during one of the fashion desk’s many conversations on this subject. Sunglasses on the head screams Apprentice contestant – particularly if worn indoors and definitely if it’s not sunny. Slotting them into your shirt is bad news, too – it’s the kind of styling trick Liz Hurley would employ to draw attention to her cleavage, or what Michael Bolton would do on a yacht. If you’re not wearing them your sunglasses for more than 10 minutes? Put them back in the box.
