The sun is out! Time to reach for your trusty Wayfarers. Not so fast – Wayfarers are risky style territory now unless you want to find yourself in the Venn diagram where royals and reality TV stars meet. Instead, it is time to up your sunnies game with a style associated with the likes of Beyoncé, Susan Sarandon or, indeed, Prince.
The Matrix
Get ready for the red pill: a Matrix revival is here. If the Hadids have gone full Neo with leather trenches and rubbery polo necks, these sunglasses are entry level. Think a Y2K take on what the future looks like – square or oval lenses with skinny arms, basically. Rihanna wore some Trinity-esque designs at Cannes. Course she did.
The Purple Rain
Prince’s character in Purple Rain, the Kid is now, sadly, a fancy dress cliche. Fashion has moved on to his sunglasses. The kind of round, reflective shades worn by Prince from 1984 until his death last year are likely to be seen in their thousands in festival fields this summer. They’re bestsellers on Asos already. Wear now to get ahead of the curve.
The conversation starter
Beyoncé has given us many, many visual gifts – her portfolio of “push party” pictures the latest case in point. A more subtle one is her endorsement of fun sunglasses The alpha accessory that will make you Queen all summer.
The top cat
The cat-eye sunglass has been updated – and this time it has more spike to it. The most extreme version was worn by Kendall Jenner and friends last summer, but 2017’s version is a bit more kind. Think Grace Kelly style for millennials, as seen on Elisabeth Moss at Cannes.
The Darlene
Hacker TV show Mr Robot’s top-line style takeaway is Elliot Alderson’s hoodie. You don’t imagine that sunnies are Elliot’s jam – he leaves them to his sister Darlene . Her Tank-Girl-goes-to-Harajuku look is an acquired taste but the heart-shaped sunglasses are irresistible. Sue Lyon in Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita with added eyeroll.
The Croisette
Cannes is still going but Susan Sarandon has already won the red carpet. This feat has been achieved by several things – sweetheart neckline dresses, a sense of glee and sunglasses. Her shades of choice – big, wide, enigmatic – are bang on for a proper Hollywood A-lister. You can wear them, too, obvs. They add a bit of glamour to a life not lived on the Croisette.
