Why sunglasses are cool – in pictures

Jackie Kennedy Onassis famously used her glasses to protect privacy and preserve her poker face. A useful technique for celebrities facing unwanted attention Photograph: Ron Galella/WireImage

The Velvet Underground may have been early adopters but researcher Vanessa Brown says donning shades has long been the norm for bands that want to radiate a truly cool demeanour. Drummer Mo (Maureen) Tucker, second from left, clearly didn't get the memo Photograph: Gerard Malanga/record company handout

Britney, if you're going to wear shades to protect your privacy during a court appearance, it works better if you keep your cool as well Photograph: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

Sue Lyons managed to use these glasses – which let's face it, would look stupid on many people – to create molten sex appeal as the star of Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film Lolita. The dodgy part is that she was only 14 at the time and, as we know, things didn't end well
Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

See how difficult it is – this goat tried and failed miserably to pull off the heart-shaped sunglasses Lolita look Photograph: Todd Selby

Carrie-Anne Moss, Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne frown as they don shades and black leather for The Matrix. The frown is far more important than most people realise. Imagine this poster with three toothy grins beaming out at you
Photograph: WarnerBr/Everett/Rex Features

John Prescott, Britain's deputy prime minister at the time of this photograph, and his aide took style tips from Keanu Reeves before setting off for Downing St where this shot was taken
Photograph: Reuters

Yes Rihanna, sunglasses can be worn to stop people looking into your eyes, but don't you want to see where you are going?
Photograph: Marion Curtis/Rex Features

Amazingly the fringed sunglasses worn by Lady Gaga are the most conventional part of this outfit Photograph: Neil Mockford/FilmMagic

Sometimes sunglasses are used to hide more than the wearer's feelings. Which begs the question: If George Michael were banned from wearing sunglasses would that help his close companions to keep better tabs on whether or not he was fit to drive? Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Muammar Gaddafi illustrates the point that as potent as sunglasses are, they cannot make an irredeemable outfit look cool Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images