Six Hot Sunglass Trends for Spring 2023

It’s a good year for sunglasses. Sunglass lovers have a dizzying array of options to mull over to up their fashion game this spring and summer. The sporty styles that Formula 1 racers and champion bikers wear have pushed their way front and center with active men.

For those who have the Y2K nostalgia bug, there are extreme and modernized versions of the shades worn by the gang on the 1989 hit TV show, Saved by the Bell. Designer fashion lovers have stand-out styles that are straight off the Milan and Paris runways that embrace exaggerated oversize shapes and an array of seemingly every color in the rainbow. With these many exciting options, the hardest part will be deciding which style to adopt for the coming months.

Below, Fashion Reverie rounds-up our top nine sunglass trends for spring/summer 2023.

TREND 1: SPORTY:  Sporty is not going away, so start your engines!

Whether you opt for the actual sunglasses that Blenders Eyewear created for the Formula 1 Oracle Red Bull Racing team, (yes, the same ones worn by F1 superstars Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez), or the super trendy Pit Vipers, the brand of choice with the younger biking and skater crowd, you’ll have a bit of a champ’s confident swagger when you slip your shades on. 

Blenders Eyewear is a part of the mighty Safilo Group, one of the eyewear industry’s key players. Safilo plays in the more moderate price range and carries brands such as Kate Spade New York, Missoni, Juicy Couture, and Under Armour.  As such, a pair of Blenders run under $100 a pair. The ace F1 team have been spotted wearing Millenia X2, Meister X2, and Exposé models on the track. The Blenders Eyewear x Oracle Red Bull Racing Collection features its PureBlend Lens that echoes the Red Bull’s racing team’s signature colors of their cars and uniforms.

Pit Viper was founded in 2012, but according to www.bicycling.com, the brand has only recently caught the wave of popularity with the male high school and college crowd. The sunglasses are designed for extreme sports and mimic styles that were popular with skiers and cyclists in the eighties and nineties, but with a modern edge. A lively and engaging Instagram account as well as an opening price point of $69 seals the deal.

TREND 2: Y2K NOSTALGIA – Rimless mask styles are back

Dior’s “Diorclub M4U” mask sunglasses in a soft grey and Alexander McQueen’s rose-pink shades with signature silver skull detailing are masks of sorts. These new versions have shaded lenses that act as a soft filter as opposed to the intimidating impenetrable black lenses from past seasons. These glasses are reminiscent of the pastel-colored sunglasses Paris Hilton wore back in the early 2000s, but with larger dimensions.

TREND 3: VINTAGE FUTURISTIC – The fifties cat eye frame in futurist colors

There’s little else that screams “fifties style” more than a pair of cat eye sunglasses, like the ones Audrey Hepburn famously wore for a publicity photo shoot early in her career. She’d doubtless be amazed and delighted by the new options now available seventy years later. Like us, she’d have a hard time choosing from all the colorful options available at Loewe: bright navy, marigold yellow, and shiny violet, to name only a few. For those who aren’t 100% sure they want to go all-in, why not pick up a pair of Wild Fable’s angular cat-eye sunglasses at Target for $12 to try this trend on for size?

TREND 4: EXAGGERATED GEOMETRIC SHAPES – It’s hip to be square

Last year Louis Vuitton’s oversize “millionaire” sunglasses flew off the shelves, despite the $800 and up price tag. For spring, Dior has the “30 Montaigne” (the address of Dior HQ). The gold on gold mirrored giant square lenses manage to have a delicate look, thanks to the barely—there wire rim stems. The glasses are noticeably bling-free save for the large matching gold CD logo on the stems.

TREND 5:  WRAP FRAMES AKA “Wrap arounds”

Think back to your beloved Oakley’s from the 1990s but bigger, much bigger. Then, inject some bright jewel tone color and you have Bottega Venetta’s statement wrap-frame acetate glases with gradient lenses. Another plus is that acetate, a nylon-based plastic, is exceptionally strong, hypoallergenic, and comfortable enough to wear all day long. These showstoppers come in amethyst purple and emerald green and are just the thing for those who want to be noticed.

Images courtesy of the respective brands

TREND 6: ROUND GLASSES – THE CLASSIC CHOICE

 And finally, for those who can’t decide which of the above trends to try, designer, Remo Tulliani, offers this advice. “The absolute classic go-to is the one that covers most of your eyes. Usually that shape is round. The idea is to block the most harmful light you can; it’s the reason to wear sunglasses to begin with and usually the failsafe is round. For men, I recommend the “Smooth,” a cross between a round and aviator style. For the women, my choice would be the “Joy,” an exaggerated round shape whereas “Faith” is a more classic round shape.

—Vivian Kelly

SHOPPING GUIDE

Blenders – available at www.blenderseyewear.com

Pit Vipers – available at www.pitviper.com

Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Dior, Gucci, Loewe – available at www.saksfifthavenue.com

Wild Fable – available at www.target.com

Remo Tulliani – available at www.tulliani.com