Words by Halie Lesavage
You’ll keep wearing them next year
The best sunglasses trends of 2023 are more than guidelines for finding a summer accessory—just check a fashion editor’s everyday bag on a random day in November for proof. Still, a pair that can block the sun and complement a summer work outfit feels especially timely at the height of the season. (That is, right now.)
2023’s biggest sunglasses trends are broad in both their scope and in brand-by-brand interpretations. However you want to get some shade, you can find it. There are sprinklings of vintage inspiration in angular cat-eyes and oversize sunglasses ripped from a 1970s band poster; there’s also a futuristic streak in the sporty wraparound and shield glasses seen on catwalks from Balenciaga to Gucci. Shoppers who prefer the classics can rely on black sunglasses with rectangular frames—or you can go for an instant mood boost with a tinted lens.
With insight from the latest Fashion Week runways, organic trends we’ve observed in street style, and our favorite celebrities’ closets, we’ve identified the six best sunglasses trends of 2023 here for you. Wear them now, through the fall, and even into 2024. Like a sought-after designer sneaker or an upscale shoulder bag, these sunglasses are more than the moment. They’re going to last.
2023 Sunglasses Trends: The Wraparound
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Wraparound sunglasses surged back into our wardrobes in 2022 and haven’t moved an inch since. In fact, they’ve only gotten more play from runway collections, street style, and celebrities’ off-duty outfits alike. These sunglasses are made with a healthy mix of Y2K nostalgia and a dose of edge in their slimmer, 360-degree frames. The versions below have an element of everyday wearability; to really go for it, try one of the extra-oversize pairs popularized by Balenciaga and Acne Studios.
2023 Sunglasses Trends: Ultra Sport Mode
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Consider this the wraparound sunglasses’ more aesthetically advanced sibling. The athletes among us have already been wearing UV-blocking, aerodynamic sporty sunglasses for running, cycling, and otherwise working out for years. But with a nudge from Balenciaga’s and Dior’s runways, plus some hype-worthy new releases from Nike and Patou, these high-intensity lenses allow all of us to embrace our inner sports star—even when we’re wearing an otherwise relaxed summer outfit. With the 2024 Summer Olympics on the horizon, they’ll undoubtedly stay in rotation next year.
2023 Sunglasses Trends: Candy-Like Lenses
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This trend will make you forget what you’ve heard about rose-colored glasses. From punchy pink angular frames to under-the-sea blue sunnies from Jacquemus, sunglasses punctuated by a rainbow of lenses provide a quick way to inject color into your look year-round. Magenta and rosé shades are some of the most prevalent—blame the Barbie obsession ruling fashion right now—but eyewear designers are also embracing sea-glass blues, greens, and yellows for something different.
2023 Sunglasses Trends: Rectangular Frames
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If it were up to Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, sunglasses with elongated, rectangular frames are all we would wear. This shape is one of the most frequently spotted in their wardrobes this year. Beyond the celebrity fashion circuit, rectangular sunglasses are also a favorite for fashion insiders whose style leans minimalist and modern. Give them a try with a tortoiseshell or solid frame by Le Specs or Elisa Johnson; then, move on to an advanced version with Loewe’s double-layered rectangular frames.
2023 Sunglasses Trends: The Updated Cat-Eye
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From Paris to Copenhagen to New York City, street style is as obsessed with flirty cat-eye sunglasses as it is with sporty frames. This year’s most popular versions abandon the slight swoop of Audrey Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany shades for a sharper silhouette. (Study street-style photography long enough, and you’ll catch that the Attico and Bottega Veneta are two crowd favorites.)
2023 Sunglasses Trends: ’70s Oversize
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Maybe it’s the lingering effect of Daisy Jones & The Six’s premiere this spring, but rounded, oversize frames fit for a 1970s rock diva have made their way back into the conversation. You can find the most classic interpretation of the oversize butterfly lens at Saint Laurent; remixes come with extra gold hardware, touches of multicolor acrylics, and bamboolike frames at Linda Farrow, Krewe, and Tory Burch, respectively.
This article originally appeared on harpersbazaar.com
