Fashion is not about hiding what you are, it's about expressing your personality and underscoring it. That applies not only to clothes but to sunglasses as well. This summer there are three styles that are setting the trend: "Panto" glasses, frames in the shapes of cats' eyes and aviator sunglasses.
Johnny Depp and Woody Allen are two celebrities famous for wearing Panto glasses. Popular in the 1980s they have been making a slow comeback since 2011. By now they have reached an almost must-have status, according to Kerstin Kruschinski from Germany's independent foundation on matters to do with eyesight, Kuratorium Gutes Sehen.
Panto glasses have their origins in the 1940s when they were popular with intellectuals. Today they're fashion items both for men and women. That's due in part to their soft looking shape. "The classic Panto sunglass is oval at the top and round at the bottom," says Juergen Meyer, deputy president of Germany's Association of Opticians.
"Panto glasses are especially suitable for angular faces because they make the face look softer," says personal shopper Sonja Grau. Cat-eye sunglasses don't suit everyone. "Cat eye glasses suit women best," says Kruschinski. The ostentatious cat-eye frames also tend to come in colours that suit women better than men. The new collections have lots of frames with leopard skin patterns and in pink.
Grau recommends avoiding opulent accessories close to your face if you're wearing cat eye sunglasses. "A hat or necklace can steal the show from your sunglasses." Women looking for a sporty look this summer should choose a style that men have been wearing for some time: pilot sunglasses.
"Aviator sunglasses can help a woman highlight her active side. It can also help harden a feminine or romantic outfit," says Kruschinski. Meyer says aviator sunglasses are more than just a classic look. "Thanks to their shape and the large glasses they offer very good protection against ultraviolet rays."
Classic aviator sunglasses have teardrop-shaped glasses and fine metal frames. Meyer says they are also proving popular in ostentatious colours. Fossil has a pair for men with orange frames and glasses. Marc Cain has pink and yellowed framed pilot sunglasses.
In terms of colours anything goes. Designers have used a lot of pink, azure blue and bright yellow this year. There are also pastel tones like mint, rose and beige on the market. Marc Cain has a pair of cat-eye sunglasses in a soft yellow colour. "There's hardly a pair of sunglasses that maintains a monotone look this year. There are lots of pairs that come in two colours," says Kruschinski. Grau says sunglass makers are not shying away from producing designs in different materials. One design has fine wooden frames over the ears while the glasses are kept in place with titanium framing. Aviator sunglasses normally have metal frames but this year Marc O'Polo has a pair made from acetate.
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