Change is afoot on the streets of London. I refer not to the switch to girl-friendly Lime bikes; nor do I mean that collective early summer stampede towards any morsel of grass or pub garden to inhale pints al fresco. I am commenting instead on a sunglasses shift so pronounced and resounding as to deserve a mention in any local election.
Really massive sunglasses are back for the first time since the noughties, and they are honestly cooler than ever. From the Hackney Wick art dealer accessorising her Cecile Bahnsen dress with a face-obscuring shield shade to Westbourne Grove’s well-heeled brunch brigade pairing their cashmere with giant Saint Laurent aviators, Londoners are ditching their tiny ’90s frames in favour of shapes larger than we have seen since Paris Hilton was on The Simple Life and the WAGs went to Baden-Baden.
“They’re firmly back but this time they feel more glamorous and intentional than past iterations,” says London-based stylist Nadia Phillips. “I think it speaks to a general move away from the quiet luxury trend of the recent past towards more statement, high-impact dressing – and I am here for it!” Phillips, who has just invested in a shield style pair of shades from Saint Laurent, loves them because “they’re bold, futuristic and quite Man Repeller. I love the variety within the trend; it really lets you play with mood.”
But it’s not just the stylists and celebs rocking the silhouette. “Over the past year, we’ve seen a 30 per cent increase in sales of our oversized sunglasses, both in-store and online,” says Simon Jablon, founder of London-based sunglasses brand Linda Farrow, which has just dropped an Iconic collection dedicated to its ’70s archive. “Larger, 1970s-inspired frames have always been at the heart of our brand DNA,” he explains. “Our customers come to Linda Farrow seeking something distinctive, pieces that stand out from the crowd, and they particularly appreciate designs that pay homage to our heritage.”
Keen to supersize your shades? Below are the four key silhouettes to shop now. Just remember, bigger is better.
The exaggerated aviator
Tom Ford launched an eponymous sunglasses line before he did his own clothes and is himself rarely seen without a pair of tinted aviators. Fitting then that the instant smash hit Bronson FT1044 shades he launched in 2022, all thick-rimmed and tinted lenses, spurred something of a movement.
Five to shop:
Le Specs
Chimi
Prada
Linda Farrow
& Other Stories
Screen time
Not for the faint of heart, but ideal for those with a raging hangover, giant, VR-headset-adjacent shield shades were pioneered by Phoebe Philo, whose debut 2023 collection for her eponymous brand featured every model wearing a pair of her bulbous, face-obscuring Bombé shades. Balenciaga and Saint Laurent followed suit and now everyone seems to be upping their screen time.
Five to shop:
Jimmy Fairly
Hot Futures
Lexxola
Gucci
Joseph
Wrap-around
Gen Z cool-kids adopted wrap shades from the mountaineers and cycling dads a few years back, but now even the most formally dressed fashion girls are throwing on a slick black wrap shade with their Khaite, Celine and couture, to dazzling effect.
Two to shop:
Vehla
Oliver Peoples x Khaite
That seventies sunny
Round, oversized, lightly tinted: the Jane-Birkin-on-holiday energy you need once temperatures hit 20°C. Big square acetate and aviator metal-rimmed shades re-emerged at Chemena Kamali’s autumn 24 debut at Chloe, the pastel-hued candy atop the cake of the ultimate Sienna Miller boho revival. Peace out.
Three to shop:
Chloe
Jimmy Fairly
Finlay
