Capsule Wardrobe Pieces: 16 Classic Sunglasses to Shop

I’ve decided to start a new series that’s going to concentrate on building a capsule wardrobe as this is something I’m often asked about. I’m going to publish about 11 weekly posts talking about pieces that suit all body shapes and sizes: Today I’m starting with classic sunglasses!

I must start by saying that this will not be one of those posts/articles etc. that’s telling you what you must wear – far from it. Hopefully if you’ve visited my blog or Instagram before you’ll know that I started the hashtag #iwillwearwhatilike – I genuinely don’t believe in dressing for your body shape and body shape alone, and I definitely don’t believe in age appropriate dressing.

For me, personality comes before everything else when trying to decipher your style. (Though that’s a subject for another time…!)

I do, however, get asked what sort of things are classics to buy and wear, and I’ll be choosing pieces that can be worn by anyone of any age, of any size and of any shape. What’s important is these are key capsule wardrobe pieces only – it’s up to you to inject your personality into the rest of your outfit.

I’VE CHOSEN PIECES THAT CAN BE WORN BY ANYONE OF ANY AGE, OF ANY SIZE AND OF ANY SHAPE. WHAT’S IMPORTANT IS THESE ARE KEY CAPSULE WARDROBE PIECES ONLY – IT’S UP TO YOU TO INJECT YOUR PERSONALITY INTO THE REST OF YOUR OUTFIT.

So sunglasses are up first, and there are four key shapes that I think will always be stylish. And although I’m not fond of wearing a lot of black, I have chosen black sunglasses as the classic that look good on everyone no matter what your skin tone or hair colour.

SHOP THE EDIT:

I’ve chosen four styles each of cat eye, aviator, Wayfarer/Clubmaster and Jackie O style oversized sunglasses – read on for my picks that you can shop right here (and a few fun facts about why they’re classics and who they’re associated with)…!

WHICH OF THESE CLASSIC STYLES DO YOU OWN – AND DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE OF ONE OVER ANOTHER? COMMENT BELOW, OR TAKE IT TO TWITTER @NOTLAMB!

Cat eye sunglasses

1. Kate Spade New York Sharlots Sunglasses | 2. Dolce & Gabbana Cat Eye Sunglasses | 3. Vince Camuto Oversized Cat Eye Sunglasses | 4. Mango Black Cat Eye Sunglasses

My black cat eye sunglasses are probably my most-worn pair of sunglasses – I’ve had mine for a few years and they will always, always work with every outfit. I always say it’s because they’re the same shape that Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast At Tiffany’s – the ultimate classic style. Though if you want the exact same pair she wore in the movie then you want the Oliver Goldsmith ‘Manhattan’ sunglasses (not Ray-Ban Wayfarers as most people think) – and hers were tortoiseshell, not black…!

Aviator sunglasses

1. Ray-Ban Large Aviator Sunglasses | 2. Marc Jacobs Aviator Sunglasses | 3. Michael Kors Aviator Sunglasses | 4. Quay Australia Black Metal Aviator Sunglasses

I will forever associate aviators with Tom Cruise in Top Gun. Maybe that’s not such a great thing (depends on your age), but if they were in style 30 years ago and they’re still in style now, you’re safe to invest in a pair of these. The variations are limitless: Metallic frames, black frames, mirrored lenses, coloured lenses… I always say pay as much as you can for aviators because they’re easier to bend and break compared to something with a thick plastic frame, so the extra cash spent is well worth it in my opinion.

Wayfarer / Clubmaster style sunglasses

1. Ray-Ban Classic Wayfarer XL Sunglasses | 2. Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Sunglasses | 3. Ray-Ban ‘Highstreet’ Sunglasses | 4. H&M Clubmaster-Style Sunglasses

And again, thank you Tom Cruise for making Wayfarers the sunglasses of the 80s. I of course bought a cheap pair when I was a teen (I couldn’t afford the real Ray-Ban deal) but since growing up I’ve bought a classic, original pair in black. There are many variations of the classic Wayfarer – I like the oversized pair that Ray-Ban make. I do, however, have a slight preference for Clubmasters: My first pair of reading glasses were a Clubmaster-style as I’d seen them on Kevin Costner in JFK and Tim Roth in Reservoir Dogs. They were on-trend in the 60s, again in the early 90s and still are another 25 years later. Go invest.

‘Jackie O’ style sunglasses

1. Marc Jacobs Oversized Sunglasses | 2. Vince Camuto Oversized Sunglasses | 3. River Island Black Oversized Sunglasses | 4. Ralph Round Frame Sunglasses

Although the oversized Jackie O-style sunglasses had a bit of a revival a few years ago, it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere anytime soon. They’re the style that’ll make any outfit look more expensive – you’ll get that luxe look without even trying. Whether you go for a round shape or a squarer shape, remember there is no such thing as too big when you’re emulating the late great Jackie Onassis.

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Linking up to: iwillwearwhatilike, Visible Monday, Shoe and Tell, Turning Heads Tuesday, Brilliant Blog Posts, My Refined Style, Passion for Fashion Friday, Fun Fashion Friday