We all know that fashion is cyclical, and if you keep everything it’ll reappear in Topshop one day soon – did we think we’d ever see shoulder pads, leggings and batwing sleeves again? Did we want to?! Eye wear is just another branch of fashion, and fashion designers are taking an ever increasing interest in what we wear on our faces as well as our bodies. Frames have been creeping into Eighties territory for some time now, with sizes increasing, shapes softening, and red and white making a comeback. Are we horrified or excited?!
Back in the Seventies and Eighties big frames meant thick and heavy specs. The new wear to wear the size is in thin materials, with thin lenses too to reduce weight. New shapes are easier to wear, less extreme than the originals. Round is back too, taking over from sharp angular shapes, but the good news is that fashion seems to be less cut and dried than in the past. We have large and small frames sitting side by side on the display, oval and rectangular. The designers seem to be waking up to the fact that we don’t all want the same thing!
New materials mean that the shiny harsh golds and yellow tinged tortoise browns are thankfully consigned to the past, with subtle metals and soft colours bringing a fresh look to old shapes. Past and present blend with classic styles brought up to date in Noughties colour schemes and detail. Look for soft rounded squares and gentle Aviators that echo the disco era but still look on trend today. Aviators are a unisex style this time around, particularly for sunglasses where they give a really casual and relaxed beach babe look. (See Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz for inspiration!)
Big frames give you a large field of vision and make a real statement on the face, so don’t dismiss the return of these old friends as a mare fashion fad – just hope that shoulder pads will be much more of a one season trend!