“With my sunglasses on, I’m Jack Nicholson. Without them, I’m fat and seventy.” –Jack Nicholson
If there’s an eyewear trend that has long surpassed its expected life span, it’s mirrored sunglasses. The reflective shades were originally adopted by military pilots in the 40s, but soon found favor with men and women of all walks of life, from housewives to beach boys. Later in the 60s, they became an emblem for counterculture, inspired by a new crop of musicians that included the likes of John Lennon and Janis Joplin. But it wasn’t until the 80s that this eyewear trend really found its footing. After all, this was the decade that brought us over-the-top robot sunglasses, shutter shades and in-your-face wraparounds. The boldness of mirrored sunglasses fit right in.
After a couple relatively dormant decades, mirrored sunglasses became just another nostalgic token of our youth. That is until 2013 when the street style stars brought them back from the dead. And guess what? The trend is still going strong two years later. You can thank Balenciaga and Christian Dior for that; both brands sent them down their Spring 2015 runways. Now, every A-lister known to man owns a pair. Rihanna has a set. So does Gigi Hadid, Beyoncé, Cara Delevingne, Olivia Palermo and the entire Kardashian-Jenner clan. From the looks of it, mirrored sunglasses aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
For the 20 best pairs of mirrored sunglasses this season, click on the slideshow above.
