It’s hard to pass up a great pair of cute sunglasses, but which one to wear with which outfit? What should you choose for your everyday pair? Let’s take a look at what to consider when matching your sunglasses to the rest of your outfit.
Start With Colors/Tones and Your Wardrobe
When you’re looking to buy new shades, start by thinking about your wardrobe. If you wear mostly warm tones and gold jewelry, look for the same in sunglasses. Yellow or rose gold-colored metals and tortoiseshell designs work well for warm wardrobes. You can also choose a color that appears frequently in your clothing.
If you prefer cool tones and silver jewelry, you might like silver or gunmetal-accented frames. Or, look for cool-toned colors that you wear often.
Basic black is often recommended for those who like cooler tones, but sometimes, it can also be a nice contrast to warm tones, especially as a counterpoint to a bright wardrobe.
Wondering how to find sunglasses in different shades? If you’re shopping online, use filters to help you find the right colors. For instance, online eyewear retailer EZContacts allows you to filter by frame color. This makes it simple to find the right sunglasses for your wardrobe.
Consider the Type of Event
Are you going to a professional event, a beach party, or a day out at the community festival? It helps to think about the mood of the event and what others will be wearing.
If you’re dressing for work or a professional obligation, you might choose shades that convey you’re taking things seriously. Rectangular, angular, or minimalist frames will all be good choices.
Sometimes, an understated classic style like modern aviators can also work. For more formal events, you’ll want to stick with dark glasses rather than light or brightly-tinted shades.
When you’re going to an outdoor or sporty event, wearing functional sunglasses is key. Of course, you want to look good, but your shades should also work well and protect your eyes during the activity.
Wraparound or shield sunglasses are a good idea. And if you’re going to be in a high-glare situation (like on the water), consider polarized lenses. Wondering what polarized lenses are? Here’s what to know about polarized sunglasses.
For casual situations like hanging with friends or community events, you might try oval frames or a fun cat-eye style.
How to Match Sunglasses With Multiple Colors in Your Outfit or Glasses?
There are several schools of thought on this:
- Match your sunglasses to the dominant color. So if your outfit is hot pink with black accents, you would wear hot pink sunglasses. This choice is bold and straightforward, and many people find it easy to follow.
- Match your cute sunglasses to a non-dominant color. In this scenario, you might pair the hot pink outfit with black accents to basic black shades. It can be a little more complicated because some outfits have multiple non-dominant colors.
- Choose the color you most want to emphasize. Some outfits don’t have a dominant color, but have many colors in similar amounts. In this case, you might decide which color you want to focus on and choose it for your sunglasses.
- Use your shades to tie two colors together. If your sunglasses have multiple colors, they can match different pieces in your wardrobe.
- Match up all your accessories in a color that complements your main outfit color. You could have all black, brown, or white accessories, for example.
Of course, sometimes your wardrobe and sunglass selection demand you stray from these methods. For instance, if you don’t have any hot pink sunglasses, the best option for the hot pink outfit might be basic black shades.
Think about matching shapes, too. If you have heart-shaped glasses, you might pair them with heart-shaped earrings or a heart-patterned shirt.
Sunglasses for Standing Out
Sometimes, you want to fit in or match the vibe of a specific place or event. But other times, you want to stand out, make an impression, or just do your own thing. Here are some ideas to use sunglasses in bold fashion looks:
- Another way to mix and match involves styles. Some people like to create contrast by choosing one accessory that goes against the grain of the overall look. For instance, if your outfit’s vibe is understated elegance, you might wear sunglasses that are a little more eye-catching or dramatic. Or if your outfit focuses on soft lines, you could strike out with angular geometric sunglasses.
- Choosing colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel is another option for using contrast. For instance, purple shades with a yellow outfit may be a memorable look.
- Some sunglasses give a whole new meaning to “statement piece.” Oversized shades, glamorous designer sunglasses for women, and unusual lens shapes all produce a look that’s hard to miss.
How to Choose Sunglasses to Support Your Wardrobe
You know the feeling. You browse sunglasses and want to buy several of them, but your budget just doesn’t cooperate. So you have to focus on buying quality statement shades that will last a long time.
This is a great strategy, but it requires you to be strategic. You’ll want to consider how well the new shades will work with your wardrobe. If the sunglasses are perfect with that one dress, but don’t work with anything else, they might not be the right choice. On the other hand, if you can wear the pair with multiple outfits, it could be a good investment.
Likewise, a pair of sunglasses in a color you wear often may continue to match outfits you buy in the future. Shades that lend themselves to multiple outfits also make great contenders for your “everyday” pair of sunglasses.
