Trend report 2009 and a colourful eye over 2008
Those fickle fashion designers and trend setters that dictate our yearly flings and love affairs with countless styles of sunglasses are to blame. We enter a new year and our much prized glasses from the previous season are cast aside, just as in years gone by, as we clamour to see what we should be buying in 2009 to keep up with the fashion crowd and stay one step ahead of the girl next door.
2008 was a colourful year for sunglasses, quite literally. British style was optimised by Lily Allen and her plethora of rainbow hued shades, just as Paris Hilton paved the way for our compatriots in the USA with enormous white rimmed sunnies. It was a year of kiddie style, joke glasses, that when worn amongst other trend followers seemed acceptable, yet worn in the wrong situation or within an ill-informed crowd, elicited sniggers and strange glances. These sunglasses were accepted, expected and rife throughout the long summer of festivals and frivolity, but like all fun trends were forgotten by the end of the year.
In the same year Ray Ban’s Wayfarers showed no sign of lagging as the Eighties trend held strong. Similarly Oakley’s limited release of their iconic frogskins filled a gap in the market and were embraced by celebrities and fashion followers alike. And who can forget Kanye West’s ’shutter shades’, which spawned a host of copycat disciples and ran away with the prize for the most ridiculous glasses of the year, despite a strong field of contenders.
2009 looks set to become a vintage year. Along with the re-emergence of bygone styles, those in the know are cautioning you to hold on to your ray bans and aviators as these classic styles are set to continue their steady growth. The big news though is ’round’ mod-like sunglasses. Yes you heard me correctly and no, this time we’re not channelling John Lennon. Think Jackie O and Audrey but smaller. These beauties were crawling all over the Spring/Summer 09 runways, leading the way were big hitters Ralph Lauren and Lanvin. Of course the celeb’s are hot on the designer’s heels and both Mary-Kate Olsen and Lily Allen have both been papped wearing them. Another surprising trend is classic horn-rimmed styles, which Chanel were sporting in their new season’s collection. Colour wise it’s all about tortoiseshell this season, which is a welcome change to those who felt left out in the cold by last years crayola colour shades.
And there you have it. Your definitive guide to this years coolest sunglasses. It’s a bit of an odd-ball mix and there’s some howlers in there, but wouldn’t fashion be dull if we didn’t shake it up a bit and look silly occasionally?!
A 1950’s revival
When it comes to fashion we all need a little inspiration from time to time. For us, the humble fashion follower, we have the trend setters to do most of the hard work in setting the scene for the lastest season’s fashions. However, even designers need the occasional muse, proof in the unmistakable 1950’s theme rocking the S/S08 runway.
The likes of Gucci have honoured the decade with their ‘rockabilly chic’ theme and Chanel have brought a hint of the Riviera with nautical designs that owe inspiration to the 1950’s and 1960’s sex kitten, thus taking us back in time to an era where looking perfectly polished and glamorous at all times was of the utmost importance. An era where leaving the house without those necessary final accessory details was a cardinal fashion sin, and so it’s never been a better time to ‘Think Pink’….. Come on girls, we’ve all recited that famous phrase from Grease in the pretence that we are as cool as Rizzo or as innocent as Sandra D, well now’s our chance to literally step into their shoes!
What’s more, the 1950’s saw our imagination take flight in the Fifties as we began to lose our inhibitions and embrace designs that had style and humour to match our lifted post-war spirits. At this time spectacles and sunglasses became much more than functional objects as wings and diamantes were used as decoration. So, come on, lets pay homage to our grandparents and ditch the plain and boring eyewear in favour of wild and wacky shaped frames, get your bling on with twinkling diamantes and be bold and brave with bright colours. But don’t forget the rule, its great to experiment but just make sure your chosen frames still make the most of your fabulous features!