Shade Station Blog

Oakley is one of the biggest sunglass companies in the world. With a history of technological innovation in the eyewear industry, they are the brand of choice for most professional and amateur sportsmen and women. Oakley sunglasses dominate the winter sports scene, extreme sports, cycling and athletics. The horizontally elongated O of their logo is a permanent fixture in active, competitive environments like the Tour de France, the Olympics (Winter and Summer) and among all adventure pursuits. But you may be surprised to know that Oakley sunglasses are also quite hip!

In the height of the fashionable Eighties, Oakley released a style of sunglasses to rival the popularity of the Ray Ban Wayfarer and Clubmaster. This directional pair of sunglasses were known as the Oakley Frogskins. The Frogskin style has a similar shape to the humble Wayfarer, but is slightly rounder and sports a far wider breadth of colour combinations and lenses. Embraced by actors and musicians in the 1980s, Oakley Frogskins became as notable as the decade itself.

Fast forward 10 years to the mid Nineties and the sale of Oakley Frogskin sunglasses was in decline. Eventually the style was discontinued, whilst Oakley concentrated their assault on the growing sports market. By the Noughties the Frogskins had become a classic style and any remaining pairs were entirely exclusive and swapping hands for hundreds of dollars. With the re-launch of their sunglasses rival the Wayfarer and the taste for all things retro a few years ago, Oakley decided it was high time their Frogskin style was spruced up and re-introduced to the gagging public! With 50 different colours and only limited runs on each model, Oakley Frogskin sunglasses have become ultra-exclusive. Loved by the likes of Kanye West, Zac Efron, Joel Madden and style sister Mary-Kate Olsen, Frogskins are the sexy, fun and very cool sunnies of choice.

Oakley Sunglasses

Oakley has also introduced a four-legged friend into the sunglasses equation! Not content with releasing their iconic Eighties shades, it is now possible to buy Limited Edition Four-Legged Frogskins. This simply means your Oakley Frogskins will come with an extra pair of different coloured arm stems, giving the owner the opportunity to mix and match as they please!

Who said Wayfarers were the only shades to rule the retro sunglasses revival?

In 1999 the House of Chanel introduced its first line of sunglasses despite the iconic designer Coco Chanel passing away 28 years previous. Inspired by her own creations, Karl Lagerfeld, at that point the creative brain behind Fendi, decided to launch a line of Chanel eyewear which has risen dramatically in popularity due to grand advertising campaigns and of course, being featured on the silver screen.

Every time I think of Chanel, I immediately immerse into a dream filled with luxury, sophistication and glamour. There is definitely no wrong time to be seen wearing a pair of Chanel shades – they are absolutely appropriate for every occasion be it the oversized frames or a chic visor style. The brand always exceeds expectations and with a range of diamante designs, luxuriously styled arms, intertwining C’s and the Chanel’s unique flower designs, Chanel is a brand which always manages to achieve classic styling with contemporary trends. Some of the frames are beautifully patterned with a crystal weave effect for example (as with the Chanel Sunglasses CH5145) and the iconic CC logo located on the arms. Let’s face it, a pair of Chanel sunglasses are a to-die-for accessory which every girl desires to own.

Indeed celebrities have a huge impact on establishing the popularity of a brand but Chanel is one of those classic labels whose identity will also benefit the celebrity spotted wearing it. A stunning pair of sunglasses, as we all know can make a huge statement about the wearer’s personality, status, wealth and of course style. Hiding behind shades might certainly portray an air of mystery, but can also reveal a great deal. The celebrities and members of the fash pack who wear Chanel sunglasses include Lauren Conrad, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mary Kate Olsen and Anne Hathaway to name only a few.

Despite being designed and launched by Lagerfeld, with the range of Chanel sunglasses he has perfectly encapsulated the essence of Coco Chanel’s love of exquisite yet simple designs which portray character, personality and ultimate femininity. A pair of Chanel sunglasses will look fantastic for life and are a sure winning investment.

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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?!

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First seen on the Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Pucci and John Rocha runways, the star gazing craze really kicked in when Kate Moss rocked up at her 34th birthday party sporting a star print Chanel jumpsuit, closely followed weeks later by Alexa Chung, also in a Chanel ensemble but this time a dress; no-one does an all-in-one quite like Kate. Before long everyone was getting a little bit star struck and Kylie, Mary Kate Olsen, Miley Cyrus and Peaches Geldof were all seen donning the mystical motif.

But taking on this trend doesn’t have to mean adorning yourself in stars from head to toe, so do what Peaches did and start small by choosing an accessory to show off the design. Printed scarves are a must-have anyway this season, so why not go for the lunar look and tick two trends off at once. Shoes, bags, belts and jewellery are another great way to get your fashion fix and there are some great high street copies of YSL’s strappy star sandals.

It’s important to bear in mind that print can be powerful, so wear in moderation and try and choose more monochrome based prints in black or navy or it could start looking a wee bit garish. If you’re keen to work some more colour into the outfit, pair the print with bold block colours or add a red and white striped blazer á la Chanel for that all American feel.

But it’s not just the haute couture designers that are championing the trend, Hollywood celebs are paving the way for face framing fashion too. Sienna Miller has stepped out on more than one occasion in her turquoise rims, trendsetter Mary Kate Olsen has opted for orange, while Victoria Beckham prefers to stand out from the crowd in vibrant yellow. However before you invest in a pair of smartie-coloured sunnies, make sure you know which colours suit you most. If you’d never be seen in green, avoid it like the plague, but if pink is part of your palette, it could be an option for you. Remember to consider your hair and skin colour too. If you have blonde hair, darker frames work a treat so try red or navy, but if you’re brunette, yellows, pinks and whites will complement your features best. Another great advantage to blossom from this love affair with all things bright, is the fact that coloured shades show off a tan a treat – what more could you possibly want?

Spoilt for choice over which colour to wear? The specs of the season Rayban Wayfarers have options in a variety of colours including red and pink, DIOR have a fabulous 60s style pair in red panther and Persol are boasting some in deep blue. If you’re not quite ready to brave the brights, baby pink provides a happy medium but if you really can’t face colour, try white instead. Still dazzling enough to make a statement, D&G have a fabulous pair with a pink and chrome cut out.

Click here to visit our Ray Ban Sunglasses section