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?!

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