Image Credit: Courtesy of Mollie Sivaram for Unsplash
Whether it be completing your gameday look, accessorizing your brunch outfit or shielding your eyes from the sun on your walk to class, sunglasses are a cute and practical addition to any outfit. With another pandemic Thanksgiving right around the corner, outdoor family gatherings or friendsgivings are the perfect excuses to justify getting a new pair.
There are many styles of sunglasses trending at the moment, which gives you a ton of options when it comes to selecting.
Fashion Merchandising student at the University of Delaware, Olivia Scheff, says she is gravitating towards “subtle geometric shapes recently,” because they tend to “elevate an outfit.” Scheff says she is loving “retro cat-eye glasses or the thicker rectangle sunnies that are all over Pinterest right now” as well.
Below you will find my roundup of the best sunglasses for the following occasions: gameday, walking to class, brunch and Thanksgiving celebrations. The majority of these are fairly budget-conscious in case you, like me,somehow manage to constantly be losing or breaking your sunglasses.
Gameday I can’t lie, I have been looking forward to cold-weather game days since the beginning of the football season. If it is going to be a long day full of standing and walking, I would much prefer a jacket and pair of sweatpants to a skirt or shorts, and sunglasses are the perfect way to spice up your sweats. This Amazon pair is my personal favorite. Fair warning: they do turn everything around you completely red. However, for under $15 and with two-day Prime shipping, they are super convenient. If you are still obsessed with the “Y2K aesthetic,” these are a great purchase.
However, if you are looking for something a little more practical, I recommend this Urban Outfitters pair that comes in a few different colors. I like the yellow because they will match any Maryland apparel I may be sporting, but the silver would also be a great basic that you could reuse over and over again.
Walking to Class Walking to class is where I suggest a good pair of cheap, basic sunglasses; ones that you can throw in the bottom of your backpack and pull out just in time to shield your eyes from the blinding sun as you are trekking up Stamp hill.
This pair from Princess Polly are just that. The gold rims match any outfit and the style is modern without being so trendy they become distracting. For just $25, it is okay to get them a bit scuffed up in your backpack. For her walk to class, sophomore communications major Victoria Lanner prefers her purple Ray Bans. “They are polarized so they do a good job protecting my eyes from the sun” while still being cute, she says.
Brunch There is quite possibly nothing I love more than a good ole outdoor weekend brunch during the fall. My go-to brunch outfit this time of year is typically a trendy pair of jeans with lots of layers on top, whether that be a combination of sweaters, shirts or jackets.
This pair from Quay Australia would be the perfect addition for that type of look. They are a bit pricier than other options, but the all-black look is classy and sleek; they are sure to match with loads of combinations. However, if you are truly on a budget, this Princess Polly pair is quite similar, for less than half the price. “Tortoise shell is my go-to, always with a light or dark brown lens” when finding a pair of glasses to complete a brunch look, said sophomore animal science major Madison Repass.
Thanksgiving Each year, in anticipation for the Thanksgiving season, I find myself re-watching the Thanksgiving episodes of both Gossip Girl and Friends, and thus the majority of my Thanksgiving outfits are often based on iconic characters from each.
Hence why these black cateye sunglasses from Target instantly stood out to me as a “Blair Waldorf wannabe.” They are likely to match with whatever Thanksgiving ensemble you have in store. But of course, I can’t forget Friends style icon Rachel Green. This brown pair from Princess Polly incorporates the 90s feel and classic elegance she is known for, and for only $25 they are definitely a must have.