TheClick

Tom Ford Frames

Tom Ford, since leaving Gucci and YSL, a few years back, has been doing a sunglass line under his own name - and they’re so unique and cool and well-designed.  Large, often cat-eyed, or with unique details. My absolute faves are “Anouk”($300.00 – type in in “Tom Ford sunglasses,” and they come up at Bloomingdale’s- I have them in both black and tortoise, and they seem the closest of any frame I’ve seen to Audrey Hepburn window peeping in “Breakfast in Tiffany’s.” But the “Jennifer” is also cool ($310 at Kitson), so is “Isabella” ($340 at Neiman Marcus) and the “Whitney” may be the best choice for absolute status staring: the frames are oval, but the lenses are more square, so they don’t completely meet, giving the impression of floating in the frames. H-O-T, and immediately recognizable as “Tom Ford Chic.”

Round frames

Check out the trailer for the new “Sex and the City” movie (you can see it on YouTube) coming out on May 30th:  in a scene by the pool, Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda wears large round tortoise frames  - such a nice change from the square ones that been around for the last three summers. Marni, the Italian fashion line designed by Consuela Castiglione, makes great round sunglasses- I’ve been wearing them for months, and I recently donned them on a winter getaway to the new resort, Casa Suaya, from Gaucho Grill creator Adolfa Suaya, in Ponte dell Este, Uruguay, which has its own lowkey glam. Type in “Marni sunglasses” on TheFind.com and a wire rimmed round pair comes up for $375 at  Marni.com. Type in “round sunglasses", and you get a great selection of sizes, colors and styles: a tortoise shell Marc by Marc Jacobs pair for $90 at eluxury; a Gucci large round pair for $139 at Smart Bargain; D & G fab pair with crystal details for $210 at eluxury, and a large Fendi pair with logo temples are $250 at Nordstrom.com. 

Aviators

Aviators make men look like pilots and women like they’re in a Michael Kors ad, boarding the private plane the pilot is flying. Just type “Aviator sunglasses” and this comes up: RayBan makes some of the best aviators out there ($99 at eluxury, in gold). Emporio Armani offer up a lady’s pair for $79.99 at Smartbargains.com.

White Frames, Grey Frames

White is the new black in sunglasses this summer. Sure, they’ve been saying that for two years – but this summer, it’s actually true. Gelila Puck, the ultra-chic wife of uberchef Wolfgang Puck, has been wearing oversized white plastic frames all over L.A. this spring.

Type in “white sunglasses” at TheFind.com and you’ll find some fab Fendi’s at Bloomingdales’ for $295; the Chanel gradient grey and white frames for $339 at Popularglasses.com. If you type in “Marni sunglasses” (the chic playful Italian line), there are cute white ones for $340.00 at Marni.com.

Grey is the cool neutral,  a great hue for everything these days – except hair. In sunglasses and handbags right now, it’s subdued but unusual – a great combo. Type in “grey sunglasses” on TheFind.com and check out the Kenneth Cole black/grey gradient pair at  Overstock.com for $39.99 – a bargain anyway you look at it (even through grey colored lenses). The Gucci grey round frames on Bluefly are $150 – Nicole Richie, eat your heart out.

Retro RayBan Shapes

Remember the movie “Mississippi Burning”? These are the ultimate sixties style, with the added element of “cool geek,” The traditional black ones are great classics ( $109.95 at Lenscrafters for men, a tortoise unisex pair is $139.00 at Blue Bee), but the new RayBanWayfarer in white is really the bomb - $139 at Blue Bee. One can imagine Jackie O or Audrey H in these, in striped t shirts and white Capri pants.

Here Comes the Sun(glasses)

The sun has been making a very major star turn in my hometown, Los Angeles, this week, along with shell-colored toes, gladiator sandals, and all the other obvious signs of summer. The thermometer is meant to go back down to a nice brisk 72 this week –as opposed to the high 80’s it’s been – and the toes might take a hike for a month, but the new summer ‘08 sunglass shapes, styles and colors are not going anywhere- but right in our faces. And, no doubt, ON our faces.

In L.A, having the newest, newest sunglasses is as necessary a status symbol as one’s car – or one’s body. And sunglasses are more on display than either of those.   Sure, you’re ready to plunge on the pink, orange and green print dresses that are turning up in the stores right about now– but my advice is, start with new sunglasses. The Cannes Film Festival is only six weeks away, and the new “Batman” movie and “Sex and the City” a few weeks more. Holy Cosmo! Blockbusters are the official start of summer. You can wear old jeans, a white shirt, new sunglasses, and a little coral lipgloss, and you’re this summer’s Carrie Bradshaw 2.0 - new and improved, upgraded and uploaded.

This year’s eyewear look is not the same-Nicole Richie- Rachel Zoe-Olsen Twins style. Sure, that look won’t totally go away – not while US Magazine is still in business – and young girls are still convinced that dwarfingly large frames make them look thinner. But if there’s one truism about sunglasses, it’s that - like Paris’ Hilton’s boyfriends - every season they MUST change.

So instead of black and tortoise giant square or rectangular shapes, get ready for the return of the RayBan Kennedy-sixties Clark Kent look. If you think it’s geeky, check out Julian Schnabel in his square black frames with citrus lenses –he always wears them.   

There are also new round shapes, grey glasses, aviators (especially hot for men), and two-tone gradiant lenses glasses that are smokey as opposed to a full-tilt black out. This means you can wear them indoors when you’re holed up watching the Olympics this summer. Turn to TheFind.com to find stores in your area have the new looks – or you can just look at all the delicious options while dreaming of St. Tropez or Capri or the Hamptons (or the backyard grill). Or you can order them up now, given that they will most assuredly sell out soon – and you will be left out in the heat...