4 Pairs of Cat-Eye Sunglasses for Fierce Summer Style
August 30, 2024 • 5:30 PM
There are plenty of stylish sunglasses designed specifically for men, but cat-eye sunglasses were the first frames designed for women.
The iconic cat eye style is mod and retro. Cat eye frames are also known for complementing a wide variety of face shapes, which means it’s quite possible to wear them and feel amazing whether you have a round or square face.
Not surprisingly, they were also designed by a woman — a New York artist named Altina Schinasi — and popularized by women. The frame shape became the hottest trend of the 1930s when glamorous New York ladies, including writers, actresses, and socialites, started wearing them.
And while the shape of cat-eye frames has evolved over time, their association with glamorous women has remained. Put on a pair of cat-eye sunglasses, and you’ll achieve instant movie star glamor.
With the evolving shape of cat-eye glasses, you have more options than ever when you shop for sunnies — and more opportunities to find a cat-eye frame shape that flatters your face shape.
Check out our four favorite pairs of cat-eye sunglasses, plus our guide to getting more style out of your pair. (Hint: You don’t need to spend big on designer cat-eye sunglasses to add the latest trend to your eyewear wardrobe.)
Get Your Claws on These 4 Pairs of Cat-Eye Sunglasses
We’ve rounded up our four favorite pairs of cat-eye sunnies. These vintage-style sunglasses feature cat-eye silhouettes inspired by different decades.
Each pair of women’s sunglasses below fits wearers with different face shapes and sizes. We’ll provide recommendations for each, but if you're unsure of your face shape or size, learn how to measure for sunglasses and how to find your face shape before you shop.
These sunglasses feature full-rim acetate frames. Acetate makes the frames lightweight, durable, and comfortable. The full-rim design is more durable than rimless or half-rim frames — and more stylish.
These styles are available in six colors — black, tortoiseshell, blue tortoiseshell, clear, blue clear, and pink clear — but you can update them with an endless array of colors and patterns. (We’ll explain how below.)
They all come with polarized sunglass lenses in your choice of lens color. And you can add your prescription for single-vision or progressives before you checkout.
Choose your favorite frames, customize them to suit your style, and get ready to look fierce!
Cat-Like Style With Purrfect Protection
Most of us are on a screen a lot of the time. From laptops to desktops, TVs to tablets, our faces are bombarded with technology and blue light from the sun; these devices can penetrate the eye and reach the retina.
Experts aren’t yet sure what kind of permanent damage this might cause, but to keep your eyes safe, the best way to avoid excess blue light is by wearing blue light-filtering eyewear.
Blue light can also interfere with your circadian rhythm and disrupt your sleep. Blue light-filtering glasses help address this problem, and the best news is that they’re available in all Pair Base Frames. Simply add blue light-filtering lenses to your purchase, and your eyes will be protected and adorned with stunning cat-eye elegance.
Here are six other options to keep your eyes safe and stylish:
1. The Wanda
Also known as butterfly sunglasses because the wider lenses look like butterfly wings, this frame shape is a modern interpretation of cat eye sunglasses.
The silhouette first appeared in the early aughts, and no matter which adorable animal you like better, this shape is totes adorbs on everyone. (Time for a mini English lesson: The phrase “totes adorbs” also emerged in the early aughts, which is totes not a coincidence!)
The Wanda frame is flattering on most face shapes, including round, oval, square, diamond, triangle, and heart-shaped faces. The medium width fits most people, giving everyone access to a high-fashion frame. It’s no wonder this modern cat-eye has become one of our best sellers.
2. The Ella
You don’t need a poodle skirt for glam vintage style — you need ‘50s-inspired sunnies. (But if you want to pair them with a poodle skirt, we are here for it.)
The Ella is as classic as cat-eyes come with distinctly pointed corners and lenses that are wider than they are tall. This retro silhouette is flattering on most faces, including round, oval, square, diamond, triangle, and heart-shaped faces.
The Ella has a narrow fit, making them a small pair with big style.
3. The Quinn
These oversized cat-eye sunglasses feature quintessential ‘60s style. Just like the iconic “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” pair, The Quinn is sophisticated, glamorous, and goes well with a string of pearls and a little black dress.
These frames have an extra-wide fit that gives them an oversized look even on larger faces. The rounded cat-eye silhouette is flattering on round, oval, diamond, triangle, and heart-shaped faces. Put them on and you’ll feel like an instant icon.
4. The Harper
Another design, another decade. The Harper features a more subtle and sporty cat-eye shape that was popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s. With its toned-down feminine style, this is the perfect cat-eye frame for rebels and tomboys.
These oversized cat-eye sunglasses have a wide fit for larger head sizes or anyone who loves a dramatic, oversized frame. Like most of the other frames in this list, The Harper looks good on almost everyone. (It’s the reason cat-eye glasses have stood the test of time!) This silhouette is especially flattering on round, oval, square, diamond, triangle, and heart-shaped faces.
How to Style Your Cat-Eye Sunglasses
Cat-eye sunglasses are a fashion statement. And when it comes to fashion, we don’t want to make the same statement everyday. We wouldn’t wear the same outfit everyday, and we don’t want to wear the same sunnies everyday.
There’s just one problem. High-quality sunglasses with polarized lenses are an investment (even though the pairs above start at just $60!). It’s rare to own more than one or two pairs of sunglasses, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for changing your style — unless you get Pair.
With Pair Eyewear, you can combine your Base Frames with colorful Top Frames. The Top Frames attach to your sunglasses with tiny magnets and allow you to change the look of your frames without buying a new pair of glasses.
You can add a classic color Top Frame, like The Hot Pink, to change the shade of your shades. Or choose a classic design like The Navy Pin Dot, The Buffalo Plaid, or The Teal to Espresso Gradient Top Frame. New arrivals and limited time designs get released regularly, and there are even Top Frames celebrating your favorite sports teams, comic book characters, and artists.
The only problem now is that you’re going to want to collect them all. But don’t worry, we have gift cards so you can celebrate every birthday and holiday with a new look from your wishlist!
Cat-Eye Glasses That Convert Into Sunglasses
If you wear prescription glasses, you can add prescription lenses to your sunglasses, or you can stick with your regular prescription glasses and add a polarized Sun Top. These sunglasses toppers fit over your prescription glasses so you don’t need to spend extra money buying prescription eyeglasses and a separate pair of prescription sunglasses.
Sun Tops work just like our standard Top Frames, except they have a tinted polarized lens to offer sun protection. The four cat-eye frames above are all available as prescription eyeglasses, and all you have to do is add a Sun Top to convert them into cat-eye sunglasses.
You can also upgrade to light-responsive lenses, which naturally darken when exposed to UV light. This allows you to wear the same glasses without any switching or snapping.
However, keep in mind that light-responsive lenses won’t work in most vehicles. Car windshields have UV protection that blocks UV rays, making it impossible for your lenses to respond to UV light. You’ll still need shades when driving or riding in a car.
What About Readers?
We also offer our cat-eye frames with reading lenses. If you don’t have a prescription but want reading glasses, you can simply add your magnification lens during the ordering process and get cat-eye reading glasses you’ll love.
Find Your Purrfect Pair
At Pair Eyewear, we offer plenty of ways for you to personalize your cat-eye sunglasses, from finding women’s sunglasses that complement your face shape to updating them with Top Frames in your favorite colors and patterns.
Cat-eye glasses are flattering on nearly every face shape, and you can use our virtual try-on feature to find the pair that’s most flattering on you. You can also use it to explore our other sunglasses styles, from round to square sunglasses.
We’re sure you’ll love your Pair sunglasses, but if you don’t, we have a 30-day free return policy — even on prescription lenses. Check out our FAQs for more info on our warranty so you can order your Pair risk free.
Choose your favorite frame, color, lenses, and Top Frames, and you’ll be ready for some fun in the sun.
Sources:
Altina Schinasi Miranda, 92, Designer of Harlequin Glasses | The New York Times
How to Find Your Face Shape | Real Simple