A long time ago, back when Crockett and Tubbs patrolled the mean streets of Miami in a Ferrari Daytona Spyder replica to the dulcet tones of Phil Collins and Jan Hammer, mirrored sunglasses lent an air of futuristic authority to their wearers. The ultimate pairing of aviator frames with silver-coated lenses showed that you meant business, whether you were top gun, a motorcycle cop, out on the slopes with ski bunnies, or lounging on the beach in a neon pink high-waisted monokini. Of course, as all trends do, mirrored sunnies fell out of fashion as fast as Benetton crossed the finish line at Monaco with Michael Schumacher behind the wheel.
As my friend Wendy would say, “Never is the next new thing.” Waiting the right moment to return from police duty and black diamond runs, mirrored sunglasses have returned as the newest way to protect your eyes from the sun this spring and summer. The best parts of the trend are that there are more frame styles from which to choose – though the traditional X-Games and Tom Cruise frames are still available – and the lenses come in lots of colors; thank Oakley for going outside the silver box for this development in style.
For example, imagine yourself in a pair of Ray-Ban aviators with gold/brown lenses, which appear to be orange if anything. With orange being an upcoming trend this spring, you could match your sunnies to an orange blazer, dress or top. As another option, a pair of white wayfarers with blue lenses goes well with anything, from that aforementioned orange blazer to floral print maxis, even your own tribute to Miami Vice’s 1980s neon and pastel style. Finally, you could try black cat-eye frames with smoky lenses, wearing them with black skinnies, a black and white top, and a white blazer.
Want to channel your inner Maverick? Sunglass Hut inside the four major malls in the city (Oxmoor Center, Mall St. Matthews, The Summit and Jefferson Mall) are your best bet. For those who require prescription lenses – yours truly among them – Korrect Optical has what you need. As always, dress for your body – or, in this case, your face – first, no matter what the trend du jour happens to be. All the best.
