The eyes have it

Sunglasses are a girl’s best friend, there for you through thick and thin. It really doesn’t matter a hoot if the day is cloudy, rock them anyway.

Whether you are matching sunnies to your face-shape, budget, outfit or whim, all rules can be broken with the eclectic contrast in theme this season – from understated classics to outrageously glam.

Classic frames from the ’50s and ’60s are creating an elegant entrance, with a theatrical twist. For under wide-brimmed hats to glamming up a vintage-print dress, retro-rimmed cats-eye styles are very cool kitten.

This year they can be oversized or elongated and come in transparent feminine pastels to flattering tortoiseshell or eternally-demure black.

Karen Walker has reinvented looks from Mary Poppins in her Miss Lark and Admiral Boom styles; the latter, a chunky masculine meets feminine square vibe. Brands like Oakley are taking on the coloured-lens craze. See the world though green, blue, yellow or pink. And prescription lenses with your shades will be an invaluable accessory.

Flat-bottomed oval shapes are a new normal, and hexagonal is hot. Geometric shaping is the twist in the trend this year – literally an edgy style! Over the top, over-sized round glasses are oh so beach-worthy and the original black Ray-Ban Wayfarers are hip again.

Frameless contrasts with chunky rectangular lenses, whereas wire frames can come in classic, aviator, or seriously sporty. A futuristic style is the ‘zero-based’ lens which lies completely flat.

A statement pair of shades is an investment with benefits – through summer’s intensity to wintery glare, they make any outfit totally picture-perfect.