Fashion Experts Always Default to Oversized Sunglasses, and This Summer They're Wearing These Retro Frames
They might just be the coolest thing you wear this season
It's 2008. Karl Lagerfeld is still "The Kaiser". The Olsen twins are sitting front row at Chanel. And bug-eyed sunglasses are very much on the menu. In fact, Mary-Kate and Ashley, in a rare moment of accessories "twinning", are both wearing frames so enormous, so curvaceous, there's no word for them except "bug-eyed".
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
They might take inspiration from sunglasses in the '70s—Jackie Onassis' were particularly oversized, curving around her cheekbones and temples—but they famously had a renaissance in the early ’00s with a more symmetrical, spherical shape. Nicole Richie's boho-luxe makeover—by the queen of bug-eyed sunglasses Rachel Zoe—is still legendary: a pair of retro, pleasingly rounded frames was the finishing touch to most outfits.
Jackie Onassis in 1970 at Heathrow airport
Today's bug-eye sunglasses take up a similar real estate—totally eclipsing around one third of your face—and lean into their '70s heritage. Celine's Disc Sunglasses, first seen on the the catwalk for Spring/Summer 2026 are one of the best examples, with a temple length of 13cm and a set of sky-blue lenses. Tom Ford's, meanwhile, have thiner frames made of tortoiseshell acetate, the bug-eyed silhouette even more prominent courtesy of a delicately-formed bridge.
The key to wearing round sunglasses is similar to shield frames—i.e. not to overthink it. When Grece Ghanem packed hers for a recent holiday in Seoul, she wore them on repeat, with everything from blossom-printed sundresses to sporty layered knitwear, not letting their extroverted nature inhibit her styling. Meanwhile, in LA Aurora James leaned into their vintage-inspired tinted mood with a retro shift and wooden clogs.
Cool but not too calculated—and more glamorous than aviators or anything slimline—why not devote this summer to rediscovering bug-eye sunglasses?
Shop The Best Bug Eye Sunglasses
Prada's Pr B21s sunglasses are probably the ones you've seen in many a street style snap. They certainly take the bug eye inspo to the extreme.
Oozing glamour—to the point where you can't help but picture them on the deck of a super yacht—Tom Ford delivers with these round sunglasses.
The French eyewear brand has these brilliant retro shades, with thick sides and tinted lenses.
These oversized sunnies, in many ways, touch on the ever-popular boho trend, so it's little surprise to see them in Free People.
With a diameter measuring 6cm for each lens, consider these near saucer-sized sunglasses a real outfit anchor.
Prada's round sunglasses combine soft curves and a chunky volume. Iconic.
Love the shape but not the thick frame? These butterfly sunglasses might be your solution.
A grassy frame will immediately bring "summer" into your looks.
Next's sunglasses are the definition of "bug-eyed"—in a great way.
