Life Style

5 Outdated Eyewear Trends I'm Saying Goodbye to—Plus Their 2024 Swaps

Sierra Mayhew  Fri, 19 Jan 2024  Who What Wear

Anyone who loves fashion knows what wearing the right pair of sunglasses can do for your personal style and confidence. I almost never leave my apartment without sunglasses sliding down the bridge of my nose as a way of not only hiding from my neighbors but also completing my outfit. I have a special rack just for sunglasses right at my door so I never leave without them. They're that powerful.

Nothing is worse, though, than looking back at old photos and seeing myself in sunglass trends that should've been left in the dust. I've already done a sunglass purge to start the year, and I'm quick to return a style that I've ordered only to discover that it doesn't pass the IRL test. To help you avoid any mistakes, I've worked with my team of fabulous fashion editors on a list of the sunglass trends that simply aren't worth my time in 2024. Get your donation bin ready.

While a cat-eye sounds like a bold statement, it's actually what I consider a uniform piece in any sunglass collection, especially when it's done subtly. For me, gone are the days of sports-mode sunglasses that mirror F1 racers. I want the timeless cat-eye effect.

I used to love a colorful pair of sunglasses to match whatever I'm wearing, but since I'm currently in my neutral era, those sunglasses aren't really coming out very much. I also love aviators, but they were in need of a 2024 refresh, so I have loved seeing designers create these oversize acetate styles that will continue to be big this year.

Let's talk about 2024 ins and outs. Out: the night-club aesthetic. In: the country-club aesthetic. When I think of clubmaster sunglasses, my mind goes to the New England fanfare around golf and pastel dresses. I'm swapping those dresses for New York City streetwear and adding clubmaster sunglasses on top.

Do you want to feel like Jennifer Lopez in a 2012 music video? If so, same. Those tiny '90s frames that were the center of attention for years are finally on the outs, and now, it's all about the bigger, the better. Nothing feels more elite than hiding behind supersize frames.

Lately, I've found brown sunglasses to be boring, but tortoiseshell frames are all the rage. When something has the Miu Miu stamp of approval, that's really all I need to know. If you plan on wearing a lot of neutrals this year, these are the sunglasses that will go right along with your look.