With summer just around the corner, there has never been a better time to switch up your style. Whether you’re ready to rock classic glamour or dip into Y2K grunge, summer is the season to experiment with both your clothes and accessories.
One style choice that has certainly found popularity in 2023 is retro fashion. Bouncing back from the 70s and straight into our closets, retro colors, shapes, and styles are dominating the high street this season.
If you’re looking to embrace a vintage persona this summer, did you know you can adopt the retro look by updating just one accessory?
Your eyeglasses are one of your biggest style focal points to play with. By simply opting for a classic cat eye or a vintage aviator, you’ll be rocking a retro look in seconds. Here are 5 ways to style retro specs this summer.
The Classic Cat Eye
For a classic approach to retro styling, cat eye frames are a great transitional accessory to add to your new look.
Following the fashion icons Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, the cat eye’s elegant shape screams timeless glamor and can be paired with a number of vintage-style dresses, luxurious materials, and a statement bag to die for.
The key here is to hunt for a pair of cat eyes that suit your face shape. For rounder, smaller faces, oft for a longer, yet thinner cat eye design, for fierce face shaping. If you’re sporting a longer face, the classic oversized look is the way to go for a Hepburn-inspired 60’s style.
Primary Colour Central
Retro style is all about the colors. Going big, bold, and beautiful is a great way to embrace a summer retro look that stands out. Think bright shades of red, cobalt blue, and sunny yellow.
Pairing bold-colored frames with your summer style creates a strong focal point for your outfit. If you’re wearing a more neutral shade, make sure you pair bold accessories with your look for ultimate 70’s style appeal.
Take Bake Off’s Prue Leith, for example. She’s never seen without her classic bold-colored frames, which are matched effortlessly with her jewelry for a tied-in, contemporary vintage effect.
The Oversized Look
We can’t talk about retro style without mentioning oversized specs. Known as all the range in the 70s, oversized focal frames are back in for the summer this year.
The key here is to choose an oversized frame that juxtaposes your natural face shape. If you’re rocking a rounder face, aim for a more geometric oversized style, while angular face shapes should opt for a more classic, oval frame design.
If you want your oversized specs to make a statement, their color is also important. If you want to follow the classic 70s style, make sure your oversized sunnies follow a tortoiseshell pattern.
Taking It Back To Aviators
While aviators date right back to the 1930s, they have since become a statement piece in a retro look. Known as the key frames of pop culture, most of you will recognize these funky-shaped frames from cult classics like Top Gun.
For a true vintage-inspired style, there are several ways to rock these frames. They are known to have tinted lenses and dainty gold or silver outer frames. These two colors will be your starting point when creating an aviator-inspired look.
The key here is to keep it low-key. Make your aviators stand out of the outfit. Match up your colors, but stick towards a neutral palette. For those of you wanting to perfect your retro look this summer, aviator frames are one of the easiest styles to come by. From Ray-Ban to Persol, there are plenty of shapes, colors and designs to pick from.
Embracing 70s style
If you’re ready to go full hog with your retro style adventure, make sure you embrace 70s fashion trends when styling your vintage specs.
We’re talking about bold colors, flower power, and of course, the oversized, puffy sleeves. The 70s was a colorful era, filled with funky patterns and daring design choices.
In order to truly embrace a retro summer persona, think out of the box and don’t be afraid to stand out of the crowd.
