Running an online news search on the term ‘sunglasses’ yields interesting results. Media outlets love to publish stories about the latest eyewear fashions taking the world by storm. But it gets better. Run that search every two or three months and you will also discover how frequently fashion trends change. The sunglasses hot at the beginning of the year are blasé just a few months later.
Sunglasses are subject to more seasonal influences than prescription eyewear frames. It is a matter of simple math. Prescription lens wears cannot afford to change their frames four times per year. Some prescription lens wears go decades with the same frames. Sunglasses are a different story. They are so cheap that people aren’t afraid to buy a new pair on a whim.
Also interesting is the fact that some types of sunglasses never seem to go out of style. According to Olympic Eyewear, a nationwide bulk supplier of sunglasses for men and women, these particular types do very well season after season and year after year.
Aviator Sunglasses
Anybody who buys bulk sunglasses to sell at retail keeps a healthy stock of aviators around. They know that people love this style, particularly with metal frames and reflective lenses. They have movie stars like James Dean, Robert Redford, and Tom Cruise to thank.
Aviators were first developed for military purposes. However, they became one of the hottest retail sellers during the postwar years. Manufacturers like Bausch & Lomb never looked back once they started making them.
Wayfarer Sunglasses
Wayfarers are those classic black rectangles that look good at any age and with any outfit. They are probably second only to aviators in terms of their overall popularity. Olympic says every manufacturer makes at least one wayfarer model. Most make multiple models.
The wayfarer’s appeal is its sophistication. Tom Cruise in aviators is a spunky fighter pilot looking to make trouble. In a pair of wayfarers, he is a sophisticated young entrepreneur turning his parents’ house into a brothel to make enough money to buy back what was stolen from him.
Anything Oversized for Women
Interestingly enough, just about anything oversized will sell if it is made for women. Why? No one knows for sure, but it could be that oversized sunglasses represent the diva look of the 1960s and 70s. Back then, superstars like Joan Collins and Sophia Loren wore oversized shades. They were the divas of their generation. Today, many women want to achieve that same look.
Cat Eye Sunglasses
Last on the list are cat eye sunglasses. They don’t get nearly as much attention as aviators or wayfarers, but they don’t ever seem to go out of style either. With every season there is a new iteration of the classic cat eye, an iteration with just a small little twist for individuality.
The thing about cat eyes is that they represent a retro look to most people. We see a pair of cat eye sunglasses and we think 1930s and 40s glamour. We think Hollywood starlets prancing down Rodeo Drive wearing faux fur and brightly colored cat eye glasses with a beehive hairdo to boot. Buying a pair of cat eyes in the 21st century is a way to glom onto some of that glamour.
Manufacturers and wholesale sunglasses distributors are constantly looking for new designs that appeal to ever-changing fashion preferences. Yet at the same time, the four tried-and-true favorites discussed in this post remain the foundation of eyewear sales. They are always in demand because they never seem to go out of style.