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Johan Wikström works in data & analytics and is also a classic menswear content creator.
MoreAnd How To Nail The Tinted Sunglasses Trend
Even a casual observer of all things menswear will have noticed the mercurial rise in popularity of tinted sunglasses over the past couple of years. What’s particularly interesting is that far from being confined to the “fashion” set, these types of glasses have infiltrated the ranks of classic menswear aficionados as well. So what’s the deal with all the tinted sunglasses and how can you pull off the trend?
One reason for their popularity might be that they allow you to add a small pop of color to your outfit. While I’ve heard that others think that yellow tinted glasses put you in a better mood because they brighten up the appearance of things. Makes sense to me!
If we look at the history of yellow tinted sunglasses we can go back all the way to the 19th and early 20th century. An unverified claim is that yellow or brown tinted glasses were used to alleviate the symptoms of syphilis, as back then one of the identified symptoms of the disease was sensitivity to light. Since that is pretty unpleasant and this article focuses on style, let’s not dive any deeper into the potential scientific history of the yellow lens…
Perhaps the most notable instances of these glasses comes from cinema. You might recall the yellow lens sunglasses worn by Johnny Depp in the movie “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” The movie is based on the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, written in 1971 by Hunter S. Thompson. The distinct yellow sunglasses were one of Thompson’s most defining style characteristics. Or, you may have noticed that Robert Downey Jr. wears yellow tinted glasses pretty regularly. Yellow tinted sunglasses have definitely been around for a while as a way to express your personal style.
Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson in the movie “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”
Benefits of Tinted Sunglasses
Tinted sunglasses are a stylish choice that bring a certain vintage vibe. Plus, there are some benefits to yellow tinted lenses:
- A yellow tint enhances clarity and sharpness of vision. This is why you can often see people involved in target shooting, aviation, hunting or skiing wearing yellow lens glasses. In addition, they work well in darker conditions as they amplify the available light.
- A yellow tint can also help reduce eye strain by blocking out blue light, which might be particularly useful if staring at screens for prolonged times.
How to Choose the Right Frame For Your Face
Now the really fun stuff. As with any eyewear, one of the first things to consider is the shape of your face.This determines which kind of frames best suit you. Generally, face shapes are divided into six different types. Below you will find the different face shapes explained and some suggestions on what kind of frames suit the specific face type.
These are merely starting suggestions, but as always with style, you should go with what feels right for you and you feel most comfortable wearing.
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Square
A square-shaped face is widest along the jaw and forehead, with a strong jawline. People with a square shaped face can go for rounder frames. A rounder frame softens and adds contrast to the strong features of a square shaped face.
Round
A round-shaped face is roughly the same width from the jaw up through to the brow. Distinctive features of a round shaped face are usually full cheeks and the angle of the jaw is soft. People who have round shaped faces can usually start with a frame that adds angles. Think rectangular and clean lines. This will add some contrast to the soft features of their face.
Heart
A heart-shaped face is widest at the forehead with a narrow chin and high cheekbones. People with heart-shaped faces usually wear frames that are more bottom-heavy or oval-shaped as these create more width and balance to their facial features.
Diamond
A diamond-shaped face is narrower at the forehead and has defined cheekbones with angular jawlines. Many different frame shapes work well for diamond shaped faces. Top-heavy frames for example nicely contrast the wider cheekbones.
Oval
An oval-shaped face usually has higher and slightly wider cheekbones that are a bit narrower towards the forehead. Most frames will fit well with oval shaped faces. However, usually it’s a good idea to steer clear of narrow frames as they might add length to an oval face.
Triangle
A triangle-shaped face usually features a wide, square jawline and a narrower forehead. People with triangle shaped faces might want to look for frames that are the opposite of the face shape, meaning frames that are at their widest at the top, and narrower at the bottom.
Next Steps
After settling on a suitable frame that you like, there is the matter of tint intensity for the lens. The tint intensity depends a bit on when and how you’ll use your glasses. But if you, like me, are considering yellow tinted sunglasses more for style, it’s mainly a matter of personal preference.
I personally like when the tint is not too intensive. You’re also able to wear the glasses in darker conditions. From a style perspective, the look that less intense yellow tint creates is quite cool, and does bring a bit of a vintage vibe to a look.
Finally, look for high-quality materials for your eyewear. For the lens, you can consider polarized lenses. These reduce light glare and eyestrain which can improve your vision.
For the frames there is a wide variety of materials to choose from like metals and plastics. There are also a lot of eco-friendly frames that are made from recycled materials.
How to Style Tinted Sunglasses
There are a wide variety of ways you can style yellow tinted sunglasses—the sky is basically the limit. Yellow brings a nice pop of color to your outfit as long as you don’t go overboard. It also brings a bit of fun and playfulness to a look and focuses your attention to the face of the wearer, which is exactly what every outfit should do.
Everyday Casual
For a casual everyday summer look throw on a knitted polo, a pair of chinos and suede loafers. Then put them together with your favorite pair of yellow or orange tinted sunglasses. It’s a perfect everyday look for summer, and you can elevate it by accessorizing, like I’ve done by adding in a neckerchief, a nice watch, and some bracelets.
Dressed Up
Black and yellow pair together amazingly well, so for formal or business occasions where you might be wearing a black suit, yellow tinted lenses are a perfect choice—especially with a black frame. But if you want to bump down the formality a notch, you can just as well opt for a navy blue suit. Blue and yellow are complementary colors, which is why it’s so pleasing to the eye.
Off Duty
For a cool vacation look or beach look wear light and muted colors. You can go for a crisp white linen shirt and roll up the sleeves. Pair the shirt with swim shorts and a dad cap. For the shoes go for espadrilles. Finalize the look with a pair of tinted lens sunglasses with a black frame to contrast the light pieces of your outfit.
Where To Buy Tinted Sunglasses For Men
A variety of brands are offering tinted lens glasses in the market.
Oliver Peoples offers a wide range of yellow and orange lens glasses which look amazing. One of my personal favorites is the Oliver Peoples Weslie Sun model.
Moscot is another brand which offers a wide array of eyewear and in many of their models they offer the option to customize the color of your lens. For a personal favorite from Moscot, check out their Shtraker Gold with custom-made tints.
Shop Our Picks
Finally for a more affordable option, you can have a look at TBD Eyewear which is an Italian brand. They have a wide array of sustainably made eyewear and offer several models with yellow lenses such as the Raso Eco Dark Havana.
Maintenance and Care of Yellow or Orange Tinted Sunglasses
As with all eyewear it’s good to properly maintain and care for your glasses. Microfiber cloths are your best choice for cleaning glasses. Microfiber cloths have more fibers than an ordinary cloth which makes it more efficient at cleaning glass and getting those fingerprints off your lenses. Do avoid using paper towels as this can scratch the surface of the lens.
To get rid of grease and oil that might get on your glasses from touching them you can use dishwashing soap and water, rubbing them clean with a microfiber cloth. The best way however would be to use a liquid cleaner designed for eyewear.
Our Favorite Cleaners
Finally it’s a good idea to store your glasses in a sturdy case. Often at purchase, glasses will come in a hard case which you can use to store your glasses when not wearing them. This will prevent dust from gathering on your glasses when they’re not in use.
The Bottom Line
There are some actual benefits of wearing yellow or orange lens glasses, such as enhanced clarity and sharpness of vision, as well as being able to wear your eyewear in darker conditions than traditional sunglasses.
The style options are endless and you can change the shape of the frame, from round to rectangular. You can also impact the styling by how intense the tint of the lens is.
Getting a pair of yellow or orange tinted sunglasses is a nice way to add a pop of color to your outfit, while staying very stylish and classic. And I would argue that it’s not just a trend that will fade, rather it’s a timeless style choice when done right.
Thanks for reading.
Johan Wikström
Johan Wikström works in data & analytics and is also a classic menswear content creator. He’s always been interested in style, but his journey into classic menswear began in 2019 when he wanted to break loose from the ever-changing cycle of trends and build a timeless and more sustainable wardrobe. Shortly after he started his Instagram account and it grew a bit he was asked to participate in a TV program on national TV talking about sustainability in classic menswear. He was tasked with dressing the TV host using clothes the channel had stored throughout the years from various shows in their warehouse. A fun fact about Johan is that he loves dogs. So much so that his dream job would a to own a dog care center and just spend all of his days taking care of and petting dogs.
Edited by Rachel Butler
Photography by Johan Wikström & Oafish Kaboudvand
