The festival season is a great part of summer, full of music, cultural experiences and bringing people together from different parts of the world. Choose the right pair of sunglasses protects your eyes from UV rays and glare, as well as dust and dirt on festival grounds. Sunglasses can also elevate your overall style and look, allowing you to express your personality and stand out from the crowd. Keep reading for our top tips to help you find your perfect sunglasses to get festival ready.
Consider your face shape
Thinking about your face shape when choosing your sunglasses may help you to find styles that are better suited to you. Here’s a quick guide:
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Oval face: Almost any style works well with this face shape
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Round face: Try angular or rectangular frames for contrast
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Square face: Try round or oval sunglasses to soften sharp features
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Heart-shaped face: Aviators or cat-eye frames help balance a wider forehead
If you’d like to read more about which frames work well with certain face shapes, read our full advice page how to choose frames for your face shape,
Top 5 festival sunglass looks
Boho chic styles
The bohemian look has become a popular festival favourite when it comes to sunglasses. These styles tend to feature round vintage-inspired frames or tinted lenses. You may want to explore different lens colours such as amber, rose or blue to compliment your frames. Find out how you can create a bohemian summer outfit with your sunglasses here. Retro shapes like cat-eye can be used to make a bold statement and when oversized, they can also offer added comfort and eye protection for long festival days. You may also want to pair your sunglasses with bohemian inspired jewellery, too.
Back to the '90s
The '90s style continues to make a comeback this season. To achieve this look, explore slim, narrow sunglasses in oval or rectangle frame shapes. '90s style frames tend to be rimless or thin wired to offer a lightweight and futuristic look. Comfort is important when you’re spending the whole day in your sunglasses, and lightweight materials offer both durability and wearability. You may also want to try coloured tinted lenses in shades like yellow, reds and blues to mirror pop culture. Pairing your '90s inspired sunglasses with body paint, bright colours and fluffy accessories, or, baggy jeans and oversized graphic t-shirts can help create a true '90s look.
The '70s inspired look
If you’re interested in vintage fashion, you may want to explore wearing '70s inspired sunglasses. Sunglasses inspired by this era are timeless, functional and fun. '70s sunglasses incorporate bold and oversized frames, in shapes such as round, square, butterfly and geometric, plus when oversized sunglasses give greater protection from the sun - making them a great choice for festivals. Opting for earthy warm tones such as orange, maroon, yellow and brown for your frame colour can offer a '70s appeal. Alternatively, you may want to try lens colours in both solid or gradient in shades like amber, rose, yellow, or purple to create a soft haze look. These sunglasses pair well with flared jeans, crochet or open chest tops, fringe vests and sandals. Check out how to find the right vintage frames for you here.
Space-age festival looks
If you’re interested in retro-futurism, space-age festival looks are sleek, sculptural and unusual. For lens colours, think about using solid silver, blue or grey mirrored lenses. Transitions® XTRActive® Style Mirrors are a futuristic choice that effectively reduce glare, too, making it easier to enjoy the festival. For frame shapes and materials, you could opt for oval, hexagon, or perfect squares to create an engineered look, in colours like white and smooth plastic that mimic spaceship parts. Read more about futuristic frames and brands here. Pair this with metallic or reflective outfits, with platform boots or unusual trainers. You could also make use of geometric jewellery like earrings and transparent bags to carry your festival day essentials.
Classic-cool looks
If going in costume or jumping on a trend is not for you, then you can look effortlessly stylish at a summer festival with classic-cool sunglasses. These styles can include:
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Aviators which have metal frames, with teardrop-shaped lenses
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Wayfarers which are a trapezoidal shape with slightly rounded edges. These styles work well with most face shapes
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Clubmasters which typically have a thick top frame and thinner metal rim below
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Round frames which tend to have circular lenses and are often metal-rimmed
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Cat eye which have flared, upswept edges
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Rectangular frames which tend to have clean and simple lines
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Tortoiseshell or black frames. These are a classic colour option and style choice that tend to suit many face shapes and styles
Top 5 festival eyecare and eyewear tips
Summer festivals are fun, but they can be harsh on your eyes, especially if you are spending long periods of time out in the sun. Here are some top tips to help you ensure you are taking care of your eyes during your summer festivals.
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Use a hard case for your sunglasses. This will help to ensure your sunglasses are protected in your bag as well as if they accidentally fall. Read more on how to keep your sunglasses scratch and smudge free.
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Check that you can fit your sunglasses into your festival bag as some festival grounds have bag size limits.
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Outdoor festivals can be windy and dusty which may irritate your eyes. You may want to consider wraparound frames to help block wind and sand. Try to avoid rubbing your eyes if you get sand inside them – here’s how to protect your eyes from sand and saltwater.
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Don’t let people try them on as there’s a chance they will be lost or damaged in the crowed
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Bring eye drops to lubricate and relieve your eyes throughout the festival
If you would like more tips and advice on how to style your eyewear with your festival outfit, as well as how to keep your eyes protected during summer festivals, come and see us by booking an eye test online today.
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