Ever since Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer wore Ray-Ban Aviators in Top Gun, they have been considered a must-have accessory for both men and women alike all over the world. Of course, the brand was gaining popularity well before then (think of Michael Jackson wearing aviators at the 1984 Grammy Awards, for example), but Top Gun cemented their mainstream popularity, and a pop culture icon was born.
Ever since then, aviators have appeared in nearly every list of must-have sunglasses trends for that year, and 2018 is no different. Vogue recently named the aviator style on their trends to watch for the coming season, and numerous other high-profile fashion outlets have followed suit. Whether you go for the micro style of Prada or geometric, overstated frames from Cazal sunglasses, aviators are certainly an on-trend choice for the summer season.
But how to you know if aviators suit you? According to the editor-in-chief of Wattswhat Magazine, it’s all about whether they fit your style and personality. He said:
“The challenge is that you need to be effortlessly cool to pull off aviators, rather than wearing aviators to try and look effortlessly cool”.
That rather unhelpful (albeit accurate) advice aside, there are a few general tips for understanding how to wear aviators, and whether or not they really suit you. Generally, aviators work best on oval, heart, diamond and square face shapes, particularly those with a strong jaw and wide cheek bones. If you have a narrow face or especially round features, then they’re probably not a good fit for you.
If you do opt for aviators, it’s important that you get the right fit and size. The bridge should sit comfortably on your face, not dropping down your nose or sitting too high. They shouldn’t be too snug on your nose either (to avoid those indents you see on people), and a good rule of thumb for the sizing is that your eyelashes shouldn’t touch the lens while you’re wearing them.
Remember that aviators were designed to cover the entire eye socket, as they were originally intended to protect pilots from glare. As a result, they should cover your eyebrows – if they don’t, they’re probably too small for your face.
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