10 Iconic Celebrity Sunglasses Looks

… and How You Can Get Them!

With the Oscars just around the corner, we take a look at ten of the most stylish looks in the history of the silver screen. Whenever we need some eye-wear fashion inspiration, the movies are often the first place we look, and many of the best styles found in the movies have gone on to spark fashion trends that endure to this day. Some are beautiful, some stylish, some outrageously cool, but all are worth checking out if you are looking to add some star quality to your look. And the Nominees are:

1. Brad Pitt – Fight Club

The first rule of dressing like Tyler Durden is never go for the easy option. Hawaiian Shirts with tracksuit bottoms, furcoats with vests, pink dressing gowns: you gotta break the rules at every turn. The second rule for dressing like Tyler Durden is, your choice of shades has got to be spot on. It has to be said though, the douchebag potential with these particular Oliver Peoples’ frames is high indeed, so replicating this look is not advised unless you have bags of self-confidence and/or look like Brad Pitt circa 1999. However, in the film itself, Brad Pitt’s flashy red sunglasses perfectly captured the cockyness and machismo of the Tyler Durden character, played brilliantly by Pitt in this millennial blockbuster.

2. Audrey Hepburn – Breakfast at Tiffanys

Sometimes the props in a movie end up having more of a lasting influence than the movie itself. Audrey Hepburn won Best Actress at the 1961 Oscars for her memorable portrayal of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but today, the black dress, the cigarette holder, the Oliver Goldsmith Cat-Eye frames, now known simply as ‘Audrey Sunglasses’ remain some of the most iconic images in cinema, and to this day women all over the world don Celine and Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses in order to get the ‘Audrey’ look.

3. James Dean – Rebel Without a Cause

During his all too brief career, James Dean defined a whole new generation of cool, which in many ways has also stood the test of time. In his portrayal of disaffected suburban youth in Rebel without a Cause he exuded a rare star quality that meant that despite only ever making three films, his legacy as an icon of the silver screen was assured. He didn’t half look cool in a pair of Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses as well.

4. Amy Adams – American Hustle

Amy Adams wowed audiences and critics alike with her portrayal of con-artist Sydney Prosser in last year’s acclaimed American Hustle. Set in late 70s New York, this movie captures the zeitgeist perfectly, and the righteous outfits on display are one of the main reasons for this. Amy Adams is unstoppable as the seductive femme fatale, seen here wearing vintage Christian Dior frames. Gucci also do some great frames that bring the same disco era vibe.

5. Kate Hudson – Almost Famous

Kate Hudson won major plaudits with for her portrayal of groupie Penny Lane in this off-beat coming-of-age comedy. William, a fifteen year old aspiring rock journalist, manages to bag a place on the tour bus of the rockband Stillwater (yeah, really rock’n’roll name right?) and becomes caught up in the unfolding drama of the band on the road. Set in 1971, Almost Famous is another retro-style fest, with Penny Lane regularly sporting the classic Lennon-style round sunglasses that were all the rage back in the day.

6. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon – Thelma and Louise

This classic tale of two fugitives on the run gained widespread acclaim when it was released in 1991, and has since become a cult favorite thanks in no small part to the retro clothing worn by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. The Cat-Eye sunglasses worn throughout fit perfectly the spirit and independence of Thelma and Louise as they make for the Mexican border.

7. Steve McQueen – The Thomas Crown Affair

Style icon Steve McQueen wore these Persol 0714 frames with blue tinted lenses, not just in The Thomas Crown Affair, but in other classics such as Bullitt and The Getaway, in doing so sparking a cultural phenomenon. Even today, thanks to the influence of McQueen, these Persol frames are just about the only eyewear product that can rival the monopoly Ray-Ban has over Hollywood.

8. Tom Cruise – Top Gun

This high octane 1980s blockbuster kick-started the careers of both Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, and breathed new life into Aviator sunglasses at a time when this classic frame style was at risk of becoming irrelevant. Throughout the movie, Tom Cruise is barely seen without them, which stands to reason since the film is all about US fighter pilots, who were after all, the pioneers of Aviator sunglasses. Top Gun was a major box office success, becoming the highest grossing film of 1986, and the Aviator style was brought to a whole new audience.

9. Sue Lyon – Lolita

One of Stanley Kubrick’s most controversial films, Lolita tells the story of a middle aged man who becomes obsessed with a teenage girl. Based on Vladamir Nobakov’s novel of the same name, Lolita went on to have a major influence in mainstream culture, despite the controversy of the subject matter. One of the most important motifs from the movie, used for much of the promotional material, is Sue Lyon wearing retro heart shaped glasses, and this unique frame style has also gone on to enjoy continued popularity with retro fashionistas everywhere.

10. Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

It has to be said, Leonardo DiCaprio looked like a bad-ass all through Wolf of Wall Street, but if we had to pick out one look, it has to be the Ray-Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses he was rocking in that excellent scene on board his private yacht. As Leo’s character, the filthy rich socio-path Jordan Belfort, attempts to smother his guests in hospitality, the Ray Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses he wears play a crucial role in building the tension at the end of this scene, barely masking Belfort’s contempt of the FBI agents who have come to ruin his party.