Women Spring 2011 Accessory Trends - Eye Glasses

Having jumped on this bandwagon long before I ever got the chance to write about it. I figure it's more than time to fortify the status of cat eye glasses as a 2011 fashion trend. So without further ado lets take a trip back in time as we explore the 50s eye wear phenomenon as it was then, and how to translate it to today's look.

Cat eye glasses at Giles Deacon

Cat eye glasses : the trend

Far from being a stand- alone trend, the resurgence of cat eye glasses is wrote firmly in the revival of 50s and early 60s fashion. Some designers featured them prominently in Fall - Prada and since then a plethora of alternatives have surfaced.

Prada AW10 cat eye glasses

The trend towards 50s sunglasses continued on the spring 2011 runways : from the extreme retro frames at Giles Deacon and Jeremy Scott through to subtle cat eye shapes at the like of Paul Smith, Tommy Hillfiger and Twenty8Twelve.

Cat eye glasses at Jeremy Scott

Cat eye glasses and face shapes

Generally speaking a cat eye frame with rounded - out edges will work wonders for a square face or diamond shape face. A round face can benefit from sharper edge, or larger frames that curve upwards subtly. All that said though, the rules are never hard and fast : the best options is always to try, try, try on pairs until you work out what's right for your face shape and hairstyle.

Cat eye glasses at Paul Smith

How to wear cat eye glasses

Get the night pair of 50s inspired glasses of sunglasses and you'll find they can work with many an outfit, from the very modern to the  utterly vintage. If you're going for a vintage inspired look, stick to anything from the 40's through to the 60's. While 70's fashion is also seeing a major comeback it's an era best suited to round frames.

Ana Dello Russo in cat eye sunglasses

Cat eye spectacles

If you want to make a strong statement, try a pair of cat eye or harlequin glasses with diamond shaped, lenses that point sharply out. For an everyday pair pair that will last, keep low key and subtle with a slight flare out at the edges.