Your Sunglasses Are About to Get Really Into Sports

Iridescent wraparound shades used to conjure up images of MLB pros, bicyclists, and fly-fishers, the type of hardcore outdoor enthusiasts who can’t afford to have their vision impeded by the sun’s glare. (They’re a favorite of backyard grillmasters and your cousin Brett for entirely unrelated reasons.) But like other mainstays of ‘90s style—baggy jeans, leather blazers, chunky-as-hell necklaces—high-octane, sports-inspired sunglasses are everywhere right now, imbued with winking irony on the runway and embraced by style-minded Gen Zers on the street. (Not to mention Bad Bunny, in a cover spread for this very magazine.) Combine that with the fact that the line between high-tech outdoors-y gear and regular ol’ everyday gear is only getting fuzzier and you can probably see where this is going. In 2022, you no longer need to slather on some eye black or haul in a striped bass of Tinder-worthy proportions to pull off a pair—or fall hard for their appeal.

Naturally, there’s plenty of practical benefits to embracing sportier frames too. They’re lightweight, less prone to falling off, and tend to complement a wide range of face shapes. We might not endorse showing up to, say, your next quarterly review in a tinted pair of Oakleys (nothing reads undercover field agent quite like a dark suit, white shirt, and screaming wraparounds), but pretty much anywhere else you’d normally wear sunglasses is valid. Ditto everything you’d normally wear them with: sawed-off jorts and a tank top, cuffed Dickies and a vintage tee, trousers and a gauzy button-up. (Trust us: When cousin Brett coaxes you into shagging some fly balls before your uncle’s Labor Day BBQ, you’ll be glad you brought them.) 

Not really feeling any of the options below? You can always take your cues from Mets outfielder— and unlikely fashion plate—Mark Canha: just head straight to Prada and swing for the fences.