70s sunglasses style guide

Iconic 70s sunglasses styles and the shapes that made them famous. Everything in the 1970s was a statement piece, from the Farah Fawcett’s hair to the denim jumpsuit and the sunglasses were no exception. Here’s our take on sustainable 70s sunglasses styles to get that authentic seventies vibe…

The seventies were about making style statements in mother earth tones like harvest gold, burnt sienna and avocado (seen on both sunglasses and bathroom suites).

Amber and orange tinting was popular, seen on icons like John Lennon and graduated tinting was de jour; lenses dip dyed in tanks by hand (we still do it like this today) to produce a sumptous dark to light fade effect.

Actress Sophia Loren enjoyed showing a bit of eye and wore a washed, eye revealing sheer tint throughout the seventies with her oversized sunnies. Her love of sunglasses was so great she became the first celebrity to have her own eyewear brand. 

Mould breaking materials were being used and bold shapes were being used from influences like the Vietnam War, actors and activists.

Oversized 70s sunglasses

Superiszed 70s shades are having a moment. The bigger the better to make an authentic style statement, plus oversized sunglasses give the most protection from the sun, a happy bonus. Original 70s vintage oversized shades are not only the eco friendly choice - they’re the real deal. Perfect for those days when less is definitely not more.

70s aviator sunglasses

like the kind activist Gloria Steinem wore when she first championed female rights in the 70s. First invented by Bausch and Lomb for RayBan as sunglasses for pilots in the 1930s, aviator sunglasses are so classic that they resurface every decade, but were beloved in the 1970s in both acetate and metal, square and teardrop. We just can’t underplay our love affair with the double bridge and those iconic rock’n’roll lines.

70S BUTTERFLY

The 70s butterfly is feminine and easy to wear shape inspired by the symetry of the butterfly. Metal or acetate, create the perfect 1970s aesthetic and get your boho on with a pair of butterfly sunglasses. Based on the wings of a butterfly, these sunglasses have all the extra vintage design details to make your style stand out from the crowd.

70s SQUARE sunglasses

70s squares are easy to wear, possibly the perfect retro accessory, oversized square frames are the shape of the moment and we can’t get enough of them. The oversize angles give us that superstar look with a laid back 1970s feel. Bold and beautiful and instantly recognizable as sunglasses from this era.

THE DROP SIDE

The devils in the detail and they were big on adding details to sunglasses in the 70s when they invented the drop side. Sitting lower down the frame, usually accompanied by the most intricate designs, makes the vintage pieces more like works of art. If you’re after something extra special go for a pair with drop sides.

During the 70s sunglasses transitioned from being functional, with the sole purpose of sun protection, to fashion accessories that expressed your personal style.

The styles and shapes of the seventies were so good, moden makers are manufacturing them to this day, but there’s nothing like owning and wearing an authentic vintage 70s piece - take a peep at our 70s sustainable sunglasses collection…

peace out

Jo

Daisy Jones & The Six Boho Sunglasses Edit

If you’ve had your peepers glued to Daisy Jones & The Six like we have, you can’t have missed the array of 70s glasses and sunglasses stealing the show, along with seventies florals, fringing and flares to the clogs and crochet.. oh and the music’s pretty ace too.

Take your cue from Daisy and The Six and rock culture and take a peep at our boho vintage eyewear edit..

rock n roll aviators

Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne’s classic aviators - coz let’s face it everybody looks a little bit more rock‘n’roll in an aviator.

70s oversized

Oversized glasses and sunglasses are never out of style. Seventies sunnies are perfect for leaving gigs in the early hours, blocking both the sun and those pesky paps. These babies aren’t going anywhere - turn any of our vintage glasses into sunglasses.

butterfly revival

The butterfly is a really beautifull and easy to wear shape. Metal or acetate, glasses or sunnies create an elegant boho silhouette.

Gold square aviators

Gold square aviators sported by Rod Reyes and Eddie Roundtree in the Daisy & The Six, give a cooler than cool seventies style.

Round frames

Whether its rock‘n’roll John lennon style round metal sunglasses as rocked by Warren, or soft round acetate in mother earth tones - both are perfect for aspiring rockstars.

If your perfect pair is showing as sold out, check out our Personal Shopper Service as we’ll probably have something similar in the studio we can make up for you. We can turn any of our vintage glasses frames into boho sunglasses.

Find your perfect pair and add a graduated tint for that authentic look (add prescription if you wear it).

So book that guitar lesson then shop the store for Daisy Jones & The Six original vintage frames.

Peace out

Jo

Pair your eyewear with vintage jewellery

If there’s one thing we love more than eyewear, it’s vintage jewellery and the two make perfect partners. Team your eyewear with authentic vintage and preloved jewellery - we’ve teamed up with jewellery experts William May Jewellers to get their take on the hottest retro jewellery styles to wear with your vintage frames.

Aviators, squares and hoops

For an authentic 70s luxe look (think BBC’s The Serpent), pair your oversized Aviators with classic gold hoops. Oversized thin hoops or smaller creole hoop earrings both work well with aviators and other 70s large wire and acetate frames.

gold creole and skinny hoops from William May

Oversized 80s frames with big bold jewellery

If you want to channel the Lady Gaga’s look from House of Gucci (and frankly who wouldn’t) go with oversized round or square glasses from the late 70s and 80s, team them up with chunky yellow gold jewels.

Big bold chains are having a moment, are oh so retro and are best-sellers at William May, from classic yellow gold, to chains set with sparkling crystals.

chunky gold chains from William May

And to complete the full on House of Gucci look, go for big yellow gold bracelets, dress rings and chunky gold earrings.

vintage gold selection from William May

I’m currently obsessing over gold jewellery and I’d be happy waking up to any of these in my stocking on Christmas morning.. or you could just treat yourself.

Jo

Spring summer eyewear styles - what we're wearing

Maksim Goncharenok

Right now we’re loving 70s style for spring summer, along with oversized sunglasses. Lighter fresher colour palettes, florals and crystal clear glasses frames are giving us spring vibes. Uplifting colour palettes from pretty pastel tints to 70s sheer sepia washes and our latest spring custom colour tint creations. Here’s what we’re wearing right now..

70s style

Bohemian styles in natural earth tones like amber, orange, sepia and avocado will give you that orginal 70s style. We can’t get enough of seventies sunglasses right now - think The Serpent vibes and see our Serpent Sunglasses Collection. Graduated lenses rose to fame in the 70s giving us sunglasses with hand dip-dyed lenses in a tint that graduates lighter from top to bottom.

Oversized sunglasses

Go big or go home - you really can’t go wrong with an oversized frame. Oversized sunglasses are perfect for protecting your peepers giving the most sun protection as their sheer size blocks the most sun. They’re also just the job for both making a statement and shielding garden party fatigue.

the aviator sunglasses

We can’t get enough of the aviator sunglasses - classic for a reason, we love a 70s or 80s aviator for an easy to wear, effortless, relaxed vibe. Throw on a pair of 70s pilot sunglasses and up the ante for summer.

gold glasses

Elegant fine rimmed gold glasses frames are our go to for chic day to night dressing. Geometric and square shapes are timeless in gold, but the classic round shapes also team with everything and never goes out of style.

fauna and flora

Nothing says spring summer like botanical and floral designs in your accessories. It’s nice to have a lighter pair of glasses to coordinate with our lighter toned spring summer palettes in our wardbrobes, hair and make up.

Crystal Clear frames

80s vintage pale pink crystal

Cystal clear glasses frames are so chic right now. Pure transparent acetate or soft pretty pastel shades, delicately etched or lined with lace, these 80s style frames are flattering and face framing perfection - we can’t get enough of this contemporary and chic glasses style.

the cateye sunglasses

Elle 90s angular cateye sunglasses

Classic and chic the cateye will always be a go-to. The modern take is more angular for a modern twist and a sharper look, and we’re seeing more skinny cateye designs - easy to wear feminne feline shapes that don’t date.

block that sun in style via Maksim Goncharenok

All of our spring summer sunglasses and glasses frames are available for customing with prescription, blue light blockers or custom sunglasses tints to make them your own.

Jo

The Serpent sunglasses - seventies styling at its best

lucas-ricardo-ignacio

We’re more than a little obsessed with the BBC’s latest drama, The Serpent, set in 1970s Bangkok, where notorious French criminal Charles Sobhraj targeted tourists on the Asian hippie trail posing as a gem dealer. We’ve created a mini collection in homage to The Serpent - original 70s sunglasses for your viewing pleasure.

Seventies sunglasses steal virtually every scene throughout the series, although the rest of the styling is equally en flique - kudos to the BBC style team. Tahar Rahim and Jenna Coleman knock it out of the park with their roles as Alain and Monique.

Square shapes, oversized frames and aviators with washed out sepia and graduated tints showing off the eyes were huge in the 70s. Headscarfs, halternecks and woven bags - team with your seventies sunnies and you won’t go wrong for that authentic 70s aesthetic.

The seventies were all about making style statements and showing your personality in palettes of earthy tones with yellow and graduated tints - take a peep at our brand new Serpent Collection

You’re welcome.

Jo

70s glasses - our current obession

koolshooters

Go big or go home, the 70s were not understated. Breaking free from the confines of the 50s and 60s, in the 1970s we began to consider glasses fashion accessories rather than just a medical device. For 1970s glasses - bold, oversized, experimental styles were the order of the day.

The seventies were about making style statements and showing personality in earthy brown tones, mould breaking materials and bold shapes. Here’s some of our favourite 70s glasses styles to get that seventies vibe…

oversized 70s glasses

The bigger the better, to stand out from the crowd and make a style statement, plus there’s so much more lens to see through. Original 70s vintage oversized glasses are the real deal. Perfect as sunnies, but also for those days when less is definitely not more.

70s Aviators

One of my personal faves, the 1970s aviator. First invented by Bausch and Lomb for RayBan as sunglasses for pilots in the 1930s, aviators resurface throughout the eras and were much loved in the 70s.

Metal or acetate, clear crystal, tortoiseshell, black or gold, there’s an aviator frame for every mood. And we can’t underplay our love affair with the double bridge.

70s Butterfly

Get your boho on with a 1970s butterfly. Break from the ordinary and bag yourself a beautiful butterfly shape glasses frame. Based on the wings of a butterfly, these have all the extra vintage design details to make your style extraordinary.

The seventies square

Bold chunky acetate, the seventies square style is not for the faint hearted. We love this strong 70s angular look giving us all the retro feels. Just add a roll neck and take a trip.

the drop side

Stand out from the crowd in a 70s drop side frame, usually accompanied by the most gorgeous detailing. More like works of art - from zoom meeting to kitchen disco with ease.

What’s your favourite 70s vintage look? Try some on in the comfort of your own home with our Home Try On service - add your prescription or a hint of a tint in peach or sand in true seventies style. Take a peep at our other retro 1970s styles.

Peace out.

Jo