70s Sunglasses Fashion Evolution
The fashion of the 70s is often regarded as one of the most stylish eras of all time. It was the era of pop, disco, and rebellion. Skirts got shorter, shades got bigger, and hair was long and layered with oversized fringes.
Nowadays, the cool style of the 70s is making it back into the fashion scene. Vintage glasses are one of the fashion items that are making a reappearance on the fashion scene. After a ten-year hiatus, during which tiny frames reigned supreme, the super-sized glasses in the 70s have started to creep back into the public’s consciousness.
70s women’s fashion was not complete without a pair of oversize statement glasses, especially for stylish women. The 70s catapulted sunglasses from functional to fun. 70s sunglasses consisted of thick frames, off shapes, retro round lenses, and mirror lenses.
Throughout the 70s, technological advancement made eyewear more mainstream, and plastic lenses were starting to become more common than glass. The way glasses were tinted changed in the 70s too, in 1974, Rayban introduced Ambermatic lenses. They were adaptive light lenses that changed colors from amber to dark grey depending on the light conditions. The lenses highlighted colors and shapes, making them great for winter and sports.
Graduated or Gradudint lenses also became popular. The lenses dip-dyed in tanks with time, the density of tint would change across the surface of the tint. The lenses start darker at the top and fade towards the bottom of the frame.
70s Sunglasses Styles
Sunglasses shapes in the 70s came in variant styles:
CAT EYEGLASSES
These glasses were first created in the 30s but achieved worldwide fame when Audrey Hepburn wore them in the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Eyewear in the 70s generally became larger and circular; hence Cat eyeglasses adjusted their frames to fit in with the trend of the time, resulting in bigger and more circular cat-eyed frames.
AVIATORS
Aviator glasses and glasses were popular throughout the decade. Military fashion was a revolving trend at the time. Designers of these glasses were influenced by factors such as the Vietnam War and the emergence of global TV coverage displaying the fashion trend of both activists and demonstrators.
These sunglasses feature a chunky acetate frame, modules into a pilot-style shape with its classic double brow detail.
SQUARE GLASSES
Oversized square frames were popular in the 70s; nothing says 70s like a pair of square-framed vintage sunglasses. If you like the angular, geometric style, then stick to a thick-framed glass with a light tortoiseshell pattern combined with oversize acetate plastic.
BUTTERFLY SUNGLASSES
Butterfly-shaped glasses were another set of popular frames in the 70s. Butterfly frames were feminine, often oversized, and had the same bilateral symmetry as the butterfly.
The Sunglasses of the 70s could be used as an accessory for any fitting outfit, but to get the look, pair your oversized frames with flares, platforms, a floaty frilled blouse, and a cool leather jacket in a caramel palate.
