2009 Sunglasses Trends for Men

Men's eyewear in 2008 took a strong turn towards retro styles like the Ray-Ban Wayfarer and Aviator, and 2009 looks to be no different. One of the hottest men's frames on the market right now is the Tom Ford TF108 19, as seen on James Bond (Daniel Craig) in this fall's The Quantum of Solace. They're a classic aviator shape with gold wire rims and arms, and are about as far as you can get from the sleek, "futuristic" wraparound shades we were seeing a few years back.
In fact, outside of the sports world, we're not seeing much in the way of futuristic or sleek shades for men at the moment (Bono, please take note and ditch those tired wraparounds). The trend continues to favor classic masculine looks from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, with some modern tweaks to add freshness.


Bulgari has three models that show this tendency to offer subtle changes on a favorite style. Its 5007 and 5009 models are both a classic "aviator" shape. The 5007 sports more embellished arms, and the 5009 has lenses that taper slightly at the bottom, for a twist on the trend. The Bulgari 7002 offers a reinterpreted look at the aviator-there's no wire frame and no bridge-piece across the nose, but the lens shape is still distinctly aviator.
The Wayfarer shape-frames that ape the Ray-Ban Wayfarer-also looks to continue being a hit for men in 2009. Brad Pitt, starring in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, sports a pair of classic Ray-Bans in several scenes, including on his motorcycle. But other designers are offering their own take on this classic shape. Gucci's 1594 takes the shape and makes it chunkier and avant-garde, while Tom Ford's Cary and Chase models update the look with sleek styling on the arms and subtle changes to the lens shape.