Best 90s Sunglasses for Men & Women

Vintage sunglasses are making a comeback in the fashion industry, another burden of proof that fashion is often timeless. Sunglasses that are fashionable today, for example, might have been trendy two to three decades ago. The styles are making a welcome reappearance.


One of the most requested vintage sunglasses are from the 1990s. Three main characteristics that define the 90s style sunglasses is that they are small, have thick frames, and feature colored lenses.

Some of the major brands that produce 90s sunglasses include Festivus, Parker, Kurt, Urban, Spectator, and Quinn. 90s styles sunglasses come in a range of shapes to suit your specific taste.

90s Style Sunglasses

There is a wide selection of 90s style sunglasses to take your fashion game to the next level. Pointed cat-eye is one of the most prominent styles. If you’re looking for a sleek, sexy, and timeless pair of sunglasses, you can’t go wrong with these cat-eye sunglasses.

Julia Roberts popularised pointed cat-eye glasses when she rocked them in 1999 with a leather jacket and black beret. The outfit has since come back into fashion.

Sporty sunglasses were also popular in the 90s. Celebrities like Rihanna are trying to bring them back again in the new millennium.

Another popular style in the 90s was the half-cut sunglasses. The best thing about this style is that it can instantly give any outfit a cool vibe. Half-cut sunglasses come in various colored frames to suit different tastes.

You’ve probably spotted celebrities like Bella and Kendall rocking a pair of small, rounded, or oval sunglasses. These sunglasses were a favourite for almost every 90s fashionista, including Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen, who rocked the style in 1998.

Rectangular sunglasses from the 90s are perhaps one of the hardest styles to pull off. You can put them on the bridge of your nose, but you need to do it with confidence. While tinted glasses are originally from the 1970s, rappers such as Lil’ Kim and Eve made it popular again in the 90s.

Now, colored sunglasses are back in a variety of colors, including blue, pink, yellow, and red.

Retro Nineties Sunglasses

The 90s look was defined by a blend of styles, including grunge checked shirts, crimpled hair, disheveled denim jackets (inspired by Kurt Cobain), platform trainers, and baby doll dresses. The wonderful skirts suits and knee socks, like those worn by Cher Horowitz in Clueless, can’t go unmentioned when talking about this retro period in fashion.

No 90s look was complete without a nice pair of sunglasses. The most popular glasses were retro nineties sunglasses. Below, we explore some of the best retro 90s sunglasses on the market today.

Round metal frames

Bold shapes and fancy frames defined other decades. In the 90s, things were simpler. Round sunglasses were the craze, and most were made from metal and featured thin, delicate frames.

A typical example of round metal frames is the Infinity M8201 Prescription Glasses. You can pair these kinds of sunglasses with boyfriend jeans and a top knot for an ultramodern look.

Small oval sunglasses

Oval sunglasses are some of the fanciest eyewear you can acquire. While most modern oval sunglasses are larger and more rounded, the 90s versions were smaller with more oval-shaped frames. The retro 90s oval sunglasses are ideal for the summer season, too.

A typical example of these sunglasses is the Rodenstock R2288. Typical 90s oval sunglasses came with colored tinted lenses. Clear lenses also give these sunglasses an upgraded look and feel, though.

Mirrored sunglasses

Nothing screams the 90s more than a pair of circular framed sunglasses with chic mirrored lenses. Reflective sunglasses were highly popular back in the day. It was perhaps the coolest style of sunglasses to be seen in, especially for the young and famous.

Round-framed mirrored shades have now become one of the most prominent eyewear trends of 2020 as well, with celebrities such as Beyoncé often spotted in these types of sunglasses. A great example of round mirrored sunglasses is the Ray-Ban RB3447. In gold round frames and blue mirrored lenses, these shades will instantly give you a genuine retro look with a modern touch.

90s Hexagonal Sunglasses

Another popular style of the 90s was the hexagonal sunglasses. These are an excellent choice to awaken the nineties spirit within you. For a fascinating appeal, consider pairing these frames with your favorite choker and a band T-shirt.

Dark sunglasses

Circular sunglasses with dark lenses also had a special spot in the 90s albums. Noel Gallagher was a fan of this style, and he even rocked them in the music video made for Wonderwall.

Julia Roberts also helped to popularise dark sunglasses in the 90s. She rocked a pair in the famous picnic scene in Pretty Woman. An example of retro nineties dark sunglasses is the Oxydo 1088/S. The pair is a great choice if you’re after a rock and roll image, or if you want to add a touch of 90s style to your outfit with circular black lenses and black frames.

While a complete 90s-inspired outfit may look a bit too much, retro circular sunglasses are great at adding a subtle and sophisticated 90s touch to a contemporary outfit. It gives a classic edge that is still stylish today.

Final Thoughts

Fashion and style were iconic in the 90s. High-quality eyewear was an integral element of this lifestyle, and these items are legendary vintage sunglasses now.

World-renowned designer brands, such as Colani and Persol, created sunglasses that are unique and outstanding. The original 90s sunglasses have become rare over the years, though.

It has also become precious because many celebrities across the globe are a fan of this era. While every year sees a new trend of sunglasses on the market, the 90s sunglasses never seem to go out of style.

There’s a wide range of 90s style sunglasses to choose from, including pointed cat-eye style, half-cut sunglasses, sunglasses with round metal frames, and colored and mirrored sunglasses. Whether you want retro nineties round sunglasses, tiny oval sunglasses, mirrored sunglasses, hexagonal sunglasses, or any other retro 90s eyewear, you can find just the right pair here at MessyWeekend.

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