Do you know 80s fashion is coming back, and it's super cool? We are talking about chunky blazers, colorful turtlenecks, and mom jeans. From round glasses to wayfarers, they're all the rage right now. But these glasses are bold and seem a bit hard to wear at first.

Here's a tip: thinking about your face shape and skin tone can help. This means you can find glasses from the 80s that look awesome on you. So, even if a pair of glasses feels a bit out there, knowing what suits your face can make you feel confident wearing them.

In this article, we'll explore the popular glasses in the 1980s and current glasses trends.

Top Trends of Glasses from the 80's

The 1980's were all about bold shapes like Madonna's cat eyeglasses. As a matter of fact, this is all because of celebrities who popularized these styles. With this bold approach to glasses, they even turned would-be geeky large glasses into fashion statements.

 

Let's explore these popular glasses trends and the facial features they complement.

1. Aviators 80's Glasses

Pilots started wearing aviators in 1937, but when Tom Cruise wore them in the 1986 Top Gun, they rose in popularity. In the movie, he showed off their style and function while performing stunts in the air. After such an impressive performance, the Ray-Ban Aviator glasses sales rose by 40%.

 

The shape of these glasses makes them unique. They have a straight rim at the top, and a band connects the two lenses above that. Aviator lenses are large, curved, and tapered towards the nose. This distinct teardrop shape gives them a cool appeal that screams Maverick.

 

Though these glasses are bold in shape and size, they're perfect if you have sharp features such as a defined jawline or prominent cheekbones. Since the glasses have a rounded frame, they help soften your face. Additionally, if you have a square face, these glasses will suit you since their thin frame doesn't overwhelm your features. Nevertheless, these glasses will fit most features, genders, and styles.

2. Browline 80's Glasses

Browline eyewear emerged in 1947 but rose into a popular style in the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, and 2010s, and they're back again in the 2020s. In particular, Harry Crane and Malcolm X popularized these glasses, giving them a serious yet intriguing allure.

 

When the company (Shuron Ltd) first manufactured these glasses, they had a top-heavy rim that cut across both lenses, but you could adjust the frame to your face. Plus, manufacturers made unique plaques, broadening the different kinds of browline eyewear you can get. Now, they're available from many companies and in a variety of materials and colors.

 

Therefore, there's a browline frame that fits your face shape. If you have a round face, you could select a more geometric browline, while if your face is more square, you could go with a rounded rim. Plus, you can play around with the frame color to match your skin tone.

3. Cat Eye 80's Glasses

Altina Schinasu designer cat eyeglasses for women to escape the dull, made-for-men monocles. The cat eyeglasses have long been popular with female icons from Marilyn Monroe to Princess Diana to Madonna. With the shape of these glasses, these women created a sophisticated style that was also a little sassy.  

 

These glasses have an upward swoop, which gives the frame sharp corners. In the 1980s, Princess Diana popularized the oversized version of these glasses. There were also cat eyeglasses with pattered frames and exciting colors.

 

The classic cat eye is perfect for oval and round faces since they help define your features. However, with so many different sizes and sharpness of the 'cat eye', you're sure to find a frame that fits your face. Therefore, even if you already have sharp features, you can choose larger, more rounded cat eyeglasses to offset them.

4. Oversized 80's Glasses

Oversized glasses were popular in the 1970s and the 1980s as stars such as Elton John and Madonna wore them. However, the pivotal moment for these glasses was when Mathew Broderick wore them in the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

 

Oversized glasses have large lenses that could come with chunky frames. Often, these glasses came with tinted lenses and functioned as sunglasses. Nevertheless, these glasses come in different colors and frame shapes. Therefore, they can often be a hybrid with another style. For instance, Princess Diana wore glasses that mixed the oversized features with the distinct cat eye shape.

 

With this variety in frame and lens, you can select oversized glasses that complement your features. Therefore, you should pair slightly rounded frames with square or rectangular faces and vice versa. However, if you have a small face, consider choosing a smaller model so the glasses don't overwhelm your features.

5. Round 80's Glasses

Round eyewear was popular in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Music legend and activist John Lennon was one of its main icons even after his death in 1980. This pair of glasses gave him an eccentric and distinctive appearance. Most probably, that eccentricity compelled other music celebrities such as Elton John and Ozzy Osborn to wear this type of glasses.

 

While round glasses can be small with a thin frame like Lennon's, they can also have a more imposing frame. Additionally, the frame can have any material you wish, including metal and plastic. As for the lens, it can have some curves to it, though many classic round glasses were relatively flat.

 

In particular, square- and rectangular-shaped faces benefit from these glasses. Plus, those with heart-shaped faces will find these glasses balance their features. With their shape, they help draw attention away from the forehead, which makes heart-shaped faces more proportional.

6. Translucent 80's Glasses

With access to new technology, eyewear companies could create frames that were see-through. When Casablanca actress Ingrid Bergman wore them, it solidified their place in fashion. Despite their minimalist and simple appearance, these glasses were a major trend in the 1980s.

 

These glasses came with clear frames with different shapes. However, they could have a light color while they remained see-through. Therefore, they could be hybrid styles of glasses. For example, you could have translucent glasses with a cat eye or round shape.

 

Due to this variety in frames, anyone can wear translucent glasses. What's most important is matching the frame to your face shape.

 

In addition, if the frame has a tint, you should ensure it matches your skin tone. As a rule of thumb, if you have a warm skin tone, go for light browns and greens. Meanwhile, you can select a pink, purple, or gray tint if you have a cooler skin tone.

7. Wayfarers 80's Glasses

Risky Business put Ray Ban's wayfarer on the map in the 1980s. In the film and its promotional poster, Tom Cruise wears these glasses. With the film's success and Tom Cruise's celebrity, it's no wonder the glasses rose in prominence.

 

These glasses have a large yet slightly rounded trapezoid frame. Usually, companies make this style of glass with black acetate. Additionally, the lens tended to be slightly flat and had a black tint. Though most wayfarers look alike, there is some variety in frame and lens color.

 

Still, the classic look will fit most faces. Therefore, you should focus on the color of these glasses to make a fashion statement. However, you should ensure the frame color doesn't clash with your skin tone. So, if you're warm-toned, avoid blues or whites; if you're cool-toned, avoid browns.

Are Glasses from the 80s Coming Back?

In the 2020s, celebrities are putting many eyewear trends back in fashion. For instance, Tom Cruise wore aviators in the new Top Gun movie, Selena Gomez wore cat eye sunglasses, and Taylor Swift wore wayfarers.

 

With technological advancement in the glasses industry, many of these styles are now available at affordable prices. Plus, you can mix and match styles, getting yourself a hybrid such as a translucent wayfarer pair or oversized cat eyeglasses.

 

But if you truly want to embody a classic 1980s trend, you should consider Dollger's vintage browline glasses. Their black and silver model exactly fits the classic serious look you know browline glasses for. Plus, you can experiment with the translucent and silver frame, which gives an intellectual look. But if you like gold, you should opt for black and gold.

Conclusion

Now you know the popular glasses trends that dominated the 1980s. From oversized glasses to round glasses, all of these styles were bold. They gave the people a way to express themselves through the shape and color of their glasses. In the 2020s, these trends are coming back as celebrities wear wayfarers, aviators, cat eyeglasses, and more glasses from that era.

Considering the glasses manufacturing brands like Dollger, you can join these fashion trends in the 2020s. They design a wide range, from bowlines to round glasses, that honor the classics yet also give you room to express your individuality.