Sunglasses Trends 2026

The Must Have Sunglasses Trends for 2026

Sunglasses in 2026 are no longer a last-minute addition. They define the outfit. Whether paired with activewear, worn with an oversized blazer, or thrown on with everyday linen, the right pair sets the tone.

On the Central Coast, eyewear has become the most functional part of your wardrobe, with a fashion role to match. Styles this season are unapologetically bold.
Sculpted cat-eye shapes, architectural frames, oversized silhouettes, and neutral tones that work with everything. Designers are shifting towards sustainability and considered materials without compromising on design.

At Eyes By Design, we focus on frames that do more than block glare. They bring edge, polish, and modern practicality. These are the sunglasses shaping 2026, and the labels doing it best.

Oversized Drama: The “I Woke Up Like This” Frame

Oversized frames still carry that celebrity edge, but in 2026 they’re less about hiding and more about defining. The new wave of oversized sunglasses is confident, architectural, and—most importantly, wearable.

This silhouette works best when it doesn’t try too hard. Square and butterfly styles add structure to rounder faces. Sweeping curves bring balance to angular features. And on a smaller face, the right oversized frame creates contrast that reads deliberate, not overdone.

The key is proportion and finish. Matte gradients and smokey greys feel effortless. Deep tortoiseshells ground the look without weighing it down. High-shine black still works, but pairing it with a slightly translucent lens softens the effect.

Tom Ford still owns this category, clean lines, sharp angles, and the T at the temple. But softer takes from Maui Jim with bronze-toned lenses offer a more understated take for coastal wear. Oversized doesn’t have to shout. In 2026, it just needs to own its space.

Choosing the right frame is part styling, part fit. Our in store team is ready to help you select frames that match your face shape and personal style.

Sculpted Cat-Eyes: A Quiet Little Facelift

The cat-eye frame has evolved. In 2026, it’s no longer retro or rigid, it’s fluid, sculptural, and quietly flattering. The shape still lifts the face, but without the sharp angles or overt drama. Think elegance with edge.

Design houses are refining the silhouette. Uplifted corners now blend into softly rounded rims. The best frames carry a subtle sweep rather than a pointed flick. This nuance is everything. It frames the eyes, defines the cheekbones, and gives structure without dominance.

Cat-eyes work especially well on round faces, where they bring contrast and direction. Heart-shaped faces wear them like they were made for each other. Even oval or longer face shapes benefit from the slight upsweep,it softens the line and adds proportion without heaviness.

The colour palette is pared back but elevated. Champagne acetates, smoked rose, deep caramel, and translucent chocolate shades bring warmth without distraction. These tones complement linen, knitwear, tailored denim, whatever you live in.

The goal isn’t to make a statement. It’s to look sharper, more pulled together, and just a little more aware of your angles. And the right pair will do exactly that.

Architectural Lines: Sunglasses for the Design Lover

Geometry is having a moment. In 2026, sunglasses are embracing line, angle, and proportion with the same precision as good architecture. This is eyewear for people who notice form before trend.

Frames are sharper. Shapes are unexpected. Designers like Kaleos and William Morris are treating sunglasses as objects, measured, minimal, and sculptural. Moss-green hexagons. Oversized rounds with cut-outs at the bridge. Strong brows and structured silhouettes that make just enough of a statement.

This style suits faces that benefit from definition. Rounder faces find contrast in clean lines. Oval face shapes can experiment more freely, from slim profiles to oversized symmetry. If your jawline is more pronounced, go for a frame with geometric intention—angular but softened, like a squared-off round or bevelled aviator.

Architectural eyewear works best when it is the only loud piece. Pair with a crisp white shirt or a monochrome linen set. No logos. No layering. Let the frame do the work. These are sunglasses that speak in lines, not volume.

Quiet Luxury: Because Subtle Speaks Volumes

Quiet luxury is not about minimalism. It is about precision. In 2026, the most refined sunglasses are the ones that say everything without a single visible logo.

This trend favours shape, tone, and surface finish over statement. Frames in translucent taupe, warm caramel, or sheer blush blend into the skin rather than stand apart. Soft champagne acetates feel more like skincare than accessories. This is eyewear as texture—measured, tonal, and quietly architectural.

Brands that understand restraint lead here. Furla delivers refined lines with just a suggestion of hardware. Yalea‘s silhouettes are gently contemporary and versatile across face shapes.
Escada explores gradient neutrals that shift subtly in the light, moving easily between relaxed tailoring and sun-washed fabrics.

Even technical labels like Maui Jim belong in this space. Their classic rectangles and soft tortoiseshell cat-eyes sit quietly under the radar—coastal, confident, and detail-driven.

Quiet luxury sunglasses belong in every wardrobe. They work with navy, black, linen, denim. They polish an outfit without competing with it. And they offer a sense of composure that never feels forced.

Eco-Chic & Coastal Performance: When Style Lives Outdoors

Summer in Australia is not delicate. Sunglasses need to handle glare, heat, salt air, and sudden shifts from sea to street. But that doesn’t mean they should look technical. In 2026, performance eyewear is as much about refinement as it is about resilience.

Maui Jim continues to lead this space. Their polarised lenses do more than claim to block glare—you feel the difference the moment you hit the sand or take the wheel. They are built for light sensitivity, long hours outdoors, and movement. The styling is coastal but sharp: deep bronze lenses, flattering tortoiseshell frames, silhouettes that stay in place but never look out of place.

These frames are designed for early starts, open water, long drives, and whatever comes after. They protect the eyes without compromising the outfit—whether you are heading to brunch, out on the boat, or walking the shoreline.

For those who want their sunglasses to tread lightly, Zeal offers a sustainable option that still looks considered. Made from plant-based materials, their frames are lightweight and low-impact, each one designed with a focus on shape, feel, and minimal environmental footprint.

Their silhouettes range from sport-luxe wraps to stripped-back rectangles and semi-shield styles. Paired with linen, a clean sandal, and a well-cut tee, they read relaxed but purposeful.

Function no longer overrides style—and style no longer overrides responsibility.

City Luxe for Him: From Workshop to Waterfront

Men’s eyewear in 2026 has grown up. It is sharper, more considered, and built for men who appreciate design in the same way they value a timepiece or a well-made car.

Jaguar delivers frames with automotive intent. Clean lines. Streamlined proportions. Subtle detailing that borrows from grillework and body design. On the face, this translates into strong rectangular frames, precise wraps, and well-weighted aviators. They pair effortlessly with a button-up and tailored shorts or a crisp polo and sandals.

Police leans into a more urban aesthetic. Smoke-toned lenses, industrial brows, and squared profiles that feel at home in a city or on the coast. These are frames that give a bit of presence—nothing loud, just deliberate.

Tom Ford pushes things further. Oversized aviators. Strong metals. Deep-set rectangles. The kind of frames that can elevate a tee and chinos into something pulled together.

For broader or square face shapes, go for depth,deeper lenses and angular lines add balance and structure. If your features are more refined or narrow, look for tailored aviators or softened rectangles that fit closer to the face.

The right pair does what good design always does. It becomes part of your rhythm, on the dash, in the glovebox, on the café table. Ready when you are.

A Touch of Colour: Tinted Lenses With Personality

After years of mostly dark charcoal and classic brown, colour is making a comeback in lens tints, not bright neon, but subtle shades that add mood and personality.

Imagine a William Morris panto frame with a gentle tea-coloured gradient that makes everything look like golden hour. Or a Kaleos geometric with a whisper of smoky plum that flatters almost every skin tone. Police plays with cooler blues and greens; Escada and Furla love a soft rose or champagne tint that flatters the complexion as much as it shades the eyes.

Coloured lenses are an easy way to update your style without going bold with a frame. A soft rose lens in a neutral frame looks more fashionable, while a petrol blue tint adds a modern touch to a classic shape. These sunglasses are great for outdoor lunches, weekends away, or summer events with lots of photos.

If you already have a practical pair, adding a tinted second pair can be a real treat. We’ll help you pick shades that are safe for driving when needed, or let you know if a colour is better for social occasions than long drives.

Glamour, But Make It Safe

Behind every frame at Eyes By Design is a standard that doesn’t shift with trends: protection.

Australia’s sun is not subtle. Long-term UV exposure is linked to cataracts, pterygia, and other ocular conditions that have lasting impact. While fashion may frame sunglasses as accessories, we see them as protective gear,just with better angles.

Every frame we recommend meets or exceeds the AS/NZS 1067 standard, filtering out at least 99 percent of harmful UV rays. It is one thing for sunglasses to look good. It is another for them to hold up under real-world conditions. Lenses that distort vision or allow UV through the edges are not worth the trade.

We also consider practicality. A lens that is too dark to drive in or a frame that gaps at the temples undercuts its own purpose. That’s why we focus on styles that combine coverage with design. Frames that feel like Paris, but function like Australia.

And if you wear prescription lenses, most of our sunglass frames can be custom-made to match your script. Clarity, protection, and polish, no compromise. Once you wear prescription sunglasses, it becomes less about luxury and more about standard.

Find Your 2026 Sunglasses at Eyes By Design

There is no rule that says you need to commit to just one style. You might wear quiet neutrals during the week, reach for something architectural on weekends, and keep a technical pair for saltwater and road trips.

Whether you prefer a sharply sculpted cat-eye, a bold wrap, a matte neutral, or a frame that echoes your favourite car, we begin with your face, your prescription, and your lifestyle. The rest is fit and finish.

At Eyes By Design in Kincumber, we treat sunglasses the way they should be treated. As essential, as expressive, and as individual as the person wearing them.

We can certainly help you with that – Get in touch with us today
Or come and visit us at
Eyes By Design
Kincumber Centre, Shop 6/39 Avoca Dr
Kincumber NSW 2251