Where summer shades are concerned, few styles can hold a candle to the cat-eye. The retro mainstay has turned up in recent seasons on no less runways than Gucci, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Dries Van Noten, to name but a few. And while it’s perhaps unduly earned a reputation as tricky to wear, depending on one’s bone structure (or lack thereof), with takes today ranging from the soft and universally flattering to the femme fatale–favored razor sharp, à la Catherine Deneuve in The Hunger, there’s something to suit every face shape and style sensibility.
On golden age beauties like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor, cat-eye frames were classic as can be, but in 2016, they’re just the insouciant touch your summer wardrobe is missing—and favored by modish bathing beauties like Bella Hadid. Right in time for International Cat Day, what better way to get in the spirit? Here, we’ve rounded up the best pairs at every price point, for the rest of summer and beyond.
