Cat-eye Sunglasses

Feminine, dramatic and glamorous, cat-eye sunglasses have been an essential silhouette for eyewear design for nearly 90 years. First created in the 1930s, they were designed by American filmmaker Altina Schinasi after she discovered a lack of appealing eyewear shapes for women. The shape of the glasses is inspired by Venetian masks and their tendency to peak at the sides: the effect is a sultry style that is also extremely flattering. 

In more recent years, designers have made geometric updates to the original form and played with materials and colors. Choose from the Miu Miu MU 01VS which comes in an almost leopard print like tortoiseshell or an applique jewel version, or the Saint Laurent SL 213 LILY with its overemphasized, almost bat-like frame shapes. The overriding femininity of these glasses is exactly their charm.

With their combination of curves and angles, cat-eye sunglasses look great on oval, square, and diamond face shapes. Not entirely sure what that means? Explore our editors' guide to picking the perfect sunglasses for your face shape.