Stating The Obvious: Trends To Be Seen In This Summer

Designer fashion for the coming summer season 2011 sees the revival of classic trends, brought to life with a contemporary twist.

While round sunglasses were made famous in the 1970s by John Lennon, this season’s biggest style to block out the UV rays can be found in the contemporary collections of the fashion forward labels Victoria Beckham and The Row.

Retro remakes are bound to catch the eye with Ray Ban’s heavy Wayfarer frame and Marc by Marc’s stylish stripes. 50s Horn-rim frames have had a glamorous make-over thanks to the elegance of Yves Saint Laurent, Oliver Peoples and Selima Optique, or bring back the glitz of the silver screen with Hollywood inspired oversized sunglasses from Miu Miu, Gucci and Linda Farrow Luxe leading the way for women’s designer fashion; for the men look no further than Ralph Lauren, Guess and Police who have contributed sunglasses that have all the soave of a black-and-white flick.

Ray Bans classic Aviator style is still ‘Top Gun’ in sunglasses with their traditional gunmetal green, gold lenses or lighter gradient styles with pinks and grey’s that show a new appreciation for tints. Sunpocket, who were also hugely popular in the 1980s for their sports inspired modes in unisex designer fashion have brought back their fun and playful presentation with the Sunpocket Sport & Sunpocket II designs. Offering shimmering blue and granite mirrored lenses with their sports element adding extra protection on the slopes or by the beach from those dazzlingly reflective rays.

Miu Miu and Tom Ford get wild with cat-eye inspired sunglasses that emphasise their pointed corners. Or discover your inner feline with the leopard print frames of Cutler and Gross, for a subtler take on this summer’s animal print women’s fashion look to Jimmy Choo’s grey leopard print or the black and white zebra stripes of Asos, while men have also toned down designs in tortoise shell frames from Retrosun and Persol.

For pattern fanatics and lovers of colour there are also Juicy Couture’s statement sunglasses in vibrant colours, TopShop’s gingham check, River Island’s flowery prints and Ted Baker’s marbled frames; get glamorous with Bloc and Jeepers Peepers’ diamante or look to Dolce & Gabbana for their Madonna range that also makes full use of patterned trends.

For a sleek fit, Diesel’s crafted shapes in classic designs sit just as comfortably on the bridge as they do atop the head, alongside Oakley’s moulded frames and the shapely arms of Boss or Maui Jim. Other unusual styles include the overtly avant-garde hand, tv or cross frames from Linda Farrow Projects Jeremy Scott.

Keep cool with the latest accessories including hats that will block out those rays in the summer sun in playful but practical style. Opt for the classic straw sun hat from Prada’s SS11 complete with seaside inspired swirls, Seafolly, Malene Birger and Eugenia Kim; or go cowboy with a little help from H&M’s designer fashion. Universal Works have designer bucket hats in classic fisherman trend while Jack & Jones, Paul Smith and Bailey of Hollywood will be using trilbies made from straw to provide portable shade.

women’s accessories can really help make a summer outfit. For men, Our Legacy offer a fashionable alternative to bare legs.