Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Wore These Sunglasses, and Now I'm Trying Them
Often, I look to previous decades for fashion inspiration. There’s something incredible about discovering an item that looked just as cool 25 years ago as it does today. To me, it adds a certain stamp of approval, proving that it has stood the test of time, and no, you won’t look back and regret wearing it a few years down the road.
Most recently, I experienced this with sunglasses. I’d been looking back at ’90s fashion with some frequency and couldn’t help but notice that oval sunglasses—much like the ones fashion girls are wearing in 2018—were everywhere during the decade. They were the go-to choice for Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, among others, but it’s Bessette-Kennedy who really pushed me into trying them for myself. As someone who identifies with her cool, easy style, I didn’t think her sartorial leanings would steer me wrong.
So, I picked up a pair from Le Specs. I’ll admit that it did take my eye some time to adjust to the new shape. I tend to wear oversize square or rectangular sunglasses, so it was definitely a very new silhouette. But now that I’ve given myself a little time to get used to them, I couldn’t be happier to have them in my collection. Just goes to show that recycling some of fashion’s earlier trends is often a great idea. Ahead, shop my picks of the best oval sunglasses to try for yourself.
Here is a similar version of Bessette-Kennedy’s pair, but with slightly larger proportions.
If you want to add some color, here’s the style for you.
More on Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's ’90s style right this way.
Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear with over a decade of experience in fashion, editorial, and publishing. She oversees luxury content and wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. She also contributes to podcast recordings, social media, and branded content initiatives. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, MyTheresa, and Luisa Via Roma, and rising designers such as Refine and Tove, and her style has been featured in publications including Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Before Who What Wear, Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on assistant styling, photo shoots, and runway shows, and at Allure, where she moved into print and digital editorial. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied art history and business, and currently lives in New York.
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