Summer eye candy

From low-tech wayfarers to performance frames in modern composites, sunglasses protect and serve our desire for self-expression.

This year, wraparounds are celebrity de rigeur. Our faves: bold and colorful frames, and fresh and edgy white mods. For men, classic Ray-Ban wayfayers are strong this year, as are aviators.

Of course, shades are all about the individual. “People want to buy quality and represent quality without being a walking advertisement,” Avallon hairstylist Brien Buxton says.

Whether you drop bank on designer frames, or opt for cheap, stylish knock-offs, there’s plenty to choose from this summer. (Thanks to the Optical Shoppe, Fashionista and White House Black Market for sharing their shades.)