TORONTO - It's the summer essential that's always in style. Sunglasses can instantly transform an individual's look even as they shield eyes from the glare of the sun.
But those still planning to pick out some shades for a holiday or just to hit the town may be grappling with how to select an ideal pair to flatter the face.
Eyewear designer Robert Marc, whose creations have been spotted on celebs including Matt Damon, Uma Thurman and Reese Witherspoon, says the universal rule when it comes to picking frames is to find one that's in proportion to you.
"If you're petite and you're a size 6, you don't buy a 16 dress because you want the bigger look; you buy a cut that maybe is more voluminous," he says. "You can do the same thing with frames."
"You can buy a frame like the new plastics, which are really the most popular now ... that has more volume to it in material, but is still not as large so that you wear the frame - it doesn't wear you."
Marc says when it comes to shapes, people can be more playful, provided they adhere to an overall rule: select a frame shape that contrasts with your face shape.
For individuals with a round face, Marc suggests going for frames a bit more rectangular and angular, which adds dimension and angle to the face.
People with a square face should opt for something more oval with softer curves to soften the face.
An oval face shape "can wear anything" - as long as it's in scale and balance for the individual, Marc says.
As for the best style of sunglasses to suit a heart-shaped face, Marc suggests what he says is a big trend - aviators.
"They look great," he says. "The curve at the bottom of an aviator is wonderful for heart shape - it sort of fills out the bottom part of the face."
Marc was in Toronto recently to discuss his latest collection of eyewear, and says the patterns and colours were inspired by the tropics and exotic destinations he's been fortunate to visit.
Marc says he started with a palm-leaf pattern and used as many as seven layers of material to create the effects and colour in the frames.
The result is a series of brightly hued sunglasses with dual-tone combinations like iced tea and mango and daiquiri and guava.
"It really is new, it's light, but there's a lot of texture with it due to the palm leaf print that I incorporated into it," he says.
The retro classic styles from the '50s and '60s continue to be popular. Women are really attracted to shapes that are "heavier, man-tailored, almost unisex in a way," Marc says.
A few years ago it was all about rimless, but plastic continues to reign as a material of choice, he says.
Amin Mamdani, a licensed optician and vice-president, operations of Josephson Opticians in Toronto, says when it comes to retro style it's not about antique frames, but those that have an essence of the '60s, '70s and '80s when sunglasses were large and mostly plastic.
"There was a lot of translucents and aviators, so that's the key for this year that we're looking at," he says.
Marc and Mamdani agree another emerging trend is one that singer and eyeglass enthusiast Elton John arguably helped popularize over the years: co-ordinating wardrobes with eyewear.
John has reportedly admitted buying 20,000 pairs over the years.
