Love your glares (Should I know you?)

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: goods. Prada butterfly frames echo the motifs of the brand’s recent runway collections. Chrome Hearts frames are embellished with sterling bolo designs and leather trim reflective of the company’s rough-rider image.

She is among those turning their backs on ostentatious styling, and especially on the owlishly super-size frames popularised a few years back by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, in favour of scaled-down rectangles in bi-coloured plastic, imitation tortoise shell, wood, titanium or even gold.

Over all, “people are leaning towards the classics in rich materials,” said Richard Talmadge, the chief operating officer for Safilo, which makes Balenciaga, Jimmy Choo and Valentino eyewear. The company’s best sellers include Marc Jacobs aviators and television-screen-shaped plastic frames worthy of Anouk Aimée in La Dolce Vita. The most coveted styles have a candidly patrician cast. “They look back to the 1970s,” said Jayne Mountford, a trend consultant in Los Angeles. In contrast to the ‘70s originals, which made people seem aloof or anonymous, contemporary variations often feature gradient lenses that are tinted on top and clear below — a more approachable look. “Sunglasses aren’t armour anymore — they’re not about saying don’t touch me,” said Ed Burstell, the vice president for cosmetics and accessories for Bergdorf Goodman in New York. Among the more rarefied labels at Bergdorf are Bulgari, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Barton Perreira.

The demand for luxury sunglasses has spurred designers to quickly affix their logos to the latest styles, including some designers who had not previously had eyewear lines. The roster includes established giants like Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani, and cutting-edge brands like Stella McCartney, Proenza Schouler and Thakoon, some offering wares for both women and men.

“Men have embraced sunglasses with a passion,” said James J Spina, the editor in chief of 20/20, an eyewear monthly. “Unlike men’s previous pet object, the watch, which half the time is covered by a sleeve, sunglasses are always visible, a kind of jewellery for the face. They give men an identity.”