Eyewear Trends for 2023

With just a month until we roll over in to another new year you may be wondering what's going to be hot in eyewear fashion in 2023. Our accredited eyewear stylist, Abi, has been researching styles that have been gathering popularity in fashion shows and new eyewear from our amazing eyewear brands, as well as what our clients have been keen to see.

Sustainability Is Key

With the recent COP27 summit and obvious climate changes we have seen across the world

over the last year, there is an ever-increasing focus on sustainability in fashion.

Much of existing eyewear brands from the likes of mega-eyewear producers such as Luxottica create low-cost mass produced products using plastic and metals, not only is there a lot of product and water waste during production, it's hard not to feel like we should be reusing and recycling our eyewear to avoid further waste.

Going green will be a major trend for 2023 in all industries, including the eyewear world. Luckily, there is a growing demand for eco-friendly eyewear brands which use innovative solutions to create sustainable eyewear with minimal production waste, some of which are even bio-degradable! Many independent brands have switched to made to order rather than mass production such as wooden Feb31st and Acetate Johann Von Goisern - both collections hand made in Europe.

We feel that going green is a responsibility which starts with the manufacturers and trickles down in to the opticians that choose what they stock - ask us what brands we stock which are made from bio-based materials, natural sustainable materials, recycled materials and use recycled and reduced packaging.

Hues of Nature

Not only are fashionistas and the general public looking for sustainable eyewear options, they are also keen to choose eyewear which incorporates natural colours. From crystals to

matte mossy and olive green, deep reds and tortoiseshell, most of the latest models from all collections are available in earthy tones.

Crystal frames came back in to popularity over the last few years, throwing away it's previous associations with the old NHS glasses of the 60's.

The evolution of the crystal plastics have graduated from completely clear which can put many off as they can wash out a lot of skin tones. We also received a fair few comments about them looking like safety glasses or lab specs.

All of the latest crystal are made with hints of pastel and earthy tones, offering more depth and a barely there look.

New glasses wearers love soft colour tinted crystals as a comfortable stepping stone introduction in to eyewear -

rather than jumping in to

dark, heavy black and tortoiseshell or bright electric colours which will surely be a big statement.

Twinning crystal colours with tortoiseshell is emerging as a crystal trend for those who would like more texture in their frames and is sure to be a hit for those with a warm natural colouring.

70's Oversized and Angular

You may have noticed from recent visits to us that oversized shapes litter our shelves from catwalk designer brands such as Tom Ford, Gucci and Chloe. Coming up to 2023 oversized styles are now a staple in high-fashion collections in womenswear, and it finally looks like gender-inclusive and the gent's eyewear markets are catching up too.

Thanks to the 2022 trends of nostalgic 70's styles spreading across of all the fashion industry (think flares, psychedelic patterns, wolf hair cuts and platform shoes) 70's trends are here to stay and eyewear is no exception.

Are you thinking Diedre Barlow and Jeffrey Dahmer? Don't. Reimagined decade design in fashion is often more refined and updated to mesh with current standards in fashion. What's the point in bringing fashion in to the future without making it better?

Fine oversized gold metals in angular shapes, normally a reinvention of the 70's aviator trend, are going to be huge in 2023. Fine gold metals create more of a statement when paired with graduated tinted lenses like in this Cartier campaign, as shown above.

Chunky frames made of top-quality acetate

with a high-shine create a dramatic look for the wearer. Often with more of a sharp geometric edge and stronger angles, these designs

breath a fresh of breath air in the eyewear industry .

Expect to see a lot of patterned, bold and strong coloured frames in 2023, too.

Bright, Beautiful and Individual

This trend embraces life in vivid colours, style, creativity and pure fun.

The mood is eclectic and the colour palette vibrant and bright, made up of intense, exuberant hues.

Following the trend of crystal frames, it's not just natural hues that are available. Brightly coloured crystals are bold and brighter, with light travelling through the acetate and enhancing the colour.

Check out this Cutler and Gross frame in the predicted Pantone colour of 2023! It's even more vibrant in person.

There are plenty of bright frames available in the latest collections from independent brands

with bold patterns that you just don't see with most high street and designer brands.

We see plenty of clients who love something a little different which they can't get elsewhere, something truly individual like their own style and personality. We have lots of options for those who like to follow trends, which cover the overwhelming trend that will hopefully stay - nature inspired colours, oversized angular styles and sustainable design.

For those who love metal frames and want to incorporate some bright colour, we have noticed a trend of large angular shapes with a 'plain' colour on the front and a bright, bold colour on the inside which peeps through while they are being worn. These frames look amazing when on and have been popular with men who want to experiment with colour.

So, that's our eyewear trend predictions for 2023. In summary sustainability and nature are the underlining theme, soft natural and bright clear colouring is going to be very popular. 70's style will still be steering the ship for fashionistas through out 2023, especially in sunglass styles for the summer festival season.

Drop us a comment with any thoughts. What do you think of our predictions? Are you excited for your next pair of eyewear in 2023?