You Decided This at Nineteen

Black sunglasses are a decision you made once, aged about nineteen, and have never revisited. They go with everything, they suit nobody in particular, and they make every photograph look like you are in transit.

Why do tortoise shell sunglasses suit more people than black ones?

Because the pattern carries warm brown, amber and honey all at once, so something in it usually agrees with your skin. Black is a single flat block that either works against you or does not, and mostly it just goes quiet.

Tortoiseshell reads warm on almost everyone. That is the whole advantage, and it is a big one.

What is the difference between light and dark tortoise shell?

Depth, and it changes the effect completely. Light tortoiseshell is honey and amber with more translucency, so it softens the face and reads as summer.

Dark tortoiseshell is deep brown with more contrast in the pattern. It behaves more like black — more presence, more structure — while still keeping the warmth black loses.

If you want the frame noticed, go dark. If you want your face noticed, go light.

Which tortoise shell frame should you choose?

Shape decides this more than colour does.

If you want warmth and softness

Chunky Square Sunglasses With Yellow Tinted Frame in Light Tortoise Shell — £35.50 — Shop →

Light tortoiseshell with warm yellow-tinted lenses. The tint is the unusual part — it warms everything you look at, which is either lovely or disorienting depending on how literal you are about your sunglasses.

If you want structure

Chunky Square Sunglasses With Dark Brown Tortoise Shell Frame — £35.50 — Shop →

The same chunky square shape in rich dark brown. A square frame adds definition to a rounder face, which is the most useful thing a pair of sunglasses can do.

If your face is already angular

Oval Sunglasses in Light Yellowish Tortoise Shell — £35.50 — Shop →

Curves against angles. An oval frame in light honeyed tortoiseshell softens a strong jaw or high cheekbones, and it suits a smaller face better than a chunky square does.

If you want to be seen coming

Oversized Rectangular Sunglasses in Vintage Tortoise Shell — £40.25 — Shop →

Oversized rectangular in vintage tortoiseshell. Retro in shape, warm in tone, and the only one of the four that changes how you walk.

How do you know if a frame fits properly?

Three checks, and none of them is whether you like the look.

The frame should not be wider than your face at the temples. If it overhangs, it will slide down every time you look at your phone.

Your lashes should not touch the lenses, and the frame should not rest on your cheeks when you smile. Both are why a pair you loved in the shop ends up unworn.

What sunglasses are actually for

Not hiding, though that is what most of us use them for. Sunglasses are one of the very few things you can put on that change how you carry yourself before you have said a word.

Which puts them squarely in Soft Power at Love Your Beauty. Not louder. Just less available for inspection, on the days that helps.

Buy the ones you would put on to go to the shop. That is the pair you will actually own.

Common questions

Do tortoise shell sunglasses suit everyone?

They suit more people than black does, because the pattern contains several warm tones at once rather than a single flat colour. Lighter, honeyed patterns lean summery and softer; darker brown patterns carry more contrast and structure.

What face shape suits square sunglasses?

Rounder and softer faces, because the straight lines add definition. If your face is already angular, an oval or rounder frame balances it better.

How do you know if sunglasses are too big for your face?

If the frame is wider than your face at the temples, it is too big and it will slide. Your lashes should also clear the lenses, and the frame should not sit on your cheeks when you smile.

Are tinted lenses worth it?

A warm tint changes how everything looks, which some people love and others find disorienting. If these are your only pair, a neutral lens is the safer choice; a tint is a good second pair.

What is tortoise shell actually made from?

Acetate or plastic with a mottled pattern applied to imitate the original material. Genuine turtle shell has not been used in mainstream eyewear for decades, so every tortoiseshell frame you can buy today is a pattern rather than a shell.

Wear it

Chunky Square Sunglasses With Yellow Tinted Frame in Light Tortoise Shell — £35.50 — Shop →

Chunky Square Sunglasses With Dark Brown Tortoise Shell Frame — £35.50 — Shop →

Oval Sunglasses in Light Yellowish Tortoise Shell — £35.50 — Shop →

Oversized Rectangular Sunglasses in Vintage Tortoise Shell — £40.25 — Shop →