Eyewear has boasted of a special place in the history of fashion, being some of the essential accoutrements favored by celebrities and superstars, and has won world-wide acceptance. In the 21st century, a pair of shades means much more than just glasses for protecting the eyes from dangerous Ultra Violet (UV) sunrays. What you wear on your eyes reflects – pun intended – the uniqueness of your personality. Choosing the right pair of eyewear adds a touch of high style and suggests your own personal mystique.

The variety of choice available to you is enormous. There are many brands, big, small and exclusive, and at first the idea of choosing can seem difficult or overwhelming. There's sports eyewear, formal eyewear, casual eyewear and even custom eyewear for the quirky fashion connoisseurs. Luckily the range in price, too, is broad enough that there's a perfect choice out there waiting for you!

Sure, your sunglasses should offer good protection for your eyes. But that's not all: go for the eyewear that flatters your face best. Keep an eye on the latest trends – which might be wraps, aviators, clip-ons, shields, oversize Jackie O frames, or some funky vintage or futuristic shapes brightening the markets.

So many brands have flooded the market that counterfeits take up a lot of space, too. Don't opt for poor-quality plastic lens eyewear: you'll save on your cash, but you may just end up hurting your eyes, too.

Experts say that larger shapes, particularly the square frames and (typically unisex) aviators are big hits this season. Lens colors or shades complementing these shapes are brown, grey and black. That's right, loud colors like pink and blue and lime are definitely out. Dark tones are all the rage, plus they're absolute classics.

Again, there's more to it than shape and color. Don't forget to check out the materials. The young and the terminally hip prefer bright plastic frames and some like to experiment with outré or just plain weird layer and color effects. Two dead-cert color combinations that you won't feel like you've mis-stepped with are red and black, and red and white. Or eschew color effects altogether and borrow a leaf from your favorite celeb by hitting the uber-chic tortoise-shell effect.

Pro-tip: a frame with a classic-looking silhouette, rather than one with a bulky or zany frame, is your friend forever. Like a smart tux or a little black dress, sleek materials in colors like black, grey, brown or silver and materials like plastic or wire will ensure maximum adaptability to the changing occasions and styles. Trends come and go, but the basics of fashion will remain for a long time.

Style Signatures for Her and for Him

Color coordination is the buzz-word for eyewear trends today. Women like to choose a pair of eyewear that works with the color of their hair and complexion best. Oversized glasses with double shades and a conspicuous logo on the sides also function as sexy hair bands. These are extremely popular and casually stylish. As for men, they can make their style statements with metallic, rimless or wire-frame aviator shades.

Of course it's true that a lot of fashion-conscious people are happy to fork over large sums for high-end branded eyewear have more than one pair of shades. A particular piece for a specific occasion or moment adding up to a unique look – more than one pair makes that even easier to achieve.

To Get the Perfect Look

Wait, it's not actually that easy. Invest some time in trials. Don't hurry, spend as much time as you need trying on different frames, materials, styles and lens shapes and colors before deciding on the trendy pair of eyewear that's also distinctly you. The end result will be amazing, and you'll feel great and look great as well as keep your eyes safe!