For me, no one makes as strong a case for aviator sunglasses as Gloria Steinem.
The woman who artfully told the world that fashion and feminism could co-exist had a signature style uniform – and part of that look was a pair of tinted aviators. It wasn’t just the shape that was appealing, Steinem’s blue-tinted shades were fairly standard, but rather how she wore them. Steinem tucked her long hair inside the arms, a result of having been teased as a child for having chubby cheeks. She was rarely seen without them, and – like anyone who counts a specific style of sunglasses as part of their day-to-day look – it made her seem enigmatic. It was also a female reclamation of a typically, oversized masculine style that felt apt given Steinem’s feminism. They became a part of what we now think of as 70s style, the most low-maintenance way of adding low-key glamour.
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Aviator sunglasses are firmly a part of the fashion lexicon again. After years favouring itsy-bitsy 90s styles, the industry has turned its axis back to oversized designs, and the silhouette most closely associated with Tom Cruise’s Maverick is back. Phoebe Philo and Gucci have embraced a chunky frame version, while Chloé is going with a more classic 70s shape. Bottega Veneta, whose creative director Louise Trotter is often seen in them, has introduced a pair called the ‘Drop’, in which curved arms wrap around the ear and are punctuated with sculptural teardrops. Although the fashion crowd adopted aviators again last year, their popularity has continued into 2026. Global search platform Lyst reports that aviator searches have risen by 24 per cent in January alone, with styles from Gucci, Tom Ford and Chloé proving the most desirable. Contemporary aviator design The Luz is a repeat best-seller for French eyewear brand Jimmy Fairly. “There has been significant demand for the Luz frame when it’s out of stock, with thousands of weekly requests for aviator models like the Luz, Halo, and Sao,” says Daphnée Chartier-Duchatel, Chief Marketing Officer at Jimmy Fairly. “We’ve also seen an over 50 per cent increase in sales of aviator-style frames.”
It’s the same situation at affordable fashion favourite Le Specs. “We’ve seen a significant resurgence in aviators this season, with a 74 per cent year-on-year increase in sales,” says Hamish Tame, the brand’s Chief Creative and Commercial Officer. “The momentum has been driven by the plastic aviator in particular — a bolder, more fashion-led evolution of the classic — especially in our Tragic Magic, Drizzle and Dream Boat silhouettes. With names like Khloé Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Olivia Palermo wearing the styles, it feels both timeless and newly directional.”
La Luz aviators, £135, Jimmy Fairly
While sunglasses trends come and go, the benefit of aviators is that they have a timeless allure. The oversized, masculine frame means that they offset overtly feminine outfits, bringing a certain hardiness. Conversely, they give utilitarian outfits more edge, and for Steinem, they also projected a certain cerebral sensibility (not that she needed it, her words spoke for themselves). Aviators provide an accidental glamour, and a steely confidence. As an aside, they also enhance cheekbones, which isn’t not helpful.
Aviator sunglasses were born in the 30s as a problem-solver for US military pilots, who were fed up with their fur-trimmed goggles fogging up at high altitudes, and intense sun rays causing headaches. The first prototype was launched in 1937, featuring a plastic frame in the now-famous teardrop shape, before being reimagined the following year using a metal frame and rebranded the Ray-Ban aviator. As time went on, it infiltrated pop culture, most famously through Tom Cruise in 1986 classic Top Gun.
Bombe sunglasses, £540, Phoebe Philo
The rounded, tear-drop silhouette is almost universally flattering, but particularly on those with more angular features and anyone with an oval, heart or square-shaped face. The point is they’re a strong look, which is why many of us questioned French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to wear reflective aviators inside at Davos last month. Was he trying to avoid looking at Donald Trump in the eye, or was it a sign of determination? The reason was more banal – a harmless broken blood vessel. Regardless, sales for the Maison Henry Jullien style shot up as a result, and caused a 65 per cent stock print jump for the brand’s Italian owners iVision Tech.
And that’s perhaps the greatest strength of a pair of aviators; they’re reliably statement-making, meaning you don’t have to think about the rest of your outfit. Put them on and you’ll look like a main character – just the low-effort version.
Ella Alexander is Citizen Femme’s fashion features editor. She started her career at the Evening Standard, and has since held senior editorial roles at Vogue, The Independent and Harper’s Bazaar, where she remains a contributing editor. She also writes for The Telegraph, Sunday Times Style, Service95 and CNN. She is an author, having co-written Dame Zandra Rhodes’ memoir, Iconic: My Life In Fashion In 50 Objects, published by Transworld in July 2024. Her favourite travel destination is Catania, Sicily’s second city.
Lead image: Jimmy Fairly Paris
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