The Coolest Men’s Sunglasses For Summer 2023
Forget those throwaway pairs you've been buying each year and go for one of these high-quality, timeless frames from the most trusted names in the game.
Some of the most iconic looks in the history of men’s style have featured some of the coolest sunglasses front and center – think the likes of Steve McQueen’s cherished Persol 714s or Robert Redford’s aviators. But you don’t have to be a timeless icon to look great when summer heats up.
All you need is a great pair of shades. And below you’ll find our edit of the best men’s sunglasses to help you get started on the long, winding road to style glory and greatness.
Forget about throwaway pairs you’ve relied on perhaps one too many times after leaving your own trusted pair at home. We’re talking about premium quality frames from luxury eyewear brands – the type of sunglasses that make an outfit rather than simply serve as a placeholder.
After all, the right shades add a definitive edge to any look, be it rugged casual gear or your finest cotton summer suit. Here’s how to make sunglasses work for you.
Sunglasses built for the long haul
Warby Parker
The great thing about tracking down a pair of timeless sunglasses has to be the fact that, ultimately, you don’t have to think too hard about it. What we mean to say is, each of the brands featured below has the kind of heritage and pedigree that made menswear legends trust them implicitly.
So, no need to worry about busted frames or inferior lenses. Rest easy knowing craftsmanship and style come as standard. And because we’ve prioritised refined yet versatile designs, these sunglasses very likely won’t ever date – so each is worthy of the price tag.
As spring looms, time is of the essence. Don’t end up a step behind when stocking your closet with warm-weather essentials. Accept no substitutes: aim high and you might end up going on a few McQueen-esque adventures of your own this summer.
14 cool men’s sunglasses for summer 2023
Oscar Deen Fraser M Series Sunglasses
Oscar Deen has perhaps the coolest and most unique approach to design in the eyewear industry. Based in the UK, the founders scour the markets, alleys and antique shops of Europe in search of vintage sunglasses and spectacles that go on to form the basis of their designs.
Take the Fraser M model, for example: the inspiration for these sunglasses was a pair of 1960s Italian bifocal spectacles worn by an eyewear collector in Camden, London.
Oscar Deen’s version pays homage to the drop down brow but brings the shades bang up to date with a combination of metal and Mazzucchelli acetate. The result is a pair of retro-looking sunnies that will always be cool – which is a good thing because the brand also offers a lifetime guarantee (yes, you read that right).
Selfmade Walker Sunglasses
Selfmade is an independent eyewear brand which produces small-batch sunglasses in premium quality materials. Each pair is made by hand in a small family-owned factory in Greece, and it shows – the attention to detail is second to none.
Yet although the product processes are traditional, the designs are extremely contemporary. Take its Walker model for example: these round lens shades integrate a wire brow bar that mirrors the curve of the lenses, bringing a modern touch to a classic silhouette.
Crafted from transparent grey Italian Mazzucchelli acetate, they feature teflon coated comtech hinges so you know they will last for many summers to come.
Also available in tortoiseshell and matte black.
Meller Lerato Gold Sunglasses
Meller has quickly built a reputation for producing some of the coolest sunglasses on the market, which has made them popular with fashion influencers and industry insiders.
The brand takes a fashion-forward approach to design, often experimenting with frame shapes and lens colours to create shades that make a statement.
These Lerato Gold sunglasses don’t need to shout for attention, however. The small geometric frame is just different enough that they will stand out in a sea of aviators and round lens silhouettes, yet the use of gold and black acetate ensures they remain completely timeless.
They come with polarized, anti-scratch lenses, cleaning cloth and branded Meller carry case.
Persol 714 Original Sunglasses
Perhaps you’ve seen this silhouette before on the aforementioned Mr. McQueen in the 1960s classic The Thomas Crown Affair. It’s on the big screen where the first folding sunglasses made a proper splash, showcasing intricate manufacturing and attention to detail.
The tortoiseshell acetate and handsome blue contrasting lenses work well in modern times no matter what you wear, but we’re of the opinion that they team best with breezy summer tailoring. Think a khaki cotton suit and linen shirt, or more rugged, easy-going picks, like a chambray button-up and olive chinos.
Warby Parker Cooper Sunglasses
Warby Parker, with its showroom approach to shopping for sunglasses, changed the way guys shop for the coolest shades on the market.
The brand has also expanded its ‘eye’ for design over the years, to the point where the Cooper Sunglasses – without a nose bridge and boasting a thin, subtle gold brow wire – look like they cost four or five times as much.
These shades are ideal for the stylish man on a budget, and should offset the basics (like a white linen shirt and khaki pants) with a dash of unexpected, eye-catching style.
Cutler and Gross 1393 Square Sunglasses
To find the coolest sunglasses in modern times, it pays to look to the past. And when we say certain items never go out of style, we mean it: these Cutler and Gross sunglasses draws inspiration from a surplus store pair of archival C&G frames, with a bold and 70s-esque design to match.
More than five decades on, the distinctive square frame is well-suited to those who favour throwback, runway-inspired looks – think instantly recognisable staples like a sweater polo or retro cardigan.
This fashion-forward style is toned down ever so slightly by a black acetate frame, which lets the lenses do all the talking.
Garrett Leight Hampton Sunglasses
Ideally, the coolest sunglasses look like something that you might have snagged right out of an old Polaroid photo of a family beach vacation. They just don’t make ’em like that anymore, except in the case of Garrett Leight.
A circular frame is a standout choice that says you know exactly how you want to look: unbothered, rakish and supremely cool.
The champagne colour on this model plays well with laid-back beach and boardwalk staples: a terry cloth polo, tailored swim trunks and an ice-cold beverage in hand.
Elsewhere, take them for a spin on dry land with linen trousers and suede loafers.
MOSCOT Zev Sunglasses
You’re not going to find a pair of sunglasses like this anywhere but a MOSCOT store, although imitators might try to copy the brand’s family-owned focus on craftsmanship and heritage.
Of course, those two pillars come with a good dose of style: after 100-plus years in business, you tend to figure out what the people want.
Here, this elegant frame draws inspiration from a family cousin and lawyer, who favoured the original 60s version himself. Wear it like ‘Zev’ might have – with a crisp white shirt, knit tie and navy suit.
Oliver Peoples Gregory Peck Sunglasses
It’s been 60 years since Gregory Peck graced the silver screen in award-winning classic To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), wearing a pair of signature round frames.
Fast forward to today and a collaborative pair of sunglasses made in tandem with Peck’s estate are available to add to your collection.
These aren’t a pair to merely be placed on a shelf, though. They’ve got an air of retro appeal, especially when rendered in crisp black.
Let the rest of your ensemble do the talking – tailored outdoor engagements this summer call for a pair of subtle statement shades.
Yves Saint Laurent SL422
The aviator is rooted in historical action as a style trusted by pilots, but in the capable hands of the luxury fashion brand Saint Laurent, it becomes something else entirely.
If you’re feeling especially adventurous, reach for this fashion-forward geometric take with a gold double bridge. The design details are impeccable, the quality is worth the price and the styling potential is second to none.
Save these for whiling away an afternoon at a sidewalk cafe, paired with a striped YSL shirt.
Ray-Ban Clubmaster
It’s never a bad bet to trust those with an eye for next-level art and forward thinking, is it? Take Andy Warhol, who made the Ray-Ban Clubmaster entirely his own.
The style has stood the test of time in the decades since Warhol’s passing, giving the wearer an air of bookish, in-the-know cool.
Worn by mods back in the day and available in much the same design as years past, the Clubmaster makes a statement when worn casually with essentials like a white tee, high-top sneakers and light wash denim.
Kirk Originals The S.A.D. Aviator Sunglasses
The coolest sunglasses, like your most trusted shirt or a classic watch, should be able to tell a story all their own – it pays to select a pair you can grow into, so to speak.
The sharp tear-drop shape and top-heavy design of this tortoiseshell pair from Kirk Originals mean business, with a bolstered top brow that goes well with looks both rugged and flashy.
Think Gosling and wear an olive henley, unbuttoned, with a silver bracelet or slim pendant necklace.
Mykita Decades Alessia Sunglasses
Splurge in matters of style and price with luxury sunglasses brand Mykita. Average gets thrown out the window with these six-sided lenses, which is actually part of a double-layer lens design.
Think of these like a red carpet-worthy pair of frames: team them with a breezy cotton suit in a visually striking colour, like emerald green or a heightened shade of blue.
Or go ultra minimal and wear a grey cashmere-blend tee and black jeans, because the shades say plenty on their own.
Cartier Santos De Cartier Sunglasses
Cartier doesn’t do things halfway: that much is clear when you consider the long-running history of the brand’s core pieces, like the often-imitated, never-duplicated Tank Watch.
You’re getting much of that same heritage in another everyday carry essential by way of these sunglasses.
Like a more stylish pair of pilot’s goggles, these feature thick, reinforced lenses and a doubled-up bridge and nosepiece, all fused into an on-trend aviator design.
These are worth the investment, and you should wear them on every jet-setting trip you take.
