Sunglasses

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Playing Gossip Girl’s Brooklyn boho beauty, Vanessa Abrams, Jessica Szohr has learned a thing or two about accessorizing. “I actually don’t think [Vanessa] can breathe without 8 necklaces or earrings!” Jessica joked to PEOPLE when we caught up with her at a VOGUE Eyewear event in New York City. “My style is much more simple, Vanessa is very funk’defied,” she says about her character’s tendency to pile on the jewels. “Because my style is very simple, I like to wear accessories to add a little sparkle to the outfit.” And one accessory she can’t get enough of are sunglasses! The Gossip Girl star, who was on hand at Bloomingdale’s to help customers pick out the perfect shades, explains, “You can never really go wrong with sunglasses. I always get myself a couple of pairs every year. One pair that I have had and have managed not to lose is an old vintage pair I found in Venice Beach, California.” And when it comes to her perfect pair of shades, Jessica skips the trends and tries to stick to styles that suit her face and aren’t too big or too small. “They also have to be a little bit funky and fun at the same time,” she amends. Other than her growing collection of sunglasses, Jessica stocks up on beanies and statement rings — much like her Gossip Girl character, Vanessa. “I’m always wearing some kind of big ring,” she notes. And while Jessica has found ways to incorporate Vanessa’s love of accessories in her own wardrobe, there is one thing that they both agree on. “I don’t think people should wear sunglasses at night.” We agree!

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Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have made oversize shades a signature part of their style, so it’s no wonder that the superstar designers have chosen to add vintage-inspired shades to their luxury label The Row. And though The Row’s sunglass collection won’t be hitting stores until spring, Mary-Kate is already showing it off. The designer secretly debuted an oversized square frame — one of four styles that make up the collection — at the Burberry runway show during London Fashion Week. The other three styles include a classic metal aviator, vintage-inspired brow-line and a pair of round shades taken from the ’60s, according to WWD. “We’re testing the market first and obviously these are four very different silhouettes, so we’re seeing what people are responding to and we’ll open up a couple more silhouettes for fall,” Ashley tells WWD of the collaboration with Linda Farrow Eyewear, who is already responsible for Bernard Wilhelm, Dries Van Noten and Jeremy Scott’s edgy eyewear. Mary-Kate and Ashley have already made a mark in the accessories market with jewelry and shoes for their contemporary label, Elizabeth and James, but adding sunglasses proved to be a new challenge for the designers. “Designing eyewear was definitely more complicated than we thought, and of course, we wanted to be extremely hands-on,” Mary-Kate tells WWD. Sunglasses for The Row are expected to hit high-end department stores for spring with prices ranging from $325- $390. So far, we love what we see! Tell us: Will you buy sunglasses from The Row?

Ramey

With clients like Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian, stylist Jennifer Rade is one of Hollywood’s hottest authorities on glamour so who better to recommend the perfect shades for the summer? Ensconsced in the luxurious SoHo sunglass boutique Ilori, the boutique’s Style Ambassador explained that her belief that “people should put more time into [it] because it’s really the only accessory that covers function and form. Sunglasses are definitely an extension of your personality and of your outfit.” And there are no rules this summer — from bright plastics to classic aviators, it’s all about finding the right fit for your face. Jen suggests “to work in opposites.” So if you have a long, narrow face, find a wider frame that gives width to your face. Or if you have a round face, try a frame that has “a little angle so it helps give the illusion of definition of your jaw line.” But remember to “make sure the lens doesn’t go so far down that it affects the proportion of your jaw.” And neutrals don’t just have to mean tortoise shell or black – “try a pearl grey [or a] camel. There are beautiful lighter-toned plastics that would definitely be considered neutral, and therefore, I think could go with anything so long as it’s appropriate for your outfit personality.” And don’t be afraid to spend a little bit more at a store like Ilori, like Beyonce, who recently went on a shopping spree with her nephew and mother at their Beverly Hills location. “What is cool about sunglasses is that no matter what you buy or when, if you take care of them, you should be able to open a drawer and have all your options.” But her number one piece of advice is to make sure you know what you look like in the glasses by snapping camera phone pics. “You need to shoot yourself five pictures of yourself, [even] ten. Otherwise you can not see [what you look like].” Tell us: What sunglasses are you buying this summer?

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Two classic accessories brands, Van Cleef & Arpels and Oliver Peoples, came together for the third year in a row to host their annual Hollywood luncheon, this year hosted by stunner, actress Zooey Deschanel (and co-hosts Matt Costa and Autumn De Wilde). Host Deschanel, even designed her own pair of retro shades, appropriately named after herself. She collaborated with the Oliver Peoples design team and came up with a limited edition pair available for presale for this month and a portion of the proceeds go to her charity, the Jenesse Center. “Doing the Oliver Peoples campaign was amazing because I would never want to be involved with a product unless I actually loved it,” Deschanel told PEOPLE. “And I love their glasses!” she gushed. “I wanted to make a sunglass that was classic and timeless that could be worn by a man or a woman. And it was really fun designing them.” Also at the party, Kate Walsh who caught up with former Grey’s Anatomy co-star Eric Dane, who had a guy’s day out with Balthazar Getty and Johnny Lee Miller — all sporting Oliver Peoples shades, of course. Preorder your pair of Zooey’s Oliver Peoples sunglasses at oliverpeoples.com. — Jen Garcia

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Gossip Girl stars Blake Lively, Penn Badgley, Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford joined forces to help relaunch Ray Bans “Clubmaster” shades at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom last night. Known for its distinctively cool and classic 1950s design, the “Clubmaster” was worn by legends as disparate as Malcolm X and Katherine Hepburn. It seems only fitting that the Gossip Girl stars would help rebirth it. Other stylish stars in attendance included Diane Kruger, Joshua Jackson and Maggie Gyllenhaal. We can’t wait to get our hands on a pair. You can get your own pair of “Clubmasters”, $130, at a Sunglass Hut near you.

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We thought Beyonce’s metal glove was already an over-the-top look, but we spied the singer sporting some pretty wacky sunglasses while filming her lastest video for “Diva” this weekend. Check out that metal fringe! But apparently, out-there eyewear is the newest fashion trend for stars, because Rihanna performed at the American Music Awards this weekend in a bejeweled eyepatch. Now we want your opinion! Tell us: Which star’s eyewear is more outrageous? Rihanna or Beyonce?

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It’s hard to find Victoria Beckham dressed in anything short of glamorous. Fitted dresses, sky-high heels and a freshly snipped bob are in constant rotation in this Spice Girl’s wardrobe, but the pair of oversized sunglasses from her own dVb line seems to be one of Beckham’s defining pieces. Working her definitive style, Beckham says she “can’t live without [these] sunglasses.” We’ve all got our own personal flair for fashion and now the editors at StyleWatch want to know which item from your closet best represents your look. Tell us: What’s your signature style piece and why?