It is fair to say that social media is a powerful force that drives many of our fashion choices.
Thanks to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, we can easily keep up to date with the latest trends and unique styles, not just from big brands but also from small, independent labels around the world.
While this applies to all fashion accessories, it is particularly true for sunglasses brands, which receive plenty of attention online. (For example, Ray Ban sunglasses has over 5.8 million followers).
So, how, then, are social media trends shaping the popularity of this particular type of eyewear?
In this post, we’ll explore this question in more detail.
Story Stages
1. Influencers and Celebrity Endorsements
Thanks to the power of social media, a single post from a top influencer or celebrity can significantly boost a specific brand or style of sunglasses virtually overnight.
When celebs like Jennifer Anniston or Angelina Jolie are seen wearing aviators or Taylor Swift and Timothée Chalamet don wayfarers, it can quickly catch on to becoming the most coveted trend of the moment.
Social media influencers and celebrities have a unique power which enables them to reach millions of people directly through their social media accounts. So, this is arguably the most effective way for sunglasses brands to get their products noticed.
2. Viral Fashion Challenges
In addition to posts about various styles of sunglasses, viral fashion statements challenges on platforms like TikTok and Instagram also influence how people perceive and wear sunglasses.
You just have to look at the popularity of the ‘Y2K aesthetic’ challenge on TikTok to see, for example, the resurgence of early-2000s-inspired slim, colourful frames and oval shapes that were popular back in the day.
This resurgence was largely driven by younger audiences that embraced these nostalgic styles, often as a result of the excellent accompanying musical soundtracks of the era.
Similarly, trends such as ‘outfit of the day’ (OOTD) reels bring other brands to the attention of the masses.
3. Real-Time Feedback and Interaction
One of the best things about social media is that it provides a direct line of communication between brands and their followers.
This can be an invaluable resource because through polls, Q&As, and comments in their stories or posts, they can gain qualitative data as to which styles their customers will prefer.
For instance, ‘This or That’ posts help brands to test out new designs and gauge potential levels of demand among their customers, ultimately saving them millions of dollars in traditional forms of market research and product line adjustments.
4. Aesthetic and Lifestyle Movements
Social media is the home of lifestyle trends which can have a major impact on the type of fashion items, particularly sunglasses, that people choose to wear.
The athleisure movement, as popularised on Instagram and Pinterest, led to a spike in demand for performance-inspired wraparound sunglasses. This was helped by a glut of fitness influencers posting workout routines in sporty, polarised lenses, which created an entire fashion trend around these functional frames.
Cottagecore is another example of a lifestyle movement that has shaped a specific style of sunglasses, with several brands embodying the romantic, whimsical and vintage essence of it in their frames.
5. User-Generated Content
You don’t even have to be an influencer with millions of followers to shape trends on social media. Even everyday users have had a massive impact on trends relating to sunglasses.
Through user-generated content (UGC), people can inspire trends by sharing their unique styles on their own social media feeds. This creates authentic content that people relate to because it is being adopted by ‘real people’, which therefore seems more attainable or less exclusive.
This type of content often encourages followers to try new looks, with users tagging brands, sharing styling ideas, and even helping to create a community based around a specific style of sunglasses.
A good example of this happened on Pinterest and Instagram a few years ago when people started posting pictures of themselves in minimalist frames with sleek, thin metal rims. This minimalistic style was quickly picked up as a trend by many fashion followers, which resulted in them purchasing similar pairs for themselves.
6. Sustainability and Ethical Trends
Sustainability is becoming much more prominent in social media discourse, and with hashtags like #SustainableFashion being attributed to Instagram and Pinterest posts, several eco-friendly sunglass brands have gained traction.
As many users actively look for sustainable options and support brands that align with their eco-conscious values, brands are producing sunglasses from recycled plastic and biodegradable acetate that meet this demand – which gets highlighted in their marketing.
Subsequently, they have become popular choices among consumers who want to make more environmentally friendly purchases.
7. The Role of Augmented Reality (AR) when Choosing Sunglasses
Thanks to technological advances like Augmented Reality (AR), many sunglass brands offer virtual try-ons through Instagram or Snapchat filters.
This brilliant innovation allows users to see what they will look like with different styles before making a purchase, which, therefore, makes it easier to envision how they’ll look in trendy new frames.
Additionally, social media filters add another layer of fun. So, it also allows users to experiment with bold, unusual styles they might not otherwise be game enough to.
