Last week, the ultrawealthy flocked to Idaho for Allen & Co.’s annual Sun Valley Conference.
The conference, often called “summer camp for billionaires,” started in the 1980s and brings some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful business leaders to one space for several days of presentations, outdoor activities, and networking. This year, it was held from July 9 to 13.
Sun Valley also doubles as a fashion trend pulse for the 1%, as high-profile attendees typically wear casual looks that offer a peek into their day-to-day style.
Pops of red and the classic tech-bro vest were in at Sun Valley 2024, but the weekend’s standout style trend was a smaller accessory: tinted sunglasses.
Colorful sunglasses were the hit accessory of Sun Valley 2024
Take a peek at some photos from the conference, and you’ll quickly spot some of the richest people in the world wearing colorful lenses.
For instance, Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King were spotted walking side-by-side in purple and blue lenses. Winfrey also wore glasses with soft-brown lenses during the week’s festivities.
Likewise, Diane von Furstenberg sported taupe lenses alongside her husband, Barry Diller, who rocked bright yellow glasses. Film producer Brian Grazer was also photographed in yellow sunglasses.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez didn’t embrace bright-colored lenses, but their light brown and gray tinted shades were still a step away from traditional black.
Celebrity stylist and author Kim Appelt told Business Insider that colorful sunglasses perfectly merge multiple trends that have been popular in 2024, including the revival of vintage fashion from the 1970s and 1990s.
“There’s a retro revival right now with the ’70s and ’90s coming back, so these sunglasses obviously fit perfectly into that,” she said.
Gen Z, in particular, has embraced retro looks. Still, as Sun Valley shows, multiple generations are jumping on board, according to Appelt, who recently styled Justin Bieber’s mother, Pattie Mallette, in custom-tinted sunglasses from Holly Eyewear.
Appelt also noted that colorful sunglasses are an easy way for people to play with quiet luxury, so it made sense to her that Sun Valley attendees leaned into the trend.
“That’s a big thing for billionaires,” she said. “They don’t want to be overly flashy.”
Perhaps the trend caught on at Sun Valley because attendees’ futures are so bright they need a little help shading them. However, according to Appelt, the sunglasses likely appeal to the group because they are as functional as they are stylish. Plus, they help the wearer balance privacy and being seen when they’re likely to be photographed in public.
“If you’re a little tired, but maybe it’s not super sunny out, you’ve got a tinted pair,” she said, adding that they give you “a little bit of privacy without really obscuring your view.”
There are many ways to play with the trend
If you want to try the trend, there are high-end and more affordable glasses in nearly every shape and size imaginable.
Holly Sharma of Holly Eyewear recommends glasses from Linda Farrow or Gucci if you want to splurge on high-end tinted sunnies. For instance, Linda Farrow’s $1,075 Magali Angular Sunglasses, which have a narrower fit, can be made with purple or green lenses. At the same time, Gucci’s ombre pink Cat-Eye Frame Sunglasses cost $650 and are printed with the Gucci label on the frames themselves.
Other retailers offer more moderately priced glasses, like Madewell’s all-green Linbrook Sunglasses, which are on sale for $49.99, and Warby Parker’s $95 green-lensed Kadri glasses.
And Amazon also has plenty of affordable options if you’re not looking to spend less than $20 on sunglasses.
Whatever budget you’re working with, the world might look slightly different when you slip on a pair of the trendiest sunglasses of the season.
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