You can simply identify whether a pair of sunglasses is for men or women by looking at the section where it’s displayed within a store.
However, there are still other ways to differentiate between the two types of shades.
Men’s and women’s sunglasses may have subtle differences in their lenses. Nevertheless, the frame’s style, size, and colors can vary hugely.
In this “men’s vs. women’s sunglasses” guide, we’ll help you easily spot the differences between the two types of shades.
Men’s vs. Women’s Sunglasses: An Overview
Before delving into the in-depth comparison between the two types of sunglasses, let’s first take a quick look at each of them:
Men’s Sunglasses
Men’s sunglasses are well known for their large size and classic colors. They come in a variety of styles that differ in their frame design.
Aviator and wayfarer styles are common choices for men because of their stylish and simple design.
Women’s Sunglasses
Women’s sunglasses are known for their small size and the variety of their warm color elements. They also come in various styles that fit different face shapes.
Styles like cat eye, oversized, and aviator are trendy among women.
Men’s vs. Women’s Sunglasses: A Comprehensive Comparison
The differences between men’s and women’s sunglasses can be hard to spot if you’re not a seasoned sunglasses enthusiast.
However, with careful examination of the details of any pair of sunglasses, you can tell whether they’re made for men or women.
Let’s take a look at what details make the difference:
Decorative Elements
The amount of decorative elements is one of the significant differences between women’s and men’s sunglasses.
Men’s Sunglasses
Men’s sunglasses are usually less ornate than women’s and have only a subtle design touch.
They might only contain a simple geometric shape incorporated into the arms of the frames.
Women’s Sunglasses
Women’s sunglasses usually have notably more embellishments than those of men.
So, you can expect women’s sunglasses to have fancy designs. They may include fun elements like stripes, dots, or swirls.
The Verdict
Sunglasses with fewer decoration elements are usually made for men, with some exceptions.
On the other hand, women’s sunglasses can have fancy designs with many fun decorative elements.
Frame Size
Due to the differences in sizes between men’s and women’s faces, each gender is more likely to prefer different sunglasses sizes.
Men’s Sunglasses
Men’s faces tend to be larger than those of women. That way, they mostly prefer larger sunglasses.
That’s why men’s sunglasses usually have a large frame design that looks chunkier than women’s.
Women’s Sunglasses
Due to the relatively smaller size of women’s faces compared to men’s, they usually prefer smaller-size sunglasses.
The frame design of women’s sunglasses is mostly thinner and more petite than men’s.
The Verdict
Some men may have small faces, and some women might possess large faces. However, in most cases, men’s faces are larger than women’s.
That way, men usually pick bigger sunglasses than women.
However, sunglasses styles like aviators, which have thin wire frames, are trendy between the two genders.
The same applies to the wayfarer design, which has a chunky look and is popular among men and women.
Frame Material
Decades ago, men’s sunglasses came exclusively with metal frames.
Women’s sunglasses, on the other hand, were mainly available in plastic frames. Has this changed today?
Men’s Sunglasses
Today, you can find men’s sunglasses made of thick plastic frames. However, metal frames are still more common for men’s sunglasses.
Women’s Sunglasses
Women’s sunglasses are still relatively uncommon to be made of metal frames. This is because plastic designs are softer and give a more feminine look to these accessories.
The Verdict
Men’s sunglasses’ frames are available in metal and plastic materials. On the other hand, women’s sunglasses’ frames are primarily available in plastic material.
Indeed, there are some exceptions to this rule.
Frame Shape
There are some neutral frame designs and shapes. Nonetheless, there are still distinctions between the frame shape of many men’s and women’s sunglasses.
Let’s take a look at these frame differences:
Men’s Sunglasses
Men’s sunglasses mostly have traditional square frame shapes with minimum details.
Women’s Sunglasses
The frame shapes of women’s sunglasses tend to be more rounded and include more detailed patterns.
The Verdict
Men’s sunglasses tend to have a traditional square frame shape.
On the other hand, women’s sunglasses are highly likely to be more rounded. They also include more details in their designs.
Frame Colors
Unisex sunglasses come in a variety of colors, some of which are unusual.
Nonetheless, there are differences between the colors of men’s and women’s sunglasses.
Men’s Sunglasses
The frame of men’s sunglasses mostly comes in dark and tawny colors. Black, gold, and silver are common colors for men’s sunglasses.
Women’s Sunglasses
The frames of women’s sunglasses tend to have warm color elements. Yellow and bright pink are common colors for girls’ sunglasses.
The Verdict
Women’s sunglasses are highly likely to have multiple color elements. On the other hand, dark frames are popular in men’s sunglasses.
Moreover, unisex sunglasses can have unusual colors like electric blue or lime green.
The Final Verdict
Men’s vs. women’s sunglasses: How are they different?
Women’s sunglasses tend to have more decorative elements than those of men. As for frame size, men’s sunglasses usually come with larger frames.
Further, plastic is the primary material for women’s shades, while metal is the most used material for men’s sunglasses.
Finally, men’s sunglasses are usually dark in color. Conversely, women’s sunglasses tend to have warm color elements.