The one pair most people should buy first
A sunglasses buying guide is a structured overview of frame shapes, prices, and brands that helps you match your face shape, budget, and style to the best sunglasses to buy for everyday wear and special occasions.
If you buy one pair and wear it with everything, make it the Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer RB2140 in black with G-15 green lenses. This frame has been in continuous production since 1952 because it works on almost every face shape, adds definition without overwhelming your features, and suits casual, smart, and work outfits alike. The trapezoidal Wayfarer / square frame, thick brow, and UV400 G-15 green lenses deliver the classic “designer sunglasses brands” look without feeling dated. Priced from approx. £155 and sitting in the under £160 bracket, it’s the best balance of value and longevity. If you want a single, reliable solution and don’t want to overthink sunglasses by face shape, start here.
Best affordable sunglasses under 160: Ray-Ban and Oakley
If your budget tops out at affordable sunglasses under 160, stick to Ray-Ban and Oakley. In this bracket, these brands are recommended for everyday wearers and anyone buying their first designer pair. Alongside the Original Wayfarer, the Ray-Ban Aviator Classic RB3025 in gold with G-15 green lenses is a standout: the teardrop metal aviator frame, double brow bar, and UV400 lenses slim the face and suit oval, square, and heart face shapes, making it one of the best sunglasses to buy when you want metal frames with heritage styling. It’s priced from approx. £155, again sitting comfortably within this entry band.
Oakley owns the sportier end of this price range; the under £160 bracket explicitly includes Oakley for people who want a daily workhorse with performance credentials. According to the price brackets, “Under £160 Ray-Ban, Oakley” is the default recommendation for this spend level. Pick Ray-Ban for classic styling and Oakley for more active days, and you will not need another affordable pair.
Mid-range and designer sunglasses brands: Persol, Tom Ford, Gucci, Prada
If you’re ready to move beyond entry-level, the next step is mid-range luxury and premium designer sunglasses brands. The £160–£230 band focuses on Michael Kors, Persol, and Burberry as “step-up quality without a commitment spend,” while £280–£350 is where Tom Ford, Gucci, and Prada sit as “investment pieces” with clear material upgrades.
Persol is described as “the best sunglasses brand most people haven’t heard of,” with the PO3019S tortoise / green frame as a key recommendation for buyers who care about details and long-term wear. Tom Ford’s Fausto FT0711 in black / grey represents the mid-luxury sweet spot: since 2005 the label has built one of the most consistent aesthetics in luxury eyewear, and this frame fits square, oval, and heart faces particularly well. In the same investment bracket, Gucci and Prada offer bold, logo-forward looks that suit anyone who wants fashion-led sunglasses rather than quiet classics.
Oval sunglasses styles: the most flattering shape for most faces
Oval sunglasses styles deserve their own place in any buying guide because they flatter almost everyone: their curved silhouette softens angular features and adds balance to rounder face shapes, sitting between the drama of a cat-eye and the restraint of a round frame. One edit brings together sixteen unisex oval options covering every budget from £99 to £380, across brands including Cubitts, Ace & Tate, Bloobloom, Ray-Ban, Persol, Miu Miu, Dior, Swarovski, Celine, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, and Versace.
For a refined but low-key look, the Cubitts Laystall is a slim oval frame with low lens height in acetate, priced from £160; it works on narrower and medium faces where a lower profile feels more comfortable. Ace & Tate’s Selma, handmade from bio-acetate and priced from £125, brings an elongated oval silhouette that suits a wide range of face shapes and includes UV400 lenses as standard. At the high-fashion end, Miu Miu’s MU 04ZS in tortoise / brown combines a small oval acetate frame with UV400 brown lenses at around £380, making it ideal if you want an oval with clear designer presence.
High-fashion oval and top-tier luxury: Dior, Versace, Chanel
If you want oval sunglasses with clear runway DNA, look to Dior, Celine, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Swarovski, and Versace, all of which feature in the sixteen-pair oval edit that spans up to £380. These brands sit alongside Miu Miu in the premium part of the oval category, delivering frames that read as fashion pieces while still taking advantage of the inherently flattering oval silhouette.
Beyond the oval focus, the broader list of the best sunglasses to buy includes Gucci and Prada in the £280–£350 bracket and Chanel in the £400+ tier, which is described as “the top tier — craft, heritage, and weight.” That means if you want the most luxurious option in the entire guide, Chanel is the clear pick; if you prefer an oval or logo-led frame from Dior, Versace, Gucci, or Prada, you’re choosing among genuinely high-end designer sunglasses brands rather than paying for expensively mediocre products.
- Buy the Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer RB2140 if you want a single, timeless pair that fits all face shapes and most outfits.
- Skip the Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer RB2140 if you prefer lightweight metal frames or very minimal styling.
- Buy the Ray-Ban Aviator Classic RB3025 if you have an oval, square, or heart face and want a classic metal frame that slims your features.
- Skip the Ray-Ban Aviator Classic RB3025 if deep teardrop lenses feel too large or you dislike double brow bars.
- Buy the Cubitts Laystall if you want an under-the-radar oval frame with slim acetate rims and a lower lens height.
- Skip the Cubitts Laystall if you prefer oversized lenses or bold logos on the temples.
- Buy the Miu Miu MU 04ZS if you like small oval sunglasses with late-90s energy and clear fashion pedigree.
- Skip the Miu Miu MU 04ZS if you want a budget-friendly option or dislike tortoise / brown combinations.
