Aviator Sunglasses for Women

The name gets used loosely, so it is worth knowing what you are buying. A true aviator has four things:

• A teardrop lens — wider at the top, tapering to a rounded point at the outer base.
• A bar across the top, single or double, joining the two lenses above the bridge.
• A thin metal rim, which is what keeps a large lens light enough to wear all day.
• Adjustable nose pads on small metal arms, rather than a moulded bridge.

Frames that borrow the teardrop but drop the metal rim or the top bar are aviator-inspired. Nothing wrong with them, and some of the best pairs in this edit sit in that category — but if you want the classic, check for all four.

This is the most common complaint about aviators and the least discussed. Classic aviator frames were designed around a higher nose bridge than many of us actually have, which is why the same frame can look perfect on one person and sit halfway down the face on another. Adjustable pads solve it in about ten seconds.

Aviators come in more lens finishes than any other shape, and the choice is not only cosmetic.

• Gradient — dark at the top, clearer at the base. The most wearable option in Indian daylight: full shade against overhead sun, still able to read your phone.
• Solid — even tint throughout. The classic look, and the best choice if you want the frame to read timeless.
• Polarised — cuts glare bouncing off roads, water and glass. Worth it if you drive.
• Mirrored — a reflective coating over any of the above. Maximum brightness control and the strongest fashion statement.

All of them block UV equally — UV protection comes from the lens material, not the darkness or the colour. A pale lens with UV400 protects your eyes exactly as well as a black one. Browse gradient frames if you want the everyday option.

The teardrop is a diagonal, and a diagonal flatters almost any face that has a straight line somewhere in it.

• Oval — the curve follows a cheekbone line an oval face already has. Effortless.
• Square — the diagonal is the one line a square jaw doesn't have, so the contrast softens it.
• Heart — fine metal rims keep the top light while the curved base widens the lower half.
• Diamond — the top bar adds width at a narrow forehead.

The harder case is a round face, where the curves of the frame echo the curves of the face rather than contrasting with them. Not impossible — a flatter-browed aviator with a squarer top edge works — but a cat-eye or angular frame will do more for you.

Gold is the original and still the most versatile against Indian skin tones — warm, and it flatters gold jewellery rather than competing with it. Silver and gunmetal read cooler and more contemporary. Rose gold sits between the two and photographs beautifully. See the full range in metal sunglasses.

Aviators are the rare frame that works both ways — they sharpen a casual outfit and relax a formal one. With denim and a white shirt they are the obvious classic. Over a saree or a co-ord set they add an unexpected edge, which is exactly why they photograph so well at daytime functions. And they are the standard travel pair for a reason: light enough to forget, large enough to hide a 6 a.m. flight. See the Airport Edit.

One styling note specific to this shape: aviators sit high and wide, so they compete with a heavy fringe. If you wear one, push it aside or choose a smaller lens.

Thin metal bends, which is a feature rather than a fault — it is how the frame adjusts to your face. It also means aviators should go in their case rather than loose in a bag, and be taken off with both hands. If they start sitting crooked, the arms have flexed and a few seconds of gentle adjustment will straighten them. Every pair ships with a hard case and cleaning cloth.