Published on: October 20, 2025

Women by the pool wearing carve cat eye sunglasses

What Are Cat Eye Sunglasses?

Known for their flattering fit and fashion-forward look, cat eye sunglasses are one of the most popular eyewear shapes for not only women but men too. Characterised by an upsweep at the outer edges of the top of the frame, cat eye shades have a distinguished, sharp look and come in a variety of squared and rounded shapes. Offering an edgy but effortlessly stylish look, cat eye sunglasses are a go-to shape for fashion enthusiasts and those looking for something beyond standard round and square shapes. Not only can they elevate a look with ease, but cat eye sunglasses are also one of the few shapes to elevate and accentuate cheekbone structure while sharpening soft facial features and rounded jawlines.

As the first explicitly feminine eyewear style first seen in the 1950s, the feline-shaped style has been through peaks and dips in popularity over the decades, with a recent resurgence of small cat eye sunglasses inspired by the minimalist 90s. Today, the cat eye is a core shape in most eyewear collections with their versatile shape ranging from sharp, dramatic frames to subtle upsweeps. While cat eye sunglasses can suit any face, their sometimes striking shape can be difficult for some to style. In this guide, we discuss what cat eye styles are best suited to different face shapes, and why this style suits all faces, it's just about choosing the right type.

Cat Eye Sunglasses For Round Faces

There's no one-size-fits-all pair of sunglasses, just as no two faces are the same. Whether or not a pair of sunnies suits you really comes down to peoples face shapes. When it comes to buying sunglasses, there is a general rule of thumb to consider. For balance and proportions, a frame shape should be in contrast with a face shape. If a pair of sunnies bears resemblance to the shape of your face, it can draw attention to your features and exaggerate them further. This means if you have a round face, go for a pair of angular sunglasses, and if you have sharper features, choose sunglasses with a rounded shape. As cat eye styles have angular upsweeps, this will lift round faces and make it appear more contoured and sharp. In an effort to avoid a pair that is too rounded, a squared or rectangular cat eye frame will compliment your features best.

Our Favourite Cat Eye Sunglasses To Suit Round Faces

Carve - Tahoe

The Tahoe sunglasses by Carve feature a sharp cat eye shape with a squared frame base that will balance out rounder faces.

Valley Eyewear - Brigada

For those who want something a bit more oversized, the Brigada sunglasses by Valley Eyewear will offer great coverage while staying proportionate to round face shapes.

Otra - Nove

The Otra Nove sunglasses are a sleek cat eye style that features a slightly rectangular shape. Round faces will look sharper with the Nove's angular shape.

Cat Eye Sunglasses For Oval Faces?

For those with oval or oblong face shapes, consider yourselves lucky! Almost all frame shapes will suit you. People with oval faces are proportionately balanced and have the broadest range of style options, however, you can still fall victim to exaggerating unfavourable parts of your face shape with the wrong pair of sunglasses. If you have a broad, strong jawline and want to avoid accentuating this further, it's best to avoid bold, squared or rectangular frames that will mimic the lower half of your face. For oval and oblong face shapes, we recommend going for a softer cat eye style with a more rounded base. A cat eye style with a subtle or sharp upsweep on a wider, round frame will compliment your features without lengthening your face too much.

Man on the beach wearing cat eye sunglasses

Our Favourite Cat Eye Sunglasses To Suit Oval Faces

Versace - VE2198

For those looking for a subtle cat eye style, the VE2198 Versace cat eye sunglasses with a rounded, soft upsweep are a great choice.

Saint Laurent - SLM126

The Saint Laurent SLM126 cat eye sunglasses are the perfect mix between a sharp and soft silhouette. The SLM126 maintains a rounded shape with a dramatic point to take this style to the next level.

Can Men Wear Cat Eye Sunglasses?

While cat eye sunglasses have been traditionally more suited to women, gone are the days where sunglasses are confined to males and females. More recently, we've seen men shy away from traditional men's eyewear shapes and instead embrace fashion-forward and flattering styles like the cat eye. Epokhe's best-selling style, the Dylan, is a perfect example of this new wave of men's eyewear. Designed in collaboration with late skateboarder, Dylan Reider, the Epokhe Dylan sunglasses continue to top the best sellers list due to their effortlessly cool look and complimentary shape on men's faces.

Epokhe - Dylan Matte Black/Black Lenses