Men’s sunglasses 2026: the 5 trends that count and 8 designer frames
Men’s sunglasses trends 2026 seen from a boutique of independent designers: acetate aviator, Japanese cut round, artist mask, square in a colour, titanium worked like a watch. Eight frames chosen by OCCHIO!.
Men’s sunglasses in 2026 aren’t an accessory. They’re a decision.
For years a man bought one pair of sunglasses: black, sporty or logoed, the same as everyone else’s. This year the men who walk into the boutique ask for a shape with an origin, a worked material and a lens that doesn’t have to be dark. Five directions read in fittings and orders, and eight frames available now at OCCHIO!.
directions that count in 2026: acetate aviator, cut round, artist mask, clean square, watchmaker’s titanium
frames chosen, all in stock at publication
UV protection on every lens; the filter category is listed on each product page
1. The aviator, but in acetate
The teardrop has been the men’s sunglass shape for sixty years, and in 2026 it changes material: not thin metal wire with a mirror lens, but solid, sculpted acetate with the double bridge drawn into the front. The result is a frame you read from a distance, and one that suits a long or square face, because the teardrop softens the angles. Kuboraum does it in thick acetate; AHLEM keeps the metal version, but with a sculpted front and gold.
Kuboraum P31 Tortoise
Kuboraum’s P31 in tortoise: the aviator teardrop rebuilt in thick cellulose acetate, handmade in Italy. The most masculine shape there is, with the visual weight of a mask and not a wire of metal.
See the frame2. The cut round, Japanese style
The round sunglass is back, but it is no longer the Lennon round: it is a P3 shape with a clean cut, a keyhole bridge, a rim that tapers. 46 to 48 mm lenses, black or tortoise acetate, a full lens in blue, green or grey. It is the easiest direction to wear every day, over a shirt or a knit, and the most worked in its details: hinges, rivets, finishes you only see up close. Eyevan in Sabae is the reference; Lesca and Cubitts have the European version.
Eyevan 7285 792E Black / Blue
Eyevan 7285’s 792E in black with a blue lens, 46 mm: the P3 shape with the rim cut clean across the top, a military hinge and three rivets of different sizes, one sharpened by hand. Designed with Patti Smith in mind, it is the frame for anyone who wants a round that isn’t a round.
See the frame3. The artist mask
The direction that divides: a full, geometric front that doesn’t try to disappear. In 2026 the men’s mask is no longer the wraparound sports frame but a sculpted shape, often with a light lens (category 1 or 2) that makes it wearable in the city and in the evening, not only at the sea. Kuboraum is the absolute reference, with its Maske in thick acetate and its hand-enamelled artist editions. Whoever chooses it doesn’t want to look like anyone else: it is the sunglass that does all the talking on its own.
Kuboraum X6 Fire Walk With Me
Kuboraum’s X6 Fire Walk With Me: a bold geometry, a dark base, a red hand-enamelled mark like a moving flame. From the Ocean Cage capsule with artist Tianzhuo Chen, presented in Venice during the Art Biennale’s opening week. Every frame differs in the details of the enamel.
See the frame4. The clean square, in a colour
The square remains the shape men ask for most, but in 2026 it loses black as the default: olive, light tortoise, slate grey, honey. A coloured acetate with the right lens is easier to wear than a heavy black, and you only find that out in a fitting. The front should be clean, the temples straight, the thickness medium: no logo. It suits a round or oval face, which takes character from the angles. Cubitts does it in London, Paloceras in Milan in transparent acetates.
Cubitts Cruikshank Olive
Cubitts’ Cruikshank in Olive, size M: a square front, straight blade-profile temples, olive-green acetate and a green lens. The most direct way into the selection, in a colour black doesn’t have.
See the frame5. Titanium worked like a watch
The man who spends on sunglasses in 2026 wants to see where the money went: hinges, engravings, inlays, plating. Japanese titanium is the material of this direction, worked like a watch case, often together with acetate and with gold or silver finishes. It wears light, doesn’t deform, and lasts. Eyevan, Leisure Society, T HENRI and AKONI all work in Japan in small series; AHLEM does it in France with palladium.
Eyevan Thompson Matte Black
Eyevan’s Thompson in matte black with a black lens, 47 mm: the barrel shape the Eyevan team drew in 1995, a slightly thickened rim, decorated end pieces from a hand-engraved master mould, engraved titanium temples. A sunglass built like a Japanese optical frame.
See the frameWhat isn’t coming back in 2026
The wraparound sports frame with a mirror lens, worn in the city as if heading out on a bike. The black square with a logo on the temple the size of a signboard, the same for everyone since 2005. And the thin metal aviator bought at the airport, which says nothing about who wears it. If you want a classic, choose a classic with an origin: an acetate aviator, a Japanese round, a square in a colour other than black.
The other three frames chosen
AHLEM Laplace Peony Gold / Green Gradient
AHLEM’s Laplace in Peony Gold with a green gradient lens: the metal aviator, but with a sculpted front, a strong brow bar and an avocado-shaped lens. Limited edition of 300 per colour, handmade in France.
See the frame
Leisure Society Campden Black / 12k Silver
Leisure Society’s Campden in black and 12-carat silver, 49 mm: titanium with layered acetate inlays, embossed patterns, enamel, hidden spring hinges. Green polarised nylon lens with a 12-layer anti-reflective coating. Handmade in Japan, individually numbered.
See the frame
T HENRI Nettuno Twilight
T HENRI’s Nettuno in Twilight, 54 mm: hand-cut midnight blue, checkerboard titanium rims, temple cores plated in 18-carat gold, 7-barrel hinge, Zeiss gradient lens. Named after the V6 engine of the Maserati MC20. Numbered series of 199 per colour.
See the frameBefore the trend comes the face
On-trend sunglasses that don’t suit the face stay in the drawer. The face-shape guides apply to sunglasses too: round face, square face, long face, the general guide. On lenses: category 3, polarised, prescription. The full selection is in the best sunglasses 2026; for optical, the men’s glasses trends 2026. All together: men’s sunglasses, aviator, square, Kuboraum sunglasses.
Which men’s sunglasses are on trend in 2026?
Five directions: the aviator rebuilt in thick acetate; the cut P3 round, Japanese style; the sculpted mask, with a light lens too; the clean square in a colour other than black; titanium worked like a watch, with gold or silver finishes. They all coexist: the choice depends on the face and on when you wear them.
Which sunglasses shape suits a man?
It depends on the face: the aviator teardrop and soft shapes suit a square or long face; the square and angular shapes suit a round or oval face; the mask suits a large face with strong features. The 46–48 mm cut round is the shape that suits the most men.
Men’s sunglasses 2026: acetate or metal?
Both, but with the roles reversed compared to ten years ago: thick acetate takes on the classic metal shapes (aviator, double bridge), metal becomes worked titanium with acetate inlays and plating. The thin metal wire with a mirror lens is the only thing leaving the stage.
Which lens colour should I choose?
Grey and green to see colours as they are; brown and warm gradients for contrast; light blue and pink for the city and the evening. The filter category matters more than the colour: 3 for strong sun, 2 for the city, 1 for light lenses. Polarised helps when driving and on the water. Every lens on this page blocks 100% of UV.
Can these sunglasses be fitted with prescription lenses?
Yes, all eight frames: each accepts prescription sun lenses, fitted in the OCCHIO! boutique in Crema or by your own optician. For polarised lenses or a different filter category from the standard one, message us before ordering. Shipped worldwide from Italy.
Trends are tried on, not followed
In the boutique in Crema, Italy, the five directions sit side by side: ten minutes in front of the mirror and you know which one is yours. Online, send us a front-facing photo on WhatsApp and we’ll tell you which of these eight frames are for you. Shipped worldwide from Italy.