3 Iconic Sunglasses in Movies (and Why They’re Important)
People wear sunglasses for various reasons. While sun protection is certainly one of them, many others opt for a stylish pair of shades even when it's not a particularly sunny day out, simply for fashion statement purposes. Still, sunglasses can serve other purposes, too. A Psychology Today piece notes that while sunglasses are often associated with movie stars and celebrities, sunglasses also add an element of mystique. A 2019 study found that people who wore sunglasses were perceived as less trustworthy.
Meanwhile, a different study suggests that sunglasses make people more attractive due to the added facial symmetry, which makes people more appealing. This boost of confidence is also evident among people who wear shades to feel hip and cool. Today, sunglasses are regarded as a culturally significant fashion staple throughout different eras of fashion.
As such, it's no surprise that sunglasses have also become a key prop and costume detail in various films throughout the years. Below, we'll look at four iconic sunglasses in movies and why they're significant to the film's characters and narratives:
Miranda Priestly - The Devil Wears Prada
It's only fitting that we start this list with a fashion movie — arguably, the fashion movie. Nearly two decades since its release, few film characters are as instantly recognizable and feared as Meryl Streep's take on fictional fashion legend and editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. Throughout the film, we follow Anne Hathaway's wide-eyed, fashion-illiterate character, trying to please her new boss. While a deeply intimidating character in looks and speech, we also eventually learn that the boss-from-hell is also not without her vulnerabilities.
Aside from the striking white hair and glittering jewelry, Miranda Priestly wears Versace sunglasses with bold branding explicitly visible on its gold temples. Newer Versace releases like the limited edition, chunky-framed VE4484BU still follow this design philosophy albeit in different and bolder colorways. Still, fans of the fashion cult classic can still imitate the Miranda Priestly look by going for models like the VE2274, which looks like a more youthful and playful take on Miranda's iconic shades. Incidentally, actress Meryl Streep seemed to like the Versace shades so much that she wore the same model again in her other iconic role two years later for Mamma Mia.
Skye Riley - Smile 2
If you're still avoiding spoilers for this one, you can check out our review on the Smile sequel starring Naomi Scott. Throughout the film, Scott plays popstar Skye Riley, a recovering drug addict with a near-death experience following a brutal car crash that killed her co-actor and beau. Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of the Smile movies is the amount of sinister, maniacal smiling we are subjected to, so you're not at fault for not remembering specific sunglasses in the movie.
Still, Skye Riley's character is a deeply complex exploration of addiction recovery and what it looks like to those around her. In our introduction, we mentioned that sunglasses can make people look less trustworthy. As a fictional popstar, Riley is seen throughout various scenes in the film wearing different sunglasses, including a blinged out red pair of cat-eyes to match her red stage outfit. The film intensifies this lack of trustworthiness by pulling twist after twist on Riley and the viewers throughout the second half of the film, making her a wholly unreliable narrator to further isolate her in her struggles. In a film where viewers are forced to look at smiles, Skye Riley relies on sunglasses as a shield-like tool; at one point using them in a desperate plea for anonymity.
Tony Stark - Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr.'s turn as Tony Stark and Iron Man is one for the ages. Years after his farewell to the role and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Endgame, the character remains a fan favorite even as we're smack-dab in the middle of a new MCU phase. Like the other characters in this list, Stark's access to wealth and fame makes him no stranger to stylish sunglasses through the many films he's in. Still, there's one iconic pair of Tony Stark shades that Marvel fans will remember for a while.
After his death, Tony Stark left his Flight.006 sunglasses for his young protege, Peter Parker. Aptly named E.D.I.T.H. (Even Dead, I'm The Hero), the sunglasses combine augmented reality and AI to grant Peter even more control of his Spidey suit and access to Stark's arsenal of intelligent drones and missiles. The Flight.006 by Dita Eyewear blends the classic Aviator look with striking blue tinted lenses for a more futuristic hue, a visualization of Stark's passing of the torch to a much younger Peter Parker. Speaking of classic Aviator sunglasses, Downey Jr. was a contender for the part of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in the action classic Top Gun. Coincidentally, while the part eventually went to Tom Cruise, Cruise was initially the man offered to step up to the role of Iron Man years later.
Ultimately, regardless of the genre, sunglasses play a significant role in furthering a film's characterization and plot points — whether to create depth or spell out inevitable doom. Not to mention, sunglasses are also the easiest prop to get right for things like costume parties and parodies. For the characters in this list, the right sunglasses have become a focal point of their character design.
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