Clothing, Eyewear, Vision care, Brown, Sleeve, Shoulder, Sunglasses, Textile, Joint, Outerwear, pinterest

(Sunglasses by Tom Ford, coat by Monki, sandals by Aldo Rise)

Donatella once showed me them in her beautiful Milan apartment – ‘more’ she said repeatedly as she opened drawer after drawer of pristinely stored, mostly black sunnies. And I agree with her – you can never have too many pairs of sunglasses. As I suspect you are about to buy yours for the new season, I thought I’d offer a few tips today on sunglasses shopping.

It took me many years to finally find the perfect brand for my face, but there’s very few in the Tom Ford Collection that don’t work, so once you get a pair that people comment positively on you should look at all the shapes in the range.

(Sunglasses by Tom Ford)

There is a belief that you should buy a style that is the opposite of your face shape so, for example, if you have a round face go for square designs. Personally, I don’t think that is totally true because things like colour and thickness of material all affect a look.

I’d also say don’t buy a pair of sunglasses just because you like them. Try them on and ask someone in the shop or a friend for advice. I love huge glasses but they just don’t suit me. I always pop them on in front of , ELLE’s fashion director, and if she raises an eyebrow I look for another pair.

Look at celebrities who wear sunglasses well and copy what works in a similar way for you. I think Victoria Beckham always picks exactly the right shape for her face and offers very classic designs with simple twists.

Remember, sunglasses can be a bit like buying a handbag in that you may need a different type depending on where you are going to wear them most, eg beach or work. Ray-Ban does the best sunglasses for a summer holiday, allowing you to actually read a book without being blinded by the sun. It has a huge range of designs, too, so there will be a pair for every face shape.

(Bag by Paul Smith)

TODAY THE EDITOR:

Is Listening to Born to Die by Lana Del Rey.