Great Outfits in Fashion History: Garcelle Beauvais Pulling Off Nighttime Sunglasses in 1999

This look is all about the tinted lenses — then and now.

There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In 'Great Outfits in Fashion History,' Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks.

Wearing sunglasses when there isn't actually any sun from which your eyes need protection is nothing new, but I've been seeing it more often than usual lately. From celebrities on the red carpet (at night) to fashion people at runway shows (inside), stylish folks are increasingly using shades as pure decoration — and there seem to be a couple of tricks for doing this without looking like an asshole.

Per my own observations, the main rules seem to be, one, have a cool design (because if they're nothing special then why bother?) and, two, have transparent — ideally tinted — lenses, through which the eyes are fully visible. Presumably this is also best for the wearer's own ability to see, as opposed to a more opaque black design. You also look less suspicious this way.

"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast member Garcelle Beauvais, who consistently killed it on the red carpet in the '90s and 2000s, pulled off the nighttime sunglasses look with aplomb in the very cool outfit above from a 1999 movie premiere. This look is also, of course, giving "The Matrix," which actually premiered just a few days after.

This style of eyewear was especially popular around Y2K, hence its recent resurgence — shop a few similar options in the gallery below.

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

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