Princess Anne's snazzy sunglasses have inspired us to go bold and try something a little more unusual

Princess Anne's snazzy sunglasses have inspired us to go bold and try something a little more unusual with our eyewear.

Princess Anne isn’t someone who’s going to be swayed by the biggest sunglasses trends and her favourite style for summer has arguably reached iconic status amongst royal fans at this point. Whilst many of us might favour a pair of cat eye or aviator sunglasses as key accessories in our summer capsule wardrobe, wraparound shades are the only choice for the Princess Royal. Whether it’s full sunshine or just slightly bright, Princess Anne is sure to reach for her protective Adidas sunglasses and we’re feeling inspired to switch up our usual eyewear style too.

Princess Anne’s snazzy sunglasses were packed and taken to France for the Paris 2024 Olympics as we’ve seen her wear them on several occasions already. They have white arms and are frameless, with large tinted lenses that appear amber or red in the sunshine.

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They’re very striking with their sporty design and over the years we’ve seen the Princess Royal wear them to other sporting and royal events. At the London 2012 Olympics she wore a pair of Adidas Team GB wraparound shades and she’s also stepped out in these sunglasses multiple times at Royal Ascot, at royal engagements and the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Clearly the combination of the white frames and tinted lenses is what Princess Anne loves in a pair of sunglasses because she’s rarely strayed away from this pair since she was first seen wearing them in the early 2000s. Occasionally she’s stepped out in oval-shaped brown sunglasses, but the sporty chic feel of her Adidas ones seems to work perfectly- and consistently - with her signature style.

The Princess Royal loves forging her own fashion path and is known for wearing vibrant tones and patterns, as well as for bringing back her old favourites again and again. Nothing will deter her from making the most of her staple clothes from decades earlier and this ethos of re-wearing is upheld with her choice of sunglasses. The wraparound style is one that isn’t going to be for everyone but after seeing Princess Anne’s snazzy sunglasses worn so frequently in Paris some of us might be tempted to try some more unique eyewear options. 

According to Woman&Home’s Fashion Editor Caroline Parr, wraparound sunglasses look great with work-out clothes to accentuate their sportiness and Princess Anne wearing them to the Olympics is very "on theme".

"Princess Anne's wraparound sunglasses might feel like an unexpected choice, but she's actually been wearing this style for years, and picking them for the Paris Olympics is the epitome of dressing on theme - these particular sunglasses are from the London 2012 Olympics," she says.

Caroline adds, "They're not going to be for you if you're an avid aviator fan, but if you fancy mixing things up a bit they're actually really practical and stylish. Fully commit to the sporty vibe and team yours with sportswear, even if the only running you're doing is errands."

So the next time you're reaching for your leggings, sports tops and best white trainers on a bright or sunny day, you might want to try out a pair of wraparound glasses to emulate Princess Anne’s iconic look. She has now arrived in Scotland ahead of the Royal Family's annual summer holiday and it's likely that if the sun comes out, Princess Anne’s snazzy sunglasses will be reached for a lot during this relaxing time.