Shades are a surefire way to make your outfit that bit cooler in seconds, as well as protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays, preserving your eyesight and preventing wrinkles. Sunglasses have long been associated with mystery and glamour, perhaps of their prominence in the wardrobes of some of the most famous characters from cinema history. Here’s a list of the most legendary Sunglasses in movies — iconic images from film history that will also give you some useful summer fashion inspiration.

1. Maverick – Top Gun (1986)

Tom Cruise’s legendary break-out role as Maverick in Top Gun sparked a huge surge of aviation-inspired fashions in the mid-eighties, especially regarding sunglasses. The Ray-Ban Aviator model that Maverick sports throughout the film was originally designed for US airmen in 1937, but it wasn’t until the release of Top Gun that they became a mainstream style staple. One of the clearest examples of how sunglass in movies can kickstart a fashion trend.

2. Travis Bickle – Taxi Driver (1976)

Often voted one of the best films ever made, Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese also features some great style inspiration. Robert DeNiro stars as Travis Bickle, the film’s protagonist, a Vietnam veteran turned taxi-driver vigilante in New York. Like Maverick in Top Gun, Travis’s costume features a pair of Ray-Bans, possibly a symbolic reference to his military past, although this model, closer to the Caravan than the Aviator, features a square shape and smaller lenses.

3. J – Men in Black (1997)

Children of the nineties will certainly remember Will Smith’s hilarious role as J in science fiction/comedy sequel Men in Black. As a recent MIB recruit, J adopts his uniform early on in the film,  wearing a black suit and tie with the iconic Ray-Ban Predator 2 sunglasses that supposedly protect him from neuralyzer flashes. This model from Ray-Ban first appeared in the 1990s, embracing the trend of shades that followed the natural curve of the face. Outside of the The Blues Brothers, only a handful of films have exploited the comic appeal of sunglasses in movies so well as Men in Black.

4. Marty McFly – Back to the Future (1985)

Proving that the Ray-Ban Aviator is a truly timeless model, Michael J Fox sported a pair while portraying Marty McFly in the 1985 Classic Back to the Future. The exaggerated fashions of the 1980s persuaded Ray-Ban to release a larger variation on their classic model, while the black-on-black colour scheme prevents the increased size from looking garish.

5. Louise Sawyer – Thelma and Louise (1991)

Iconic roadtrip film Thelma and Louise is a treasure trove of retro fashion ideas, but the best of all might be Susan Sarandon’s ‘headscarf and cat-eye shades’ look. The shades worn by Sarandon’s bored waitress, Louise Sawyer, are one of the lasting emblems of sunglasses in movies—they’re among a range of bold, effortlessly unfussy fashion choices that symbolise the character’s embrace of a wild new life on the road.

6. Roger O Thornhill – North by Northwest (1959)

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller North by Northwest stars Cary Grant as Roger O Thornhill, an advertising executive turned man-on-the-run turned reluctant spy. The leading man’s wardrobe of beautifully-cut suits is perfectly finished off by his groomed hair and his distinctive tortoiseshell sunglasses, assumed by some movie and style historians to be Arnel sunglasses by Tart Optical. There are a number of inexpensive options (see below) for replicating the relatively small, rounded shape and thick plastic frames of Grant’s sunglasses. One hesitates to reduce the great Cary Grant to a pair of sunglasses, but they’re undoubtedly one of the main reasons for this Hitchcock film’s lasting appeal.

7. George Jung – Blow (2001)

Although the film was made in the early noughties, Blow is set in the 1970s, chronicling the real-life story of infamous drug smuggler George Jung. In Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the figure, the 1970s is evoked mainly through Jung’s wardrobe, including flares, thick lapelled jackets and shirts, and a futuristic pair of sunglasses that elaborate on the classic aviator style, featuring a triple nose bar and a large, squared-off frame. These were undoubtedly purpose made for the movie, although there are a range of variations of sunglasses sported by Depp when playing characters such as Jung, Hunter S Thompson, etc, in his various movies.

8. Holly Golightly – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Ray-Ban Wayfarers have been such a mainstay of film costume since their creation in 1956 that they are sometimes ‘mis-credited’, as they certainly are in the 1961 classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Audrey Hepburn plays New York girl-about-town, Holly Golightly, whom we first meet as she eats breakfast while perusing the Tiffany’s window display, wearing last night’s gloves and gown paired with her sunglasses. However, these are, in fact, Manhattans, by Oliver Goldsmith. Close to the Wayfarer, yet subtly different. There are numerous other options available for fans of Audrey Hepburn, such as this cute pair from Utopiat.

9. Ferris Beuller – Ferris Beuller’s Day Off (1986)

Due in part to the popularity of their Wayfarer model, Ray-Ban introduced their Clubmaster sunglasses in the 1980s, creating a brow-line version of their classic frames with thinner metal eyewires. Played by Matthew Broderick, the rebellious title character of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off sports a pair in the classic black and titanium colour option, which fits well with the other 50s-inspired elements of his outfit.

10. Frances Stevens – To Catch A Thief (1955)

As the oldest film on our list, it may be surprising to some how fashionable these sunglasses have remained. They are one of the definitive sunglasses in movies statements. In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 classic To Catch A Thief, Grace Kelly plays wealthy American tourist Frances Stevens, dressed immaculately in wide-brimmed sunhats, with pinup-style bathing costumes, and a pair of adorable white-framed cat-eye sunglasses.

11. Neo – The Matrix (1999)

Richard Walker, founder of Blinde Design, custom-made every pair of sunglasses made for the 1999 science-fiction actioner The Matrix, so finding the exact model is impossible, although there are plenty of copies available (see below). The thin metal-framed shades worn by Keanu Reeves’ character Neo wrap around the face, creating an almost reptilian look that is enhanced by the small, oval shaped lenses.

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