Top 6 sunglasses trends for Gen Z and how technology helps them select the best ones
Gen Z people opt for technology, innovation, and individuality, which helps them make their purchasing decisions based on the latest trends, enabling them to perform personal branding on their social media handles. Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, they grew up in a hyper-connected world where they opt for options that provide them comfort and utility and help them make a fashion statement.
Therefore, Gen Z people use sunglasses for more than mere eye protection because they help them make more powerful fashion statements, status markers, and expressions of personality. Before making any kind of purchasing decision, they actively research, compare, and curate eyewear that reflects both form and function, as they don’t get easily influenced by parental choices or early digital touchpoints, unlike Generation Alpha.
Their purchasing decisions are deeply shaped by technology-driven experiences, including tools like virtual try-ons, which allow users to see exactly how frames suit their face before buying. In this blog, I will help you understand how these emerging technologies, like virtual try-ons, help Gen Z people select the best-suited pair of glasses and help them make more informed decisions.
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Top Gen Z sunglasses trends and options
Gen Z people often go for sunglasses that help them make their look more stylish and trendy, enabling them to leave an impact on the world. Therefore, while selecting the right pair of glasses for themselves, they look after multiple factors, such as shape, size, color, and more. In this section, I will tell you about different trends that Gen Z follows while selecting sunglasses for themselves and how it will help them to create a fashion statement.
1. Y2K nostalgia
The first trend in the field of sunglasses for Generation Z dates back to the early 2000s, which includes various types of sunglasses, such as tinted lenses, wraparound shades, and metallic frames. With these nostalgic frames and sunglasses, people will get both a retro and modern feel, helping them to make their look playful and adding a touch of innovation.
2. Bold and oversized
One of the most loved styles of Generation Z is bold and oversized looks, enabling them to embrace statements in their look and helping them to make a confident impression. They can create a bold and oversized look by opting for oversized square, round, and cat-eye styles while selecting the sunglasses for themselves.
3. Futuristic
Another trend that Gen Z follows while selecting sunglasses is opting for glasses with innovative designs and geometric frames. With this type of sunglasses, people choose glasses with mirrored lenses and sleek metallic accents, enabling them to add a statement to their look and creating a stylish fashion sense.
4. Sporty chic
For sportspersons or people who love to wear sporty and wraparound styles, they opt for sporty and chic style sunglasses that will provide them with an athleisure look. With the help of these types of sunglasses, people can elevate their entire look by blending both function and high fashion sense into their entire statement.
5. Color explosion
Selecting bold and bright colors instead of dull and neutral colors will help Gen Z people to stand out in the crowd. By using colors like orange, green, and pink, people can express their personality by creating a unique look by using these colors in the frames and glasses, enabling them to move away from neutrals.
6. Vintage inspiration
Another way to opt for trending sunglasses options for Gen Z people is selecting classic shapes like cat-eye and round shapes, giving them a vintage look. It will help them to make their look both modern and vintage by selecting these classic pairs of glasses, and help them create a strong influence on the crowd by making a strong fashion statement.
What are the buying patterns that Gen Z follows while buying new frames or glasses?
Gen Z sunglasses buying trends are influenced by multiple factors, including self-expression, authenticity, and individuality, which are mostly shaped by social media platforms. While buying a pair of sunglasses, users look for multiple features, such as fashion, functionality, and ethical considerations, because glasses work as a key piece of their entire look instead of a fashion accessory.
In this section, I will tell you about some of the buying patterns that Gen Z people follow while buying a pair of sunglasses.
1. Expression of identity
Gen Z always selects those items that help them to express themselves and work as a powerful tool for self-expression. To use sunglasses as their tool of communication and expression, they opt for personalized and customizable frame shapes, colors, and lens tints, which are highly attractive to this group. It will help them to opt for unique and unconventional styles to showcase their personality, beliefs, and values.
2. Social media influence
Generation Z people often get influenced by social media trends, which play a crucial role in shaping their buying decisions, according to the latest trends. Nowadays, people are very active on social media, which influences them to follow the trends and fashion patterns that their favorite influencers are doing, enabling them to shape their buying habits and buy new glasses accordingly.
3. Value-driven influence
Another factor that influences Gen Z buying decisions is sustainability and ethics, enabling them to buy from brands that prioritize environmentally friendly practices, use recycled or bio-based materials, and are transparent about their production. Most people from this generation favor quality and longevity over cheap fast-fashion alternatives, aligning with their eco-conscious mindset.
4. Seamless omnichannel experience
If Gen Z people get multiple product options available on different platforms, including both online and offline options, it makes their shopping experience easier. Several features, such as virtual try-on and seamless experience, will enhance their shopping experience by enabling them to explore new products both online and offline, bridging the gap between in-store and virtual shopping.
Why do brands need virtual eyewear try-on?
Brands opt for the virtual try-on feature because it helps them increase overall sales and conversion rates to provide customers with better experiences and help them select the best pair of glasses. With the help of this advanced feature and AR overlay technology, brands can help their customers try various glasses and frames virtually while sitting at home.
It helps the brand to increase its customer base by providing them with an engaging and immersive online shopping experience and bridging the gap between online and offline shopping. It also provides convenience to both brands and customers by eliminating the need for visiting the physical store and samples for trials.
Apart from that, it also helps the brand to build a strong market presence by increasing customer satisfaction and trust by offering them a real-time virtual try-on technology for eyewear. It also enables businesses to expand market reach and helps them to reach a wider audience by reducing the geographical limitations and enabling them to explore new products and services virtually through their devices.
Introducing GlamAR’s virtual eyewear try-on for online sellers and e-commerce stores
GlamAR is an AR- and AI-based solution provider for various brands and businesses that deal in different industries, such as beauty, makeup, clothing, furniture, eyewear, and accessories. It provides online sellers and manufacturers with multiple solutions, including virtual try-ons, 3D configurators, 360-degree viewers, and virtual stores, which will help them to increase user engagement and provide their customers with enhanced experiences.
I tried the virtual eyewear try-on that allows users to explore multiple eyeglasses and frames virtually through the advanced, sophisticated technology of 3D modeling and AR overlay. It offers customers an in-store-like experience during online shopping by enabling them to tailor glasses according to their choice and offering them an immersive experience. It also provides users with a virtual store feature, enabling them to explore multiple products with real-time face detection.
With the help of GlamAR’s virtual eyewear try-on, brands can increase their overall sales and conversion rates by offering them unmatched realism and accuracy during online shopping. It also helps businesses to reduce the product return rate by helping customers to make more informed and confident purchases in order to find the right pair of glasses. Apart from that, it also provides customers with a similar experience on different platforms by allowing brands to seamlessly integrate the tool into Android, iOS, and web browsers.
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Key benefits of using GlamAR’s virtual eyewear try-on for brands
GlamAR's virtual eyewear try-on helps brands increase their overall sales and conversion rates by offering their customers an improved experience and engaging features. It also helps businesses to reduce product return rates by enabling their customers to make more informed and confident decisions during online purchases.
Along with that, it also provides brands with multiple benefits that help them build stronger relationships with their customers and provide them with better services. In this section, I will tell you about the advantages of using GlamAR’s virtual eyewear try-on for your e-commerce business.
1. Seamless integration
It offers brands seamless integration on multiple platforms and devices, including Android, iOS, web browsers, and more, to provide customers with a similar and engaging experience across various platforms. It also allows brands to customize the virtual try-on SDK according to their image and identity, enabling them to provide their customers with a similar experience throughout the platform or website.
2. Enhanced personalized experience
It helps businesses to provide their customers with a personalized and realistic experience during online shopping by allowing them to customize products according to their needs and preferences. It also enables them to explore new products and try them before buying by using AR overlays, which will help the brand to bridge the gap between online and offline shopping experiences.
3. Increased conversion rates
It helps brands or businesses in increasing their overall sales and conversion rates by offering their customers unmatched realism and accuracy. It allows customers to explore new products and helps them make more informed purchasing decisions by enabling them to use virtual try-on and augmented reality technology while exploring products before buying.
4. Reduced product returns
With the help of this online tool and advanced technology, customers can try products online before making any purchasing decisions, which will help them to make more informed buying decisions and reduce uncertainty due to color mismatch. Therefore, it will help the brand to reduce the product return rate and enable it to increase customer satisfaction and trust in the business.
Conclusion
Generation Z loves to enhance their look by opting for stylish and trendy sunglasses that help them to make a fashion statement, enabling them to stand out from the crowd. In this blog, I have provided you with detailed information on the top 6 trends of Gen Z sunglasses that they follow while buying glasses.
I have also given you information on how virtual try-on technology helps them to make more informed decisions and helps brands to build stronger relationships with their customers. I have also included how using GlamAR’s virtual eyewear try-on will help online brands and businesses in increasing their revenue and overall sales.
Brands should focus on bold, expressive frames, Y2K and retro aesthetics, gender-fluid styles, UV protection, and personalized eyewear trends for Gen Z people, because it will help them to collaborate with influencers and embrace pop culture references.
The purchase journey of Gen Z people depends on various social and digital factors, which include peer reviews, influencer recommendations, virtual try-ons, and social inspiration, in contrast with people from other age groups who rely on brand loyalty and traditional experiences.
Sustainability is very crucial for brands targeting Gen Z people as they have to opt for glasses that offer transparency, eco-friendly materials, and ethical practices, enabling them to choose brands that maintain environmental values.
Virtual try-on technology boosts engagement and sales by letting Gen Z instantly visualize sunglasses on their face, reducing uncertainty, enabling easy sharing on social platforms, and making the purchase experience playful, interactive, and confidence-boosting.
To attract more Gen Z people with their sunglasses, brands should opt for products with unique designs, eco-friendly materials, customization options, and brand authenticity, enabling their customers to value meaningful stories and genuine connection over traditional luxury cues.
Brands can use various strategies, such as using their social media platform to create brand awareness, collaborating with micro-influencers, and running user-generated content campaigns, which will enable them to attract more Gen Z people and help them reach a wider audience.
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