Optical Frame Trends for Fall 2025: Thin Metal, Nerdy Acetate, Aviator and More

As summer winds down and back to school and work rev up, it’s a good time to rethink the humble glasses. Sunglasses are the gorilla in eyewear trend conversations, but optical frames are coming into focus — making moves on red carpets, street style and runways alike, offering fresh ideas on how to update your frames.

Thin and light metals

“On one side, there’s the ongoing ‘slutty little specs’ moment — impossibly thin, impossibly light frames that have been doing the rounds online for months,” observed Cubitts founder and chief executive officer Tom Broughton, adding that “Jonathan Bailey in Jurassic World helped pour petrol on the fire, wearing our wafer-thin Plimsoll titaniums. These are frames that barely exist at all, physically and visually.”

Cubitts partnered with Bailey for a range of frames that have already sold out thanks in part to the viral moment the actor spurred with the phrasing of his frames.

On the fall 2025 runway, Veronica Leoni’s debut as creative director at Calvin Klein was easily one of NYFW’s most-notable moments. Her opening look to set the tone was a black long-sleeve dress with sharp shoulders, and a barely there pair of thin metal frames. Made in partnership with Marchon, they read almost clinical, helping to launch the thin metal frame trend.

Nerdy acetates academia

Everyday eyewear as a fashion accessory has been on the rise since Miu Miu’s spring 2024 show. A model sporting an oversized acetate two-tone pair that read cool girl but a bit of a nerd, perfectly in line with the ethos of all things Prada, opened the show. As reported in WWD, Miu Miu’s retail sales climbed 49 percent to 780 million euros in the first half of 2025 — could it mean people are buying frames without even needing a prescription?

Classic aviator

Broughton reported that there are other classics still driving the conversation. “The aviator refuses to die, morphing into a shallower, slightly droopier, more 1970s-sporty version of itself. And the ’90s revival rolls on — shallow ovals, often with a soft wrap, a mash-up of late-’50s/early-’60s elegance and ’90s streetwear swagger,” he said. The first aviator-style sunglasses were made for the U.S. military, but today they are a classic that fit a variety of faces, and come in a variety of colors from black and tortoise to bold colors like mustard, and clear.

Oversized Square

Another red carpet moment came from Pedro Pascal wearing Oliver People’s Coren, an oversized frame with a squared lens while promoting “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” in London. It’s a style the brand has seen momentum with. “We are definitely seeing a trend toward oversized optical styles — especially those with a square pilot shape. We design ours to be thin and wearable, which makes all the difference in fit,” Lise Tyler, Oliver Peoples vice president of design explained, adding that a pair they made in collaboration with Khaite has been a standout in the category.

“Eyewear has moved far beyond function. It’s now one of the most expressive accessories in fashion,” says Kaela Lill, director of planning, LensCrafters, which has locations spanning the U.S.

“We’re seeing a surge in bold geometric shapes, translucent acetate, and unexpected color pops, from jewel tones to soft pastels. People want frames that make a statement,” Lill said.