Why black is the cat eye's colour
A cat eye works by line. The frame's top edge rises from the bridge to the outer corner, and the eye follows it; the steeper and clearer the line, the more lift the face gets. Black gives the clearest line of any colour, because it contrasts with every skin tone and does not break up the way a tortoise or a crystal does. It also hides the frame's thickness, so a black cat eye can be bold without looking heavy. The cat eye sunglasses guide covers the shape in every colour; the black sunglasses guide covers the colour in every shape; this piece is the meeting point.
Gloss or matte
Gloss black is the classic: polished acetate that catches light along the top edge, which sharpens the lift and reads as dressed. It suits evening, a wedding, anything where the pair is part of the outfit; the wedding sunglasses guide is the occasion piece. Matte black absorbs light, so the line is softer and the frame reads as more casual and more modern; it suits daytime, denim, the beach. Most black cat eyes in acetate are gloss, and most of the MUJOSH pairs below are polished acetate; the metal one is the exception and sits between the two.
How much lift
The cat eye runs from a corner that barely rises to one that points at the temple, and the amount of lift decides who the pair suits. Soft lift (the corner rises a little): the everyday version, flattering on almost every face, and the one to buy if you have never worn a cat eye. Medium lift: the fifties shape, clearly a cat eye, still wearable all day. Sharp lift: the corner rises past the brow line, the most striking version and the one that photographs best, but a pair for occasions on most faces. In black, each step reads a step bolder than in any other colour, so choose one notch softer than you think.
How much size
Small and narrow. The nineties and two thousands cat eye, a frame that sits inside the face; it suits small faces and anyone who wants the shape without the coverage. The small sunglasses guide and the sunglasses for small faces guide cover the fit.
Medium. The classic size: the lens frames the eye and the frame ends at the temple.
Oversized. The lens covers the brow and reaches the cheek, and the shape turns into the butterfly, the cat eye's big sister; the butterfly sunglasses guide and the oversized sunglasses guide cover that end. In black, an oversized cat eye is the boldest thing in this range and the most flattering on a round or oval face.
Which face suits a black cat eye
Round faces take the most lift and a medium or oversized size, because the rising corner adds the angle the face lacks; the sunglasses for round face guide says more. Oval faces take any version. Square faces take a soft lift and a rounded lower edge, so the frame does not repeat the jaw; the sunglasses for square face guide covers the rest. Heart faces take a narrow frame with a soft lift, because a wide black top line on a wide brow over a narrow chin tips the proportions; the sunglasses for heart shaped face guide goes further. The how to choose sunglasses for your face shape guide covers all of them.
The lens to pair with it
A black frame takes any lens, which is the other reason to buy the shape in black. Grey is the match: a neutral lens that keeps the frame as the whole statement, and the one most of the pairs below carry. Polarized grey adds the glare filter for water and roads, and the polarized cat eye sunglasses guide ranks those pairs on their own. Dark grey on a black frame is the full fifties look; the dark sunglasses guide covers when a very dark lens is right. A coloured lens on a black frame, burgundy or rose, is the way to add colour without losing the line.
Fit: the cat eye's one weak point
A cat eye carries its weight at the outer corners, so if the bridge does not sit on the nose, the frame tips forward and the lifted corners drop, which undoes the whole point of the shape. People with a lower nose bridge see this most, because most frames perch on them instead of resting; a frame cut for a lower nose bridge, with the bridge lower and closer to the face, keeps the corners up. Many of our frames are cut that way, every pair below among them, and the low bridge fit sunglasses collection gathers them. The how should sunglasses fit guide gives the four checks.
Seven MUJOSH black cat eye sunglasses
Every pair is UV400; polarization is stated only where the product page states it; black colourways verified from the product photos.
Jasmin, $79. An oversized cat eye in Italian acetate with polarized lenses and a low bridge fit; OBPG is gloss black with small gold tone rivets at the hinge. The oversized black cat eye of the range and the one to start with. Jasmin
Jasmin Straight, $89. The Jasmin with a straight top line, which gives the lift without the curve; polarized, low bridge fit, OBPG black. Jasmin Straight
Talk Nice, $79. A soft cat eye with a gentle upswept corner, the soft lift version; BBS is black acetate with grey lenses, non-polarized, low bridge fit. The everyday black cat eye. Talk Nice
Vintage Narrow, $89. A narrow cat eye in a vintage silhouette, the small version, polarized, low bridge fit; BB black. Vintage Narrow
LYF Cat Eye, $99. A soft cat eye in polished acetate, rounded along the bottom and lifted at the corner, with twin rivets on the front; OBB is black with grey lenses, non-polarized. LYF Cat Eye
Retro Cat Eye, $99. A retro cat eye in acetate with the medium lift of the fifties, cut for a lower nose bridge; OBG is black. The 60s sunglasses guide and the retro sunglasses guide place it. Retro Cat Eye
Lady Lang, $119. The metal one: a screwless cat eye with a hinge-free front, polarized, adjustable nose pads and a low bridge fit; GBR is black metal with a burgundy lens, the matte end of the range and the coloured lens option. Lady Lang
The cat eye sunglasses collection has the other colours, the polarized lenses collection marks the polarized pairs, and the full range is in the sunglasses collection.
The bottom line
Black is the cat eye's home colour because it gives the clearest line, and the line is the shape. Gloss for evening, matte for day; soft lift for a first pair, sharp lift for occasions; small for a small face, oversized for a round or oval one; grey lens to keep the frame the statement, polarized for water and roads, and a low bridge fit so the corners stay up. In the MUJOSH range that is Jasmin and Talk Nice at $79, Jasmin Straight and Vintage Narrow at $89, LYF and Retro Cat Eye at $99, and Lady Lang in metal at $119.
Frequently asked questions
Why are cat eye sunglasses usually black?
Because the shape works by line, and black gives the clearest line against every skin tone: the lifted corner reads sharper in black than in any other colour, which is why the shape was born black in the fifties.
Who suits black cat eye sunglasses?
Round faces take the most lift and size, oval faces any version, square faces a soft lift with a rounded lower edge, heart faces a narrow frame with a soft lift. In black each version reads a step bolder, so choose one notch softer than you think.
Are black cat eye sunglasses polarized?
Some are. In the MUJOSH range Jasmin ($79), Jasmin Straight ($89), Vintage Narrow ($89) and Lady Lang ($119) are polarized per their product pages; Talk Nice, LYF and Retro Cat Eye carry a non-polarized grey lens.
Which MUJOSH sunglasses are black cat eyes?
Jasmin OBPG, Jasmin Straight OBPG, Talk Nice BBS, Vintage Narrow BB, LYF Cat Eye OBB, Retro Cat Eye OBG and Lady Lang GBR in metal, from $79, every one cut for a lower nose bridge or fitted with adjustable nose pads.
