Top 10 Sunglasses On Screen

Breakfast at Tiffany's - from the sunglasses, to the gloves, to the dress, Audrey Hepburn’s iconic style in this timeless film has cemented both the film and the actress as classics. There is some debate as to the exact style and brand of shades worn by Holly Golightly in the 1961 film, though the general consensus is that Hepburn was sporting Ray-Ban Wayfarers which are no longer available. Regardless, Hepburn’s charming performance is no less memorable than her stylish attire, shades and all.

Top Gun - Maverick’s Ray-Ban Aviators singlehandedly revived this "pilot" style of shades, as millions watched Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis sizzle on-screen in the 1986 classic. In fact, Time magazine reported that the film boosted Ray-Ban Aviator sales 40%, as well as driving sales of bomber jackets. Cruise isn’t the only top gun sporting aviators in the film, however – Val Kilmer’s Iceman dons the shades as well.

The Matrix - The characters in the 1999 film sport sunglasses from the brand Blinde Design, whose founder Richard Walker created shades specifically for the film. From Neo, to Morpheus, to Trinity, to Agent Smith, the cast’s sleek shades add to their dark and distinctive looks. Neo’s sunglasses even stay squarely planted and intact through The Matrix’s famous "bullet time" sequence.

Reservoir Dogs - Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 debut film is filled with black suits and black shades, as the posse of men hide their eyes as much as they hide their real names, using aliases such as "Mr. White" and "Mr. Pink". The crew sports a variety of Ray-Bans, from Wayfarers to Clubmasters, most notably in the memorable opening scene, where they strut in slow motion accompanied by the George Baker Selection’s "Little Green Bag."

Risky Business - Tom Cruise’s iconic Ray-Ban Wayfarers in the 1983 film are almost as memorable as his famous underwear dance, and launched the shades - first released in 1952 - into newfound popularity. The film is also attributed with launching Cruise’s career.

The Devil Wears Prada - As the ice-cold fashion magazine Editor-In-Chief Miranda Priestly, Meryl Streep plays the queen of all things style. Though sporting shades in more than one instance in the 2006 film, the final scene between Anne Hathaway’s Andrea Sachs and Streep’s Priestly is where the vintage Versace shades really stand out. That being said, Andrea Sach’s post-makeover Chanels aren’t bad either. Interestingly enough, in 2009’s documentary "The September Issue", which followed Vogue Editor-in-Chief and Miranda Priestly-inspiration Anna Wintour through making up the magazine’s biggest issue, Wintour spent equally as much time donning dark and dramatic shades.

Terminator - In the original 1984 film, killing machine Arnold Schwarzenegger donned Gargoyles ANSI Classics shades. The same shades as worn by Clint Eastwood in 1983’s Sudden Impact, the Gargoyles were launched into popularity largely thanks to Schwarzenegger, particularly after being featured on the movie’s poster. For the sequel, Schwarzenegger switched to equally memorable Persol 58230 Ratti shades.

Men in Black - Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith don sunglasses to protect themselves from the effects of the "Neuralyzers", devices used to wipe memories of witnesses who come into contact with the aliens who Smith and Jones are trying to destroy. Following the film’s release, Ray-Ban reported that sales of their Predator 2 sunglasses, worn by all the agents in the film including Smith and Jones, tripled to $5million USD.

Sex and the City - from Oliver Peoples to Chanel, the girls of SATC have worn shoes, clothes and shades from all the big designers throughout their six seasons and feature film. Most recently, Sarah Jessica Parker made headlines sporting Mykita & Bernhard Willhelm’s Franz Limited-Edition aviator sheet-metal sunglasses in the poster for the upcoming Sex and the City 2, set to be released in May of 2010. Samantha and Carrie’s Jee Vice sunglasses in the film have also caught the attention of paparazzi and fasionistas alike.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith - In a departure from the black frames chosen by most on-screen spies and assassins, Brad & Angelina team up in matching distinctive yellow-tinted lenses. Both his and her frames are part of the Oliver Peoples’ Nitro line, with limited edition "shooting yellow" lenses to complement their coordinated grey shirts and bulletproof vests. Pitt also sports Oliver Peoples Victory shades in the film, but the final department-store shootout with Mr and Mrs Smith at last playing for the same team is when their yellow sunglasses really shine.