Drake: The Art of Mix and Match Sunglasses

As well as being hugely influential in the world of hip-hop and beyond, Drake is one of the best-selling music artists in the world, with 170 million record sales to his name to date. The singer-songwriter is also a successful entrepreneur; he’s the founder of the OVO Sound record label, heads up the OVO fashion label in collaboration with Nike, and founded the production company DreamCrew and the fragrance house Better World.

And if all that weren’t enough, Drake is also a noted style icon. The superstar’s choice of threads and – particularly – his eyewear are as influential as his music. We round up his greatest fashion hits so far below.

Hexagonal Frames

Drake was recently snapped wearing one of this season’s key sunglasses trends: shades with hexagonal metal frames. The star paired the shades with a simple, clean-cut white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a single chunky gold necklace for the ultimate in put-together urban styling.

Get the Look

Hexagon-framed glasses first became popular all the way back in the 1940s and are a great way to add a quirky, vintage edge to your look. This shape of frame suits those with oval and round faces best, and it’s also important to consider your skin tone when choosing the color of the frames. Those with cooler skin tones should opt for frames in blue, black, or gray, while those with warmer skin tones will do best choosing frames in red, tan, and pink shades.

When it comes to styling, hexagonal frames look great worn both with smart-casual streetwear, as modeled by Drake, or with breezy pastel-colored summer wear.

Classic Ray-Bans

You can’t go wrong with a pair of classic Ray-Ban shades, and Drake knows it! The singer-songwriter has been frequently snapped wearing a pair of rectangular-shaped Ray-Ban shades to complement a variety of looks. From pairing them with a denim jacket and sneakers to wearing them with a slick shirt and jacket combo, Drake’s Ray-Bans are one of the hardest-working items in his wardrobe.

Get the Look

Ray-Bans have been iconic eyewear for decades, and one of the key reasons for their timeless quality is the fact that they suit most face shapes and look great worn with just about anything! The rectangular-shaped frames that Drake favors look particularly good on those with square-shaped faces and oval faces, while Ray-Ban’s Clubmaster range looks fabulous on round-shaped folk.

But which color lens to choose? While Drake opts for black-lensed Ray-Bans, there are other choices out there, including gray, brown, or green.

Square Tortoiseshell Frames

Tortoiseshell framed sunglasses offer a classy look and are another of Drake’s eyewear staples! To add edge to this vintage-inspired aesthetic, the rapper regularly pairs these frames with a fitted black T and leather jacket or with sportswear.

Get the Look

While the tortoiseshell pattern tends to look universally flattering, there are a couple of important things to be aware of to pull off this look to the best effect. Firstly, think about the rest of your outfit. Anything featuring multiple bright colors or with a ‘busy’ pattern could clash with your specs. Take inspiration from Drake, and keep your color palette simple. 

As with other glasses, you’ll also need to take your face shape into account when choosing your frames. A round or oval face shape usually looks best with angular-framed glasses, while round frames complement those with square face shapes.

Pink-Tinted Lenses

GQ magazine recently crowned Drake the Most Stylish Man Alive – and when you’ve got this title under your belt, you’re pretty much free to wear whatever you like. However, the fact that Drake looks just as sharp wearing a pair of aviator-shaped glasses with gold rims and baby-pink frames shows just how worthy he is of the Most Stylish title.

Sharing a recent snap of himself with fans, the star paired his pink shades with a bright pink football shirt and a glass of rose! This could have been a nod to a lyric from Calabasas: “Got the rose pink tinted lenses, it’s a Wednesday.”

Get the Look

Pink-tinted sunglasses are a great way to add a touch of flamboyance to your summer wardrobe. If you aren’t quite ready to emulate Drake’s head-to-toe pin ensemble, opt for a pair of metal-framed pink shades and pair them with a couple of subtle pink accessories, such as a belt and bangle in the same shade. Alternatively, for a look that really pops, wear your pink sunglasses with shades of blue and purple to create a standout aesthetic.

Channeling Drake for Superior Shades Styling

The best way to get Drake’s perpetually cool look is to have a range of different sunglasses in your armory! By having a pair of the hottest, on-trend shades, as well as a timeless classic (such as styles from Ray-Ban), and a couple of other quirky options, you’ll always be able to pull together a multitude of different looks.

Don’t be afraid to experiment: mix vintage-look sunglasses with urban wear, or try out some colored lenses in a shade you’ve never considered before. Have fun with your styling to discover some great new looks.