Sunglasses are in year-round, but summer is definitely a time to show off how style-savvy you are with your specs. Whether navigating the city, laying on the beach, or bike riding along the boardwalk, sunglasses are a fun way to accessorize while also protecting your eyes, and are a small piece of an ensemble that can express your own personal style. This year we’re seeing many of the trends of years past, with a few newbies thrown in, and some minor changes to add a new look.

Oversized Frames: This look has been around for a few years now and was taken mainstream by the likes of Nicole Richie and the Olsen Twins. While it’ll eventually go out of fashion, don’t expect that to happen for the next couple of years. This look doesn’t work for every face shape, but if you can rock it, it can be a blast. You can go for many different shapes; square, round, oval. We’re even seeing octagonal and heart shapes! And the color combos are endless. Classic black gives an Audrey Hepburn look, while going for a fun, funky color and shape allows a whole new feeling. The best advice is to try these glasses on and make sure they don’t take over your face, then have fun with it!

Ray-Ban Wayfarers: This vintage style reemerged in 2007 and is still being seen on celebs such as Kate Moss and Paris Hilton. Of course the classic black frame is in, as are the brightly colored frames. New this year, though, are the two-toned frames to add a little spice.

70’s Inspired Thick, Plastic Frames: The 80’s trend is leaving us, but the 70’s trend remains popular and that means thick, plastic frames in all shapes and colors are popular once again. My best advice: when choosing a style of retro sunglasses, make sure you pick a decade that is currently in trend and don’t go overboard on the color or print of the frames; with the thickness of the 70’s frame, you don’t need too much.

Round, “John Lennon” Glasses: An offspring of the thick 70’s frame trend, the round frames trend has been seen all over the runways from Betsey Johnson to Moschino and everyone from Target to Ralph Lauren are taking the cue and running with it. Again, these frames won’t work for all face shapes, so try ‘em on before jumping on this bandwagon.

Tortoise Shell: While you won’t be finding real tortoise shell out there (we’re much more animal and eco-friendly these days), faux tortoise shell will help fulfill the desire for an exotic look this season.

Aviators: Another continuing trend, the look and style of one of 2007’s biggest trends has barely changed, which means recycling last year’s aviators is completely acceptable and will help out with the budget in this declining economy.

Gradient Lens: Looking ahead to late Summer/Fall, gradient lens (where color changes from black to clear) will be extremely popular, though hard to deal with in the middle of Summer due to the intensity of the sun. They’re a fun way to add a twist on your favorite style and are a fresh look for 2008, so keep them in mind.

The fun of all of these trends is that they can be mixed together to create your own special look; oversize aviators, round tortoise shell frames, 70’s inspired frames with gradient lenses, you can put ‘em all together to add a personal punch to your summer look.

For those of us on a budget (or who wanna indulge in all of this summer’s trends), there are plenty of options out there. Urban Outfitters and Target have a vast array of glasses in the $18-$20 range, which can be found in their stores or on their websites. Forever 21 is an even better option with tons of glasses that fit all of these trends for under $10!

If you really want some designer specs, but don’t have a couple Benjamins to drop, my suggestion is to head over to your local discount store (Filene’s Basement, Loehmann’s, etc.); with all of the style recycling this year, you can usually get some adorable glasses at a discounted price, and no one has to know they are “so last season”.