The sun — and new shades — are never so hotly anticipated than after a color-draining winter like this one.
If you're picking up some sunglasses to lighten your mood, pale and pastel shades are outshining brights this year. Think blush, lemon and mint from Garrett Leight ($315-$375, http://www.garrettleight.com) or peach and pink from Etnia Barcelona's "Wild Love in Africa" collection ($215, http://www.etniabarcelona.com).
Round styles abound. Some sport mirrored lenses. Others are scaled up to '70s-inspired proportions. See Moscot's round "Faye" and "Major" aviator ($375, moscot.com), or Marc Jacobs' Honey Havana ($168, http://www.coastal.com) and the Dsquared2 Havana Gold ($148, coastal.com).
Here are some other stylish newcomers to welcome warmly.
"Made in Italy" often implies high prices. Quattrocento says it avoids the latter by eliminating storefronts and other overhead. Quattrocento employs craftsmen in Cadore, Veneto, to execute its fashion-forward designs from premium materials such as stainless steel. Quattrocento prices hover around $110-$120 for sunglasses and frames with prescription lenses included on http://www.quattrocento-eyewear.com
•Warby Parker introduces its first sunwear of the year with its "Daydream" collection in March. New frame shapes Jackson and Abel join favorites Piper, Topper and Madison in new colors such as Petal Tortoise, Crystal and English Oak. The five frames start at $95 at http://www.warbyparker.com and in stores.
•Guys who want that James Dean daydream look in their eyes might want to view the James Dean Eyeglass collection. The men's assortment is inspired by the actor's legendary style, with somewhat retro prices to match: Sunglasses are $50, http://www.jamesdeaneyewear.com
• In all her travels around the U.S., business consultant Sally Lee Limburg couldn't find sunglasses that would stay put on her low nose bridge. So she and husband Chris founded Pacific Rim, designing styles for a low nose bridge, high cheekbones and wider temples, sometimes called an Asian fit. Regardless of ethnicity, they found many people had similar needs. Pacific Rim Eyewear launched this month with four styles to suit them; two for women and two for men. More are on the way. Prices start at $110 at http://www.pacificrimeyewear.com