Fashion Pearl Jam — Coveting Rihanna’s Vintage Chanel Pearl Round Sunglasses

You’ve heard Heidi’s Project Runway catchphrase repeatedly: “In fashion, one day you’re in, and the next, you’re out.” But fashion’s changing tides don’t move in only one direction — they typically reverse course as time elapses so that, what was once deemed passé eventually gains favor once more. This, in part, explains why so many fashion lovers are fascinated with vintage wares — after all, style trailblazers establish their own rules, transcending the present time to conjure up bygone eras, wearing garments typically condemned and snubbed by the fashion police and doing so in a way that makes them all reconsider their collective stance. And, of course, there’s the fact that vintage fashions are anchored in a different point in history and that their aesthetic speaks to that era’s aesthetic sensibilities.

Take, for example, these Vintage Chanel Pearl Round Sunglasses ($3,200 at Depuis1924.com, which Rihanna recently wore while performing at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Featuring round blue lenses rimmed with faux pearls, and metallic arms also adorned with tiny white pearls, these cheeky sunglasses were first seen at Chanel’s Spring/Summer 1994 runway show, when supermodel Carla Bruni-Sarkozy wore them along with a black bikini and a printed towel wrapped around her head like a turban. Though they were released nearly 20 years ago, the sunglasses feel extremely topical and current given the season’s current fascination with neo-baroque accents that range from brocade fashions to gem-encrusted handbags, and romantic but goth black lace.

These ultra rare sunglasses are currently available at Depuis1924.com, an online destination devoted to bringing vintage fashion lovers the rarest, most exquisite jewelry and accessories from luxury brands like Chanel, Hermes, Versace, and Cartier.