Katy Perry is one of the most iconic pop stars of her generation, known for her colourful costumes, over-the-top performances, and eclectic personal style. An essential part of her look over the years? Her vast array of sunglasses. Whether she’s on stage, walking the red carpet, or going incognito, Katy can often be spotted sporting a pair of flashy shades.
Why Does Katy Love Sunglasses So Much?
There are many possible reasons why Katy Perry is rarely seen without sunglasses:
Protecting Her Vision
As a constantly touring musician, Katy relies on her vision to read lyrics and music on stage. The bright stage lights could potentially damage her eyes over time. Tinted sunglasses act as a shield to ensure her peepers stay in prime condition for performing.
Part of Her Signature Look
Like her whipped cream bras and glittery dresses, sunglasses are part of Katy’s signature pop star image. Bold, unique shades help her stand out from the crowd and complement her colorful costumes.
Expression of Her Playful Personality
Katy Perry is known for being fun and quirky. Her sunglasses collection allows her to showcase her lively personality through different frames. She can match shades to her outfit to put together a playful, eye-catching look.
A Fashion Accessory
Sunglasses are the ultimate fashionable accessory. Katy likely sees them as a way to complete her show-stopping red carpet and stage ensembles. Over the top frames suit her maximalist approach to style.
A Nod to Hollywood Icons
Big, glamorous sunglasses evoke Old Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe. Katy may channel vintage screen sirens through her shades as a way to connect to iconic female pop culture figures.
An Escape from Paparazzi
With her immense fame, Katy is constantly hounded by paparazzi in public. Oversized sunglasses help provide a bit of cover and anonymity as she travels.
Katy’s Most Notable Shades Moments
Throughout her career, Katy has rocked some truly outrageous and fabulous sunglasses. Here are some of her most memorable looks:
2010 Grammy Awards
At her first Grammy performance, Katy performed her hit Teenage Dream in a shimmery bodysuit and bold cat eye sunglasses with white frames. This marked the start of her signature sunglass looks.
California Dreams Tour
During her California Dreams world tour in 2011-2012, Katy wore a different elaborate costume and matching sunglasses for each song. Notable shades looks included blue cat-eye glasses and pink rounded lenses with rhinestones.
2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show
For her Super Bowl halftime extravaganza, Katy appeared on top of a giant tiger wearing sparkly oversized sunglasses in the team colors of the two competing squads.
2017 Witness Album Cover
The cover art Katy’s 2017 album Witness depicts her in aviator-style shades with reflective lens and thick pink frames. These futuristic shades exemplified the album’s edgy techno-pop style.
American Idol Judge
As a judge starting in 2018 on reality competition American Idol, Katy regularly sports funky sunglasses to compliment her equally colorful outfits, showing her playful style.
2023 Play Las Vegas Residency
During her recent Las Vegas residency concert series Play, Katy appeared in various campy shades, including an oversized visor, blue star-shaped glasses, and pink heart lenses.
Her Best Shade Looks
Throughout her career, Katy has amassed an enviable sunglass collection from brands like Fendi, Gucci and Prada. Here are some of her most memorable, fun sunglass looks over the years:
Oversized Colorful Frames
No one rocks big, bold sunglasses quite like Katy Perry. Some of her best oversized looks include orange cat eye frames, blue rounded lenses with gemstone accents, and chunky pink heart-shaped glasses.
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Pop Art Inspired
Katy often opts for pop art inspired mod 60s styles like stark white, angular frames and circular colored lenses. These playful, retro shades complement her cheeky public persona.
Futuristic Cat Eyes
Katy puts a futuristic spin in cat eye classics with mulit-colored ombre lenses, metallic arms, and tiny crystals along the rims. Her spaced-age cat eyes are the perfect final touch to her alien-popstar aesthetic.
Heart and Star Shaped
Fun shaped lenses are a Katy Perry staple, like red heart glasses and blue star lenses. These youthful shapes match her child-like spirit and love of dress-up.
Glitter and Rhinestones
No Katy Perry look is complete without a bit of sparkle. For extra glam, she often selects sunglasses encrusted in rhinestones, glitter frames, or lenses painted with crystals.
Shades On Stage
Eyewear is an especially important part of Katy’s elaborate costumes and sets during live performances. Here are some of the most memorable sunglasses from her concerts over the years:
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Prismatic World Tour (2014)
During her Prismatic tour, Katy sported everything from flowers and butterflies to cat faces and emojis on her sunglasses as she portrayed everything from Egyptian royalty to a psychedelic smiling sun.
Witness Tour (2017-2018)
The Witness World Tour featured giant human eye balls for Katy to pop out of, and appropriately enough, she rocked giant bug-eyed shades both on stage and in promotional photos.
Coachella (2017)
For her headlining Coachella set, Katy appeared in a crystallized sci-fi rave bodysuit, alien sunglasses and glasses adorned with butterflies – the perfect style mashup for a festival show.
Can’t Cancel Pride (2020)
During her Can’t Cancel Pride virtual relief concert in 2020, Katy fitted rainbow lenses into her favorite oversized frame shapes in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
Why Sunglasses Suit Katy
When it comes down to it, sunglasses suit Katy Perry’s colorful pop persona perfectly. She has proven over and over again that she can pull off any eye-catching style. Her confidence and sense of humor shine through no matter how over-the-top her shades may be. As an entertainer and bonafide superstar, Katy knows the importance of creating an unforgettable look. So chances are we’ll be seeing her in bold, unique sunglasses for performances and public appearances for years to come. Those big frames have become a signature part of the Katy Perry experience.
