Oakley Is Having a Fashion Moment Again

At some point between the rise of gorpcore and the clean girl aesthetic reaching its peak, something else started creeping back into our wardrobes — mesh tops, zip up hoodies, sneakers that look like they are made for actual running, and sunglasses that wrap around your entire face. The look is part early 2000s gym rat, part futuristic rave kid. And we are not mad about it.

Sportcore’s return is not exactly new. It has been bubbling for a while, mostly in subtler ways — the adidas Sambas, Nike Shox, and Asics GEL. But this summer, the vibe is louder. More colour, more shine, more performance tech even if the only thing you are training for is a rooftop party.

On TikTok and in real life, we are seeing micro shorts styled with trail runners. Technical jackets thrown over dresses. Track pants worn with actual intention. It is giving energy, movement, and the thrill of not trying too hard while still clearly having taste.

Accessories are getting the same treatment, with a shift toward pieces that feel more intentional than decorative. You can see Oakley’s influence all over the eyewear space lately — from coloured lenses to racer frames, the brand’s performance-rooted aesthetic has become a go-to reference for fashion labels. So it makes sense that Oakley themselves would enter the conversation with something special. To mark their 50th anniversary, they’ve just dropped the Ellipse 50th Anniversary glasses — a limited-edition pair that fuses 90s curves, futuristic lens design, and their iconic logo shape. It feels more like a collector’s item than just a pair of sunglasses, and it proves that some of the most exciting fashion moments still come from way outside the fashion world.

As fashion keeps circling back to performancewear with a twist, we are leaning all the way in. Catch us in sneakers made for marathons and sunglasses that belong in a science fiction film.