Binghamton resident Kadijah Aziz excitedly browses the selection of sunglasses Saturday at Evolution on The Commons. Finally eyeing the pair she’s been looking for, she slaps them on and sits down to strike a pose. The sunglasses are comically large, taking up about three quarters of her face with red plastic frames. It’s exactly the look she’s going for.

In the past four years, oversized sunglasses have made a major fashion comeback, particularly with high school and college-aged girls. Evolution owner Katie Spallone said she credits celebrities like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie for popularizing the outrageous accessories. But some fashion history buffs, like freshman Sara Hendricks, know exactly when the look originated.

“It’s the Jackie O look,” Hendricks said. “That whole classic style is definitely back in fashion.”

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (also known as “Jackie O”) is remembered for many things. She was married to President John F. Kennedy and served as an editor at Doubleday publishing. But in the fashion world, she is famous for popularizing oversized sunglasses in the 1960s. Today, magazines are full of pictures of celebrities wearing oversized designer glasses. Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior and Chanel are among the most popular brands and can cost $500 per pair.

But few college-aged students are willing to put that kind of strain on their wallets. Those looking for the perfect pair of affordable shades have several options. Vintage clothing stores are veritable gold mines for oversized sunglasses, constantly re-stocking their supply for the changing seasons.

Vintage stores rarely sell oversized sunglasses for more than $30 and designer knock-offs can cost as little as $6. Because the sunglasses tend to be inexpensive, it isn’t uncommon for girls to own up to 10 pairs at any given time. Spallone said it’s important for girls to have multiple sunglasses at their disposal not only because it gives them more options when coordinating outfits, but also because they have a way of disappearing.

“A lot of times people will either sit on them or lose them,” Spallone said. “We get a lot of people who come in needing another pair after they just bought one.”

But not everyone buys oversized sunglasses simply to fit in with a fashion trend. Junior Rhiannon Marino said she would never spend too much money for a pair and wears hers out of necessity.

“I buy big [sunglasses] because I have blue eyes,” she said. “The sunlight really hurts my eyes, even with the smaller glasses.”

While Marino may know her perfect size, many shoppers struggle to find the right fit. Vanessa Schneider ’07, who is currently working at InStyle magazine, said one can never go too big.

“Bigger is always better,” Schneider said. “No face shape can go wrong with bigger [sunglasses] because the glasses are supposed to look oversized. If you have a small face, the glasses fill it out. If you have a big face, the glasses look like they fit.”

Sophomore Joy Kucinkas said she believes everyone can pull off oversized glasses. It’s just a matter of having confidence.

“A lot of people think they don’t look good with them on, even if they really do,” Kucinkas said. “When you don’t feel comfortable with what you’re wearing, other people can tell.”

For those willing to drop hundreds of dollars for a flashy designer pair, the battle is only half over. The glasses are still just an accessory for an overall outfit, and not all outfits work in harmony with every pair of sunglasses. Schneider said in her four years at the college, she encountered fashion offenders on a daily basis.

“Girls at Ithaca College wear their sweat pants and their trashy Uggs and their hoodies, but then they’ll wear their extremely expensive sunglasses,” Schneider said. “If you’re going to wear nice-looking sunglasses, don’t wear something sloppy to try to match them.”

Nicole Watson, manager of Morgan’s on The Commons, offers a simple solution. Watson said it’s usually a good idea to pair vintage-style sunglasses with a vintage outfit. To her, it’s important for the clothing and the sunglasses to complement each other.

“When you wear the big sunglasses, it’s best to also wear [something vintage, such as] an oversized shirt and skinny jeans,” she said.

Domenica Brockman, co-owner of the vintage store Petrune on The Commons, said she doesn’t see the oversized trend coming to an end until people become completely sick of seeing them. She said watching the way different-sized sunglasses become popular, however, can lead to interesting predictions about the fate of regular prescription eyeglasses.

“Ten years ago, everyone was wearing tiny sunglasses,” Brockman said. “But now they’re slowly getting bigger. The sunglasses trend goes ahead of the eyeglasses trend because sunglasses are cheaper and people replace them more often, but soon eyeglasses will probably follow the trend.”

So keep a close eye on your grandparents. In a few years, you just might want to ask them where they got their glasses.