It's January, and much of the northern United States is in the grip of some of the worst cold and snow of the last ten years. Spring doesn't technically begin until March 22nd, and even then, people in Chicago or Grand Rapids or Grand Forks, North Dakota, will still be wrapped in winter layers. So it's the perfect time to talk about sunglasses. No, really: Spring 2009 is in fact around the corner, and the fashion glossies and runways are starting to fill up with what designers hope will be the next hot looks for spring. And spring means sunglasses. If you're freezing your buns off, it's a great time to browse, buy, and indulge in a little warm-weather escapism-even if you have to do it in front of your computer while wearing a sweater and two pairs of socks.

Spring Trend #1: Colored Frames

Last year we started to see several designers reinterpreting the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer shape with colored or patterned frames. This trend is now spreading to other shapes and includes other colors. Anything goes seems to be the rule here-while white frames were in for S/S '08, the '09 fashions include a wide array of bold colors. Take the Gucci 2562, with its big square lenses framed in pink, orchid, purple or turquoise. For men, the colors are more muted, but it's still possible to get beyond basic black or brown with shades like Tom Ford's Mackenzie glasses, available in wine-red or green frames.

Spring Trend #2: Squared-Off Oversized Frames

Bye-bye, bug-eye: while oversized sunglasses have stuck around for yet another year, becoming the sunglasses trend of the undead, most designers have started squaring off their round lenses for a different look. Combine this with the colors trend, as with the Bulgari 8020B sunglasses, and you will set yourself apart from the legions of ladies still clinging to their 2005 bug-eyed shades. And men can get behind this trend, too, if they want: one entry might be a pair of huge, retro-style shades from Jimmy Choo, appropriately named "Boo".

Spring Trend #3: I Love the 80s. Or the 60s. Whatever.

Speaking of retro, fashion does its bit for frugality by continuing to recycle old trends. Last year's Wayfarer obsession and huge, round Jackie-O shades spoke of a love of the late 50s and early 60s. This year it looks like we will move forward into the late 60s and, um, early 80s. Colors are big again, and instead of the Wayfarer, expect to see more reinterpretations of the aviator shape in acrylic rather than wire-like a pair of tortoiseshell Gucci sunglasses. The 80s are starting to show up again with smaller squared-off lenses with a heavy bar across the brow area; Oliver Peoples makes a pair of sunglasses called the Barlow that is a great example of the silhouette. Think Grace Jones in "View to a Kill", and you'll know what we mean by 80s sunglasses.

Spring Trend #4: Sunshine and Flowers Everywhere

Obviously this will suit the ladies more than the men. While sunglasses for 2009 are generally less bling-y than those that came in 2007 and 2008, the few models still incorporating bling are mostly making flowers or sunbursts appear everywhere, like the Tiffany & Co 4005G sunglasses (no matter how the economy's doing, Tiffany will deliver you bling). You can see the bolder examples of this trend mostly in lower-end runway knockoff stores, like H&M and Topshop, but expect the flowers and sunshine to trickle up through the higher-end department stores-or your favorite online designer sunglasses outlets-as the season continues.