Anna Wintour has said she wears her signature dark sunglasses mainly as a kind of professional “armor”: they hide what she’s thinking, help when she’s tired, and have simply become part of her public persona.

Quick Scoop

The core reason

  • Wintour has explained in interviews that sunglasses are “incredibly useful” because they stop people from easily reading her facial expressions or knowing what she’s thinking in high‑pressure situations.
  • She’s also admitted they help when she feels tired or jet‑lagged, letting her look composed even during long fashion shows and meetings.

A practical prop, not just style

  • In a more recent interview, she described the sunglasses as a prop that helps her “see and not see” and “be seen and not be seen,” underscoring that they’re a psychological tool as much as an accessory.
  • Over time they’ve become a kind of “crutch” and a non‑negotiable part of her image, just like her sharp bob haircut.

When health and comfort matter

  • On at least one occasion she’s said she wore them because she had been ill and had recent eye surgery, so the dark lenses also served a medical and comfort purpose.
  • This mix of health reasons, privacy, and power‑image means the sunglasses work on several levels at once, beyond pure fashion.

Power image and pop culture

  • Fashion commentators often frame her shades as a symbol of editorial power and mystery, reinforcing the “untouchable” aura that has surrounded her since the late 1980s.
  • That image has been debated online, especially when she kept them on in tense settings (like staff layoff meetings), with some seeing it as a power move and others as emotional distance.

TL;DR: Anna Wintour wears sunglasses to protect her privacy, hide fatigue, and maintain a controlled, powerful public image—and over the years, they’ve become an essential part of who she is in fashion.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.