How Glasses Have Gone From Necessity to Accessory
Approximately seven years ago, my school nurse told sixth-grade me that I needed glasses. As you can imagine, I was appalled. Me? Glasses? Heck no. I didn’t want to be THAT kid. I mean glasses were for nerds right? And I was most definitely not a nerd (well I mean, I liked to think that, but let’s be real--I read books for fun).
The following week my mother dragged me to the eye doctor. I would have preferred to squint hopelessly at the chalkboard in class than subject myself to the social suicide of wearing glasses. However, my mother had none of it and I walked out in a fresh pair of horrific wire-framed glasses. I can say with absolute certainty that I resembled Ben Franklin.
However, what struck me most about that appointment wasn’t my new Founding Father aesthetic, but that the options I could choose from were minimal. All the glasses exemplified the stereotypical, dorky kid with no sense of fashion. The frames were painfully unflattering, wire rimmed, and colored either gray or brown—clearly style was not what these designers were going for.
Fast forward a couple years, and suddenly glasses are all the rage. Celebrities like Zoey Deschanel, even Skrillex, started to rock big, black framed glasses. The correlation between glasses and nerds had been eradicated. Wearing glasses meant you were funky, unique, and above all cool.
Designers began to feature them in their runway shows. Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and Gucci came out with collections. Whereas before options were limited to a few atrocious styles, now there is a diverse range of styles, colors and shapes. Consumers can choose from red and blue frames to cat-eyes and round shapes. People who do not even have a prescription began to buy glasses, solely for the purpose of being trendy.
From left to right: Max Mara, Rodarte, Gucci, Dsquared2
Currently, shopping for fashionable glasses has never been easier. Now, designer collections are experiencing competition from cheaper companies such as Warby Parker and EyeBuyDirect. Buying glasses is no longer an investment, but shopping for an accessory. Instead of splurging $300 on a pair of designer frames, consumers are purchasing multiple pairs even though they may only be durable enough to last a year or two.
Why spend a ton of money on a set of trendy glasses just to have a new craze pop up during the runway next season? Currently, clear frames are all the rage. Futuristic and funky, the see-through look embodies how glasses are no longer a necessity, but an accessory. The same could be said about the super dorky ‘70s-inspired wire frames. Now, the nerdier and more distinctive the glasses, the cooler the person wearing them is.
Who knows how long those with impaired eyesight will be revered as fashionable, but let’s hope for my sake it’s a while.