Glasses, the versions of the non-sun variety, are one of the most disputed accessories around. When I was in school (primary…secondary…high school) I remember glasses being about as cool as a neck brace. Contact lenses were snapped up as fast as a kid’s parents would allow it.
Even as I wandered into adulthood with my peers, many of my friends with poor eyesight refused to throw on a pair of specs unless they were running late for something or were in the privacy of their own home.
In one respect, I get it. I have never seen an actress rock up to a red carpet in a ball gown and bifocals. Nor have I ever styled or done make-up a shoot that allowed a model to wear glasses. There’s a beauty standard of sorts.
At the same time, I think glasses can be really beautiful. Whether it’s because they are channeling the ‘sexy secretary’, geek chic, or a retro cat eye, when glasses are used with purpose it is always done to make a statement. They are a rather definitive fashion accessory.
Take Leighton Meester and Katy Perry (above). On the left we have Leighton, a beautiful actress that has a career which calls for contacts, yet she sticks to her specs off-screen. On the right we have Katy (with perfect eyesight) and a faux vintage pair that pulls her entire look together. I wouldn’t be able to think of a single person who could say that either of these ladies look less than lovely, and the glasses are the focus of each of their looks.
Whether you need them for your eyesight or wear them as a style right, I think it is safe to say that spending a day in glasses once in a while no longer comes as a taboo.