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"Four eyes." The quintessential put down or derogatory phrase used to describe the girl or boy at school who had to wear glasses. At this point notice the tense of that phrase and in particular the use of the collection of words 'used to', with the past being the focal point. Glasses were geeky, but not, it would seem, anymore. The latest glasses worn by celebrities, technological designs and 'bling' wear are at the top of not just children's shopping lists but amongst adults as well.
In years gone by, the thought of having to wear glasses sent a shiver down any fashion conscious persons spine, and the idea of wandering into school with a new pair of specs was the stuff of nightmares. Old fashioned thick rimmed, and always atrociously coloured, glasses were also usually accompanied by milk bottle lenses, the kind that felt like they were 5 inches thick and most definitely gave a magnified impression to those looking at the poor unfortunate souls wearing them. Even if you could get top of the range options, money couldn't disguise the fact that you wore bifocals, a sign of age for many. However, all that has seemingly changed. Long gone are this prehistoric eye wear products, fashioned from hammer and stone, with incredible technological advancements making leaps forward, even in just the last decade. Companies at the forefront of technology such as car manufacturers offer techniques and testing procedures from their world, to benefit the optics industry. Instead modern lenses are shaped and manufactured using the latest in robot advancements, using lasers to curve, cut and form the correct prescriptions, surfaces and so on.
While the lens itself has undertaken enormous changes to improve quality and build over the years, frames have taken a slightly different direction. Sure frames are now sturdier, lighter and more ergonomically designed, but one thing seems not to have been consigned to the ages, aesthetics. The actual look and design of age old glasses seems to be coming back into fashion in all walks of life, in many cases inspired by Hollywood and the music industry. Thick, bold designs ooze authority rather than NHS freebies, super sized rounded frames have a touch more glamour than what was previously considered fit for use only by a certain Deirdre Barlow. The current climate for vintage certainly helps, with 80's wear having made such a comeback, following the earlier millennium desire for all things 70's. The iconic Oakley curved and rounded sunglasses are a particularly good example of this, with the eighties wayfarer so popular 30 years ago, just as desirable today.