A collage of dark frames inspiration--my favorites are Cate Blanchett's blue frames (great shape & color). Left to right, top to bottom: Alexa Chung, Amanda Peet, Kirsten Dunst, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Lisa Loeb, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld.
I'm near-sighted, and although I've worn contacts in the past, dry eyes forced me back into glasses (blame it on the blogging). Lucky for me, then, that the fashion crowd say geek glasses are "in," with frames
appearing on recent Carmen Marc Valvo, Luella, & Michael Kors runways.
Reasons for the trend vary. Some say glasses have a retro appeal, a throwback to the eras of Mad Men and the ever-popular 80s (Cazals, anyone?). Others suggest the rise of the nerd class has made geek chic (aka the Seth Cohen factor). More cynical people will also note that eye wear companies have recently ratcheted up their advertising, glamming it up with supermodels and high-profile ad campaigns. Practicality, though, may be the biggest driving force: as people spend more and more time online, they
develop eye problems (like me with dry eye) and have to wear frames.
Models (and Rosario Dawson) in glasses, from a Fashion Spot thread. My favorites are the gigantic white frames
on Miranda Kerr. Sources/more inspiration: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
But how will a trend stand up to the cultural bias against specs?
Glasses can turn Superman into Clark Kent, make Betty Ugly, and are the
only thing keeping Rachael Leigh Cook from being all that.
Conversely, any old school librarian can become a vixen simply by removing her glasses and
ruffling her hair. Charles Taylor wrote in Salon of the damage inflicted by Dorothy Parker's line "Men seldom make
passes/At girls who wear glasses," adding:
I speak from some experience, as a man who has made passes at several
girls who wore glasses and even wound up marrying one. Glasses, like
small breasts, seem to be one of those things that women automatically
assume men find unattractive. (Link)
Which, you know, makes sense, since every rom-com makeover ever involves the girl getting a haircut and contacts. Add to that the stereotype of the bespectacled & sexless eccentric (Edith Head, Edna Mode, Velma), and it's no wonder some women wince their way through life, more afraid of glasses than not being able to see.
Amanda on MTV's The Paper straddles the line between kooky and cute.
That's why, even though glasses inspiration posts like this one often boil down to "glasses look pretty on pretty people," I find them helpful; they're evidence that glasses do not singlehandedly destroy a woman's sex appeal, and can even augment it (see Kiki Dunst at top).
Certainly, many women find men in glasses rather sexy. Maybe because glasses suggest intelligence & sensitivity (however nonexistent)? But thinking it through, that's probably why glasses are considered less appealing on women; intelligence and sensitivity aren't traditional sex kitten qualities. Sigh.
Midnight cotton blazer with chiffon underlay, $122.00 at YesStyle. I've convinced myself that
large white glasses are an awesome idea. They're mod and a bit jokey, and you never see them on anyone (maybe you're thinking "and
there's a reason for that"). I think they look fresh.
Another thing to consider: glasses have a mask-like ability to hide and change a
person's face; unlike masks, however, glasses are everyday attire. You wear a black Zorro mask in public, people gawk and
point; you wear thick black frames, to virtually the same effect, and
no one bats an eye. Plus, according to Newsday, a "modified cat's-eyes turned up slightly at the ends[...]gives a bit of a face-lift." Nice.
Can't think of a proper segue, but no glasses post would be complete without a reference to Parisian It Girl and art student Louise:
Sources/more photos & commentary: Princesse Audrey, Garance Dore, Café Mode, the Clothes Horse.
Of course, Louise is no random student--her mother, Sylvie Ebel, is the Executive Director of the Institut Français de la Mode. But she is beautiful and creative with her look; I particularly like the side-swept bangs, top braid, and the cat eye makeup in the far right photo. Louise also just started her own blog, with some daily outfits and musings in French.
Finally, here's a teeny-tiny picture of me & my glasses. It's from a
local newspaper story (hence the teeny-ness and the fact that I'm posting one at all). It's not my favorite picture, but you get the idea: dark plastic frames all the way.
UPDATE: Susie Bubble looks brilliant in black rectangular specs.
, the best price I've seen. Previously mentioned 
