In 1953, “How to Marry a Millionaire” debuted in the theaters with a gorgeous Marilyn Monroe wearing eyeglasses. Her character, Pola Debevoise, preferred bruises and walking into walls than wearing her frames – thus making eyeglasses seem nerdy and un-hip. In the 1970’s Elton John seemed to make eyeglasses cool again but mostly for those who like outlandish, loud, bedazzled eyeglass frames. Elvis Costello is credited for bringing sexy back to eyeglasses in the 1980’s for artsy-hipster men. Lisa Loeb did her share for making cat-eye frames look hot on the girl-next-door but it wasn’t until Tina Fey sat atop her perch every Saturday night that Americans started to notice how hot a woman can look in eyeglasses!
So, what else turns on Americans about eyeglasses? A recent study done by Essilor of America asked more than 3,000 men and women about their perception of eyeglasses and eyewear. Their survey reveals a lot about where Americans stand on eyeglasses. The survey covers everything from eyeglasses in the fashion industry to those hot looking, eyeglass-wearing celebrities we love to emulate!
Ooops, she did it again… Britney Spears topped the list of sexiest spectacle-wearing celebrities among men surveyed by a whopping 44 percent! The women chose well – Richard Gere took the number one spot with 35 percent proving that mature man can still rock eyeglasses far better than their younger counterparts.
Some would ask if glasses affect attractiveness or not. According to the survey, 73 percent of Americans asked said it has little to no impact what-so-ever. What about the old adage of “men don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses?” An astounding 60 percent of men strongly disagreed with that expression while 62 percent of women flatly called it inaccurate and not true. Do glasses get in the way of intimate and romantic moments? Apparently, 68 percent of respondents who have partners with eyeglasses stated no.
What about the perception of looking smarter when you wear eyeglass frames? It seems common knowledge that people who wear eyeglasses are perceived as being smarter but only 40 percent of those asked agreed to this perception while 39 percent thought people looked more sophisticated when they wear frames. The occupation most associated with wearing eyeglasses is, to no surprise, librarians with 74 percent, followed by teachers with 71 percent, lawyers with 56 percent, artists at 27 percent, and actors/musicians with 20 percent.
Which eyeglass frame styles rank sexiest? Rimless eyeglasses rank as the sexiest frames by both eyeglass wearers and those who do not wear eyeglasses at 49 percent. The second spot goes to metal frames with 38 percent. Would you consider wearing eyeglasses as a fashion accessory? Almost half of the American population would – even if they don’t need prescription eyeglasses. However, wearing out-of-date and out-of-style eyeglasses can ruin your appearance according to 22 percent of those surveyed.
What turns YOU on about eyeglasses?