Although contacts are getting extremely popular among teens, there are quite a lot of reasons why people still opt for prescription eyeglasses. Today, a wide range of highly sophisticated prescription glasses are available to let you enjoy clear and crisp vision. Have you ever wondered when exactly these vision correctors came into being? Though the exact year of the invention is unknown, reading glasses are believed to have been invented in Italy in the 1260s.
Exclusively designed to correct blurred vision and help the old in reading, the initial reading glasses did have a few drawbacks. The initial design only had lenses and a nose bridge, which meant the wearer had to hold the glasses until he finished reading. Although the Spaniards used ribbon loops to overcome this problem, it did not seem to be an effective solution. Later in 1730, Edward Scarlett, a London optician finally came up with rigid sidepieces to hold the eyeglasses in place. These sidepieces later underwent several phases of modification to turn into what we use today.
Of course, prescription eyeglasses could not be restricted to reading alone. Just to eliminate the inconvenience of switching between ordinary eyeglasses and reading glasses, bifocals were invented in the 1780s – Thanks to Benjamin Franklin! With the advent of bifocals, people only had to look up or down rather than change glasses. Although other temporary vision aids, such as lorgnettes (glasses that came with a long handle to hold them up to the eye) and monocles (round glass) were invented, they did not last long as the elite hesitated to admit that they could not see things clearly without the use of some sort of vision aid.
The English and French restricted reading glasses for private use, whereas the Spaniards viewed eyeglass frames as a reflection of sophistication, which increased their popularity as fashion accessories. You can even see Jesus, Moses, and other biblical characters wearing eyeglass frames in Spanish paintings.
The slow and steady progress continued and the result is the plentiful choice of prescription eyeglasses put before us by various leading brands today. With various styles to die for, designer eyeglasses, such as Versace eyeglasses and Vogue eyeglasses have captured the imagination of many! If you’re too one of those ardent fashion followers who love wearing designer eyeglasses, then take a look at the spell-binding collection of women and men’s Versace eyeglasses and Vogue prescription eyeglasses available at your nearest online stores.