Not so long ago, getting prescription eyeglasses meant you were a nerd who had strained your eyes with too much study — or you were getting really, really old! Today, however, prescription eyeglasses are proving more popular than ever as a fashion accessory as much as a functional necessity.
We’re tempted to think: Who’d want prescription eyeglasses when they could get contact lenses or vision correction surgery? The truth is, these innovations in eye care don’t work for everyone. And now that eyeglasses are as trendy as other fashions, there’s no need to fret about wearing them!
Those who wear eyeglasses already know that designers such as Calvin Klein, Sean John, Adrienne Vittadini, Marc Jacobs, Anne Klein, and many others also produce high-fashion eyeglass frames. These well-known brands are drawing both women and men to stylish frames for their prescription eyeglasses.
For the younger crowd, that world-famous wizard Harry Potter has cast a spell over youngsters who need to get prescription eyeglasses. Thanks to Harry, children no longer resist getting glasses – as long as they’re fun. Durability is key to choosing kids’ eyeglasses, so new enhancements such as flexible frames and spring hinges are welcome additions.
Materials for eyeglass frames also sport innovations, such as the introduction of wood and bamboo. Because it’s an easily renewable resource, bamboo, in particular, is becoming a popular material for those concerned about the environmental impact of the manufacture of plastic or metal frames.
However, plastic and metal frames haven’t been dumped on the trash heap. New plastics and metals alike form the standard components of prescription eyeglasses. Hypoallergenic metals such as titanium and stainless steel are especially important for those who suffer from skin allergies to avoid a reaction known as contact dermatitis.
Women and men alike are creating wardrobes of prescription eyeglasses to match their clothing. Women especially like having eyeglass frames in a rainbow of styles and colors, just as they have an array of shoes, handbags and other accessories. Thus we can find women with sharp, clean-looking frames for work swapping out their traditional styles for frames embedded with gems or bearing iridescent ornaments for evening wear.
These trends in eyeglasses are increasing for several reasons.
First, optical stores and boutiques often have sales offering “two-for-one” or “buy-one-get-one-half-off” deals. Many wearers of prescription eyeglasses find they can purchase a wardrobe of glasses for less than a new pair of shoes.
Second, eyeglass frames are built to last. Unless your prescription changes every year, it’s likely that an investment in several different pairs of eyeglasses will last quite a while.
Third, specialty eyeglasses don’t have to be only a medical device anymore. While some women might like to wear their silver frames with everything, that’s not true, or even attractive, for everyone. No one wears the same outfit day after day, year in and year out, so why wear the same pair of eyeglasses?
With all these fun, fashionable, yet functional options available, it’s easy to see that prescription eyeglasses have been the trendiest fashion accessory!