Eyewear was originally invented in 1289 in Italy. It has come a long way baby. The first frames were made from leather and were very simple in design and all about function. The earliest glasses were worn only by monks and scholars. The invention of the printing press, availability of books and other factors added to the growth of literacy and glasses began to be produced for the masses at a reasonable rate. It was not until the 1700’s that eyewear made some significant milestones with the invention of Bifocals, and temples allowing one to have the glasses held on by their ears. Glasses were still handmade and now came in a variety of styles.
In the 1800’s larger scale manufacturing was available but many women in particularly did not want to wear glasses due to the stigma of old age and physical weakness. A high end line of glasses on a long stemmed handle were developed in this era. This would allow the women to have the glasses with them when needed but would not have them in front of their face for any duration.
In the early 1900’s pince nez that had no temples but pinched the bridge of the nose to stay in place were very popular. They became very dated after the 20’s and with plastics readily available and actors starting to wear glasses with temples on the big screen there was again a new design on the horizon. In the 1900’s glasses grew in popularity mostly due to Hollywood. By the late 20th century glasses were becoming part of a persons everyday wardrobe. It was beginning to become fashionable to wear glasses and the styles and materials that were being used to make them were offering many individual choices. In the 70’s high profile people such as Jackie Onasis brought oversized frames into popularity. Some manufacturers still use versions of her name for oversized Sunglasses. In the 80’s lens technology produced higher quality plastic materials that were lighter and safer to wear. In the late 70’s new technology for contact lenses made them comfortable and soft unlike the early contact lenses that were hard and difficult to insert. Once these were easy to wear they grew in popularity and many people wanted to rid themselves of their glasses. This did not last long as Hollywood once again was wearing glasses. By the late 90’s it was becoming very popular to wear glasses. By the millennium many Hollywood stars were wearing glasses that did not need them and some without any lenses at all. Today glasses are a popular accessory and lens technology for lighter, thinner and safer materials continues to evolve.
If you were to go to an optical trade show, you would see thousands of vendors selling everything from wood, plastics, metals and mixed media. The styles and colors are endless. The quality ranges from low to high end and the companies from corporations to start up companies. Some of the things to remember when shopping for a new pair of glasses is that trends come and go but what looks good on your individual face will always be what’s best. The large chunky frames have been in for quite a few years and look fabulous on some people but if you are petite stay with a smaller frame that fits you. Companies have taken into consideration over the last decade that everyone’s face is different so the options and styles are endless. Kids frames have also come a long way and are hip and stylish. As lens technology continues to evolve we expect that the materials will get lighter and thinner than ever before making the bottle glasses a thing of the past. At Artistic Eyewear we carry only the best lens with the newest technology to give you the best experience in comfort, clarity and style. It is important that you look fabulous and see clearly and since glasses have been accepted as a fashion accessory and not just the stigma of old age we can all wear beautiful frames.
And who knows what the future will bring. Google glass has already brought technology to their specialized tech frame. It may be slightly impractical and strange looking at present, but it is a sign of things to come. There will be a time that technology and fashion frames come together with a less obvious look and make our lives even more connected. For now we can settle on gorgeous frames from around the globe.