While checking our brand new frame stock this week, an interesting point for discussion came up in our team. In the case of frames, what makes a fashion or a style particularly suitable for men or for women? Where do you draw the line?
Now obviously there are many frames that men would not be seen dead in – anything coloured, twiddly, splattered with bling, bedecked with roses or butterflies etc etc. These are the easy ones. For girls however the possibilities are endless. How cute did Lilly Allen look in her massive boys geek frame? How chic is Anne Robinson in her cool rectangular metal? Yet both of these are styles that are traditionally worn by men. For girls, the only boundary is how chunky they want to go, as it makes the face even more feminine to wear a big boys’ frame.
Of course some men have a penchant for the flamboyant, and we applaud you, brave boys who want bright red or green, or who love diamonds and want some glitter on their glasses. David Beckham is welcome to call us any time!! Most however insist that specs are totally functional and they don’t want to get involved in this girly fashion nonsense. They want simple, discreet specs, and if you have a small face, something plain from the women’s section might be the answer.
Unisex styles were all the rage a few years ago, but then as frames got bolder this very plain shape and style fell out of favour. Thicker sides cried out for decoration, and brightly coloured plastics overtook spindly metals in the fashion stakes. Rimless too tapped into the unisex look, but these are less popular over the past couple of years.
So the rule is not be ruled by convention, and if you like a frame don’t worry about the category it’s been fitted into. Embrace your masculine or feminine side and let your heart rule your head!