Back in the good old days, when the NHS provided us with our eyewear, they had very specific ideas about styling the nation. In plastic frames, there was the ever trendy 524, the classic Dr Who shaped frame in black, blue, crystal, autumn leaf and pink. Even the toughest school bully could be reduced to tears at the threat of wearing them, and possibly the scariest adults too!
For the trendy hippies amongst you there was the classic John Lennon frame, a small metal with thin plastic rims that clipped in place. (Or not!) The joy of these was that the side arm attached to the front, so if you bashed them then the lens, the side, and the whole spec frame collapsed into a mangled pile of metal and glass.
The NHS stepped back from supplying our eye wear, and with the exception of Elvis Costello, The Proclaimers, and Harry Hill, we all moved on from our square plastic glasses. The eighties exploded in a riot of colour, huge shapes, and total lack of taste. (You only have the catch the opening credits of Ashes to Ashes to see what I mean) We also had a penchant for tints in lurid shades of pink and burgundy.
How times change – in 2009 the 524 is the epitome of geek chic – see Madonna, Lily Allen or Mark Ronson. The trend for colour is back, but this time in more subtle layers, patterns or laminates. We love detail, bling, and pattern – for boys and girls! Designer names are everywhere, and even Marc Jacobs and Paul Smith have taken some inspiration from those classic British NHS creations. Those were the good old days!