In the beginning was the frame – and it was tiny, and round, and sat perched on the nose of only the very rich! Nowadays thanks to the wonders of good eggs like the Internet Glasses Company, specs are available to all of us, and we have a little more choice than just the one shape.
When the NHS was in charge of our eyewear decisions, frames were tiny and round – John Lennon rolled gold rims – or square and plastic – Michael Caine. Then came the heady days of the Seventies and frames got bigger and bigger. The shape then was flat across the brows and deep down on the cheekbones. Then it got rounder again – remember Timmy Mallet?! And preferably multi coloured. For men it was metal Aviators all the way, with varying degrees of droop and curve. For the daring few who did not like the double bridge, there were deep square frames, slightly rounded on the rims. The key factor with all these looks was the frame proportion – deep and fairly narrow across the face.
Michael Caine in his square plastic glasses
Things got exciting in the nineties, when frames got radically smaller and round again. The evolution from this was oval frames, and gradually the proportion changed to shallow and wide. Varifocal manufacturers had to step up their game and produce lenses which would fit into small frames. People got used to smaller frames that were light weight.
Now we have squarer or rectangular versions of this shape, and the size for next year is gradually increasing again. Vintage shapes of Christian Dior and Cazal frames are on the market again, and hip designers like Tom Ford and Paul Smith are showcasing very retro round shapes. Like the return of the shoulder pad it proves there’s nothing new in fashion!
