I felt glasses made people look deeply uncool and nerdy. And I was not a geek! I listened to Britney Spears, worshiped Vogue and Fashion Television, and delighted in taking bold fashion risks like wearing leg warmers as bracelets. Basically, I thought I was the height of cool—and my new glasses were about to ruin all of that. They all looked hideous to me.
This ambivalent attitude continued well into my teens. As my eye sight continued to worsen—to the point where I quite literally could not see without glasses or contacts—I began sporting the latter option, gleefully jabbing my eye with lenses every single morning, because it meant I could still go frames-free. Even now, in my early 30s, I still resist wearing glasses. While I sometimes put them on at home, I rarely sport them out in public.
My viewpoint on frames is beginning to shift, though—mostly, because the runways and celebrities are now embracing them. Ditto for Kenzo, which also opened its show with big, black frames.
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. Another influential star? Off-screen, though, it seems like a tangible movement is happening. Glasses are becoming less about being a practical tool to see , and more about becoming a quirky fashion accessory that one can use to accentuate any look.
When I started considering glasses in this way—as a fun styling piece versus a necessity—something inside me shifted: they suddenly became much more attractive. Hours of scrolling and deep-diving later, I came across a few thin metal frames by Gentle Monster that felt fresh and modern. I loved that this pair felt discreet enough for every day, yet a little bold too, channeling the extra-thin wired frames from the s.
