January 16, 2013

Celebrating six years of wearing glasses

On a bone chilling day back in January of 2007, I began wearing prescription eyeglasses for the first time in my life. Myopia was the blame, but, odd as this point seems to strike some people, I didn't mind in the least that I was suddenly going to morph from a two eyed lass into a four eyed one. Of course I wish I had perfectly healthy vision, but as I don't any more, and as such I've embraced my glasses with a passion from day one.

In part this stems from the fact that ever since I was a little girl, I've loved the look of eyeglasses and secretly longed for a pair throughout my childhood. To my young mind they were the epitome of high fashion mixed with bookish academia, and I imagined that if I had a pair, I might (one day) look something like one of these wildly chic 1950s women.




For better or worse, I never required glasses while I was growing up, but in my mid-twenties my eyesight started to wane and so it was off to the optometrist's I went. My near sightedness was diagnosed in a flash and thus I set about picking a pair of frames.

Width wise, I don't have a very big head or face, so most of the pairs I tried on were too big for me. It's possible that some could perhaps have been adjusted to make them smaller, but I wanted to find a pair that didn't slip or slide, or simply feel too big on my face right out of the gate. When I tried on the pair (the model of which is Venus Eye Design V-12) that were to become my frames, it was love at first sight! (If you'll pardon the ophthalmological pun.)

Six years on, I'm still wearing the same frames (which you've seen me sporting in many of my vintage outfit photos, such as the ones in this post) and love them even more now then when I got them back in the early days of 2007. In the future I may add a second (or third, etc) pair, but for now, one does the job just fine, and though coloured (a plumy burgundy hue), they go with virtually everything in my wardrobe, so there's really no need to splash out on others for the time being.

That doesn't mean, however, that I don't enjoy looking at different pairs of frames, be they modern or vintage, and likewise love seeing photos of yesteryear women who were also also spectacle wearers themselves. Mid-century eyeglasses were, to my mind, some the most stylish, creative, and flat out awesome the world has ever known, and even if you don't wear glasses yourself, it's hard not to swoon over them.



Over the years I've bookmarked a number of photos of vintage ladies wearing glasses (it's always inspiring to see how they opted to wear their hair and make-up), and in celebrate of my sixth anniversary of being an spectacle wearer, I thought it would fun to share some of them with you here today. All of the following ten photos are of real world misses, just like you and I, wearing glasses and looking thoroughly stylish in the process.




{This woman from 1945, with her delightfully patterned frames, is identified as Natalie Olmsted, District Recreation Supervisor (of Seattle).}




{Vibrant hand tinting injects a sense of playful whimsy into this cute photo booth snap of two women - quite possibly sisters - wearing similar hairstyles and eyeglasses.}




{A 1946 portrait of a woman named Helen Calcote wearing a neat pair of glasses that are round on the top, but more like an hexagon on the bottom. Love her darling bow bedecked dress, too!}




{While one might, today, expect safety glasses to be worn in a setting such as this - and certainly they were sometimes - it appears that this busy 1940s factory worker is sporting her day-to-day eyeglasses while on the job.}



{This woman, with her somewhat serious expression, reminds me of so many faces I've seen over the years, yet doesn't bring any one name in particular to mind. I really like her classic pearls and the subtle scalloped waviness of frames.}



{This shot of a young, stylish 1950s lady was captured by noted Life magazine photographer Yale Joel, whose reflection is visible in her lenses.}



{A look of deep concentration radiates from this mid-40s artist's piercing eyes, housed behind round frames, as she concentrates on the picture she's painting.}



{I can't decide which I like more, this 1940s lady's cute glasses, fantastic faux (rolled) bangs, or fashionable striped blouse.}



{Elegantly pretty hand tinting helps bring an extra dose of warmth and lifelikeness to this charming late 50s/early 60s portrait of a woman wearing a fabulous pair of cat's eye glasses.}



{Over the years I've encountered a small handful of photos of vintage brides wearing glasses, but certainly not all that many, so I always like to save or favourite such photos, such as this one of a radiantly happy 1950s couple on their special day, when I happen across them.}



And, as we can't forget the Hollywood set in this post either, here are a few shots of some of yesteryear's finest leading ladies making glasses look flat out stunning.




{Actress Eleanor Parker was dubbed the Woman of a Thousand faces, and here we see one of those in an especially terrific pair of bedazzled 1940s frames.}



{Rolleiflex camera in hand, a bespectacled Grace Kelly kneels down while scooting someone out of the way, to capture a photograph.}



{Though not an actress herself, Academy Award winning costume designer Edith Head - seen here in her trademark round frames - was responsible for dressing many of Tinseltown's most famous starlets during the gold age of cinema.}



{Actress Janet Leigh looking cute as a button in a charming pair of 1950s specs and a striped apron.}



{Marilyn in femininely curvy frames and Lauren Bacall looking chic behind a dark lensed pair of sunnies during the 1950s.}




Seriously, whenever I see photos like these, I find myself scratching my head and wondering who on earth ever came up with that silly saying about how no one makes passes at girls in glasses. A vintage chap would have had to have been downright bonkers not to have found all of these ladies every bit as lovely and appealing as their spectacle-less sisters. Sometimes, I think, glasses can even serve to further enhance a person's physical attractiveness (this definitely applies to both guys and dolls - I adore a sharply dressed fellow in a classic pair of specs, don't you?).



{How cute and stylish are these three 1950s office workers in their captivating, brightly coloured cat's eye frames?}


Of course one does not need to have an actual vision problem to wear glasses. Pretty much any pair of frames can have clear window glass or tinted sunglass lenses put into them, and if you find the notion of wearing glasses appealing, this is a route well worth considering.

Glasses are a fashion accessory and statement unto themselves, even if they're a medical necessity, and can really help liven up any face and outfit. Just look at the selection of 1950s "glamour glasses" below for proof that such is definitely the case.





While in theory, I could wear contact lenses instead of frames if I wanted to, I have zero desire to do so. I'm every bit as happy today about the fact that I get to wake up and put on a pair of my specs each and every morning as I was when I first got my frames six years ago.

As time rolls on, I'm suspect that other frames will come into the picture, but no matter if I own one, two or a hundred, I'll never forget my first pair and how they instantly gave me a brand new accessory (yay!) to don every day. They've become a part of me and my identity, a constant companion, and a cheerful splash of colour on the canvas of my face.

Three cheers for four eyes, as I like to say! :)

76 comments:

  1. Thank you for writing this, it was really heartening to read something in praise of glasses for once. It really cheered me up to look at the pictures of your glamorous spectacle wearing women as these are too rarely seen. I particularly like the one in the striped shirt, the lady with the pearls and the lovely hand tinted cats eyes wearer. I have been wearing glasses since I was 7 years old and I did get teased.,wish I could have whipped out some of these gorgeous pictures then! Nice to get hairstyle ideas too.

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  2. I'm totally with you on this. I wore glasses as a kid and switched to contacts in my teens because of my dancing.Last year I went back to glasses and now you can't get me out of them. They're so much fun and are now part of my "look". Who says girls in glasses aren't attractive. Those photos certainly say otherwise!!!!!

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  3. Three cheers for four eyes! Love it!

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  4. Love that you featured so many gorgeous bespectacled gals! As someone who has worn eyeglasses since the age of 8, it's something near and dear to my heart. I've always opted for fun frames--my very first pair were fire engine red. I have had contacts in the past but the last time I tried them I didn't like the type I was given as a trial, and never did bother to get more. Sometimes I think I'd like to try them again, not because I don't enjoy wearing glasses, but because my eyes are very sensitive to the sun and sometimes having to switch between prescription frames and prescription sunglasses is a bit of a pain.

    Thanks for showing everyone vintage gals in glasses are COOL! :)

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    1. You're super welcome, dear Tasha, huge thanks in turn for your terrific comment. You have always (and will always be) one of my biggest vintage glasses wearing inspirations and style icons - and hands down one of the coolest ladies I've ever known!

      ♥ Jessica

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  5. I also have myopia and I started wearing glasses at the age of 12. But when I was 16 I replaced them with contact lenses. Not because I think glasses are ugly, unstylish or something - in fact I love the way I look in glasses (my eyes are quite big and glasses made them look smaller), but because wearing glasses was really uncomfortable for me. I also was always afraid I will acidentally lost them or break them. Now I'm 25 and still wearing contacts - but at the moment I'm looking for a perfect pair of cat-eyes reproduction with clear glasses. OK, not for one pair - I want to buy at least three (black ones, brown ones and a fake tortoise-shell ones) :D

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  6. Amazing job locating all these glamourous women with glasses!

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  7. Ive been wearing glasses for 12 years now. At first I hated glasses and made my parents get me contacts (which really irked my younger sister). Once I found the style of glasses I like best vintage-inspired I prefer to wear my glasses. To this day, I tend to wear my vintage pair a lot. I only wear contacts when we go out to the movies or I'm having skin irritation.
    I'd love to have any one of these pairs in my collection. I'm always looking for more glasses to add to my collection.

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  8. Jessica! what a wonderful ode to eyeglasses. When I was in the first years of elementary school I longed to wear glasses too. I loved the stylish cat eye glasses that some of the girls were wearing. My vision WAS poor (in one eye) and yet the eye doc who tested me told me I was lying and that I just wanted glasses. Well, it was true that I wanted glasses AND that I had vision problems. So it wasn't until 4th grade that a different eye doc recognized my need and I got glasses. When I had to wear them everyday, I didn't like them! The problem was that the vision in my right eye was so compromised (I'm legally blind in the right eye) that one lens was highly magnified and so that eye looked huge while the other eye looked normal. It wasn't a pretty look. I wonder if my vision could have been corrected earlier if the first doc had taken me seriously.
    I don't wear my glasses all the time now as the vision in my right eye can no longer be corrected. I do need them now for reading, but in public, I take them off. I don't have the thick lens anymore so the "big eye" isn't a problem now.
    I still like glasses, but don't want to wear them all the time if I don't want to. I suppose its vanity. I have a smaller face and head too, so its hard to find glasses that aren't too wide. I also find that often opticians don't want to spend a lot of time helping choose the best frames and say they look good when they don't. Now I always take a picture of myself in the frames before I purchase them....its hard for me to make the judgement without a photo!
    I love all of you photos of these sophisticated women in their specks.....what a great post.

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    1. Oh Lisa, that is truly one of those "I'll wonder about it for the rest of my days" types of situations. I have some pertaining to my health like that, too, and hope with all my heart that such wasn't the case for you (as in your vision was already reduced to that degree at an early age, instead of being something that perhaps could have been helped it caught earlier on). Thank you very much for sharing your story with me, dear lady, I really appreciate it.

      ♥ Jessica

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  9. I was a very tall and gangly child which drew much attention my way so when I found I needed to wear glasses, I was mortified and even more unfortunately for me, the only glasses around were very dowdy and then a little later, still dowdy or the 'fashionable' ones were those dreadful frames that seemed to take up half my face and are currently fashionable again! It was only in recent years that I started to see frames I liked and really hit the jackpot last year with my current ones. I have worn contacts from time to time but I really don't like them; it's the getting them out that bothers me.

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  10. Great photos, I think as soon as you put on a pair of cat eye glasses your instantly vintage. Might I remind you, we have the same glasses!

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    1. Thank you, hon! So true, we do have the same frames, that's awesome! I completely agree, few things can set the stage for a vintage ensemble quicker than a great pair of cat eye glasses.

      ♥ Jessica

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  11. I wish I shared your enthusiasm for wearing glasses, :). I've needed them since age 8, but have mostly worn contact lenses since age 11. :) If I could find some vintage looking frames that actually fit my face I might reconsider wearing glasses full time, but in the meantime I'll have to stick with contacts. Your frames look very good on you!

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  12. I think glasses are very charming and if I need to wear them someday I would pick a cat's eye frame! When I was about 10 I was the only girl in my class who didn't wear glasses, and I felt like I didn't fit at all! I even made my mother take me to the doctor to check if I really didn't need them, can you believe it? haha By the way, I loved the pictures in this post, they were very inspiring :)

    Have a nice day!

    xoxo
    Marcela

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  13. That is so true! Why did they come up with that saying!? hehe I loved the photos and wow you have kept your frames for that long-amazing! My poor hubby has had his for maybe 4-5 yrs but they literally fall off his face-the kids have bent them and even though he has a good pair to use-he doesnt see the point as he feels they will destroy those too-poor dear! xox

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    1. Oh no, the poor fellow! Tony is a fellow eyeglass wearer as well (unlike me, he's been once since very early in his childhood), so that's another interesting thing that our husbands have in common. No children to risk damaging his specs, but the cat does enjoy nuzzling against both of our frames while we're wearing them sometimes :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  14. I love cateye-glasses ♥♥♥

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  15. I love my glasses too! I'm hoping to get some ludicrously 'blingy' ones for my wedding! Thanks for the inspiration x

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  16. Hello from one bespectacled gal to another - I wore cat-eye glasses until I reached junior high school, then I wore contacts for many, many years. I went back to glasses about five years ago - they are part of my fashion accessories now.

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  17. Hello Jessica! oohh this post is wonderful!! *-* It's the quintessential of my blog, honestly.
    I am an enthusiastic collector of glasses :)
    Three cheers for your post! Hurray!

    Love,
    Lorena

    p.s I almost forgot it! Congrats! i'm looking forward to seeing your new custom snood ;)

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  18. I have been wearing glasses since I was 12!! I have really bad eyes. It isn't until recently that I have fully embraced them and have searched out vintage style frames. I haven't worn contacts in years I love my glasses! Lovely grouping vintage photos I save any photo I can find of people wearing glasses too:) I am still on the hunt for perfect tortoises shell ones.

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  19. I'm also a four eyes woman!!! It begun for me when I was 20... I like to choose between my vintage frames and contact lenses.
    Have you ever tried vintage frames?
    Here are mine: http://lostin1950.blogspot.fr/2012/05/50s-cat-eyes-glasses.html

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    1. Your glasses are so splendidly awesome, dear Laurence! Interesting story regarding vintage frames. I've never bought a pair (yet), but I did receive a pair once as a thank you for hosting a blog giveaway featuring an etsy seller who sells vintage frames. Though I did try and pick a pair from the ones she offered me that were my size, once they arrived, they ended up still being too big (I have a fairly small face). They don't have lenses in them, so for the time being I just store them with the rest of my vintage accessories collection. As they don't fit me though, I really should sell them one day and let them go to a home - and a face - where they'll get plenty of use. Thank you for the reminder, I'd nearly forgotten all about those frames.

      ♥ Jessica

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    2. It's your chance, all vintage frames are often really narrow!!! It's hard dor me to find a model that fit my large face....

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  20. Those glasses are sure something else! I just love spectacles from the 30s.
    I like that you have Edith Head mentioned. When I began fashion designing and doing all of my fashion shows around the country is when my father decided to tell me that my great aunt was her head seamstress and best friend. He thought I wouldn't care! Hahahaha!
    Oh! And don't you love it when really alluring women wear spectacles! Like ginger Rogers and Connie Bennett!

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    1. Oh my goodness, to imagine that your dad didn't think that would of interest of you! To know that - to use Kevin Bacon's game - there's just a couple of degrees of separation between you and Edith Head must be such a marvelous feeling, especially since you're so passionate about fashion design yourself.

      Thank you very much for your comment, dear gal!
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. Yay for glasses! You´ve chosen some very wonderful photos here, my favorite has to be the lady with the faux bangs. She looks purrfect from hair to collar. Now Im even more excited about the new frame I´ll receive in a week or two (I hate that it always takes so long from choosing to receiving...). Have to try how it looks with faux bangs.

    I may also add that I find it very impressive that you´ve been wearing the same frame for six years. You obviously made a very good choice :)

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    1. Super yay for glasses! :) Thank you very much for your comment, dear Katrin. I really hope that your new frames work out perfectly for you. Awww, thank you, when I find something I love, I tend to stick to it like white on rice, and hope that I'll continue to have these cute frames for many more years to come.

      ♥ Jessica

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  22. You look lovely in glasses. I too wear glasses, but only for driving. I have a weird obsession with cat eye frames, the more ornate the better. I keep buying the frames, even though I don't think it's possible to put my actual prescription into them. I basically have a collection of cool glasses that I can't see through, which is sort of hilarious. Maybe I should display them on the wall? :)

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    1. Hi sweet Hannah, though I don't own yet, I fully share your passion for ornate vintage cat eye frames. They are so glam, girly, and instantly redolent of days gone by. I love your idea of framing some of your specks - perhaps in a shadow box? - that would make for some really eye-catching wall art! :)


      ♥ Jessica

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  23. Hello kitten! You are my cardigan winner! If you email me your postal address I can get it all packed up and sent away to you! :) Hope this finds you well! If I had to I would def. wear glasses over contacts too, there are some really sexy and stylish frames out there! ;) All the best kitten! Zoë xxx

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    1. Hello dear Zoe, thank you so much for letting me know that I won your marvelous giveaway for that lovely cardigan! Yay! Ohhhh, this just made my whole day and then some! I have a medical appointment tomorrow that I'm not looking forward to one iota and which has been weighing on my mind all day. Your awesome news really helped distract me and will give me something to smile about - instead of fret for the rest of the day.

      Thank you so, so much!!!
      ♥ Jessica

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  24. Hello dear Jessica,

    This post looks very interesting. I can't wait to read it.

    We returned home to a broken heater and much else to do. Such is life...at least we have a wood stove.

    For now, I just wanted to let you know that I have changed my blog URL for my blog The Simple Life of Hope.

    My new URL is:
    http://thesimplelifeofhope-updated.blogspot.com/

    Hope all is well with you.

    Hugs,
    Hope

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  25. Happy ocular anniversary! I've always loved glasses. When I was about 6, I lied to the eye doctor during my exam, because I wanted glasses so bad. Needless to say, I may have achieved a set of frames, but they gave me massive headaches... oh dear. Luckily (I guess?) age has caught up with me, and my glasses are actually functional these days:)

    <3 Sara

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  26. I am glad that I am not the only one who secretly wished they wore glasses. I have a couple pairs of vintage cat eyes that I've been meaning to change to non prescription lenses. I also think that glasses are becoming on many people, and usually end up crushing on men who wear them.

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    1. Hi sweet Desirae, ohhhh, I just adore a chap in an elegant pair of specs, too. There's something an about the intellectual air they can transmit that just makes me swoon - and love all the more the fact that Tony (my husband) wears glasses.

      Thank you very much for your comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  27. What a great post! The pictures are adorable. The first time I saw your lenses, I admired their style; they suit you perfectly.

    I just bought a pair of retro-style glasses to wear with a new faux-vintage dress; the glasses resemble these in the photos very closely. They're an easy way to add style to a look.

    Last year, I noticed several bloggers with perfect vision start wearing what are referred to as "nerd glasses" in daily life, simply for the style. Interesting phenomenon.

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    1. Thank you very, Ally. How exciting that you purchased your first pair of vintage style glasses. They truly are such a wonderful way to inject an instant sense of mid-century fashion into any look.

      It's true, wearing glasses for looks instead of function has come back in vogue in recent years (largely amongst the hipster community). It seems to every so often and I suspect has been going on since the first glasses appeared and people realized they could lend an sense of sophistication and/or intellectualism to oneself at times.

      Thank you very much for your comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  28. What a lovely post!! :D I too have glasses, and I have never gone the contact route (I like my glasses and I am not a fan of poking around my eyes! XD). I think your glasses look wonderful on you! :)

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  29. Amen to glasses as accessories! One of my best kept secrets is Zenni Optical (zennioptical.com). They have frames starting at $6.95, and top out at around $45. Your eye doctor is more than happy to print out your script for you, and it is super easy to enter it on the website. I've ordered a few pairs in the last year for Joe and I (and Just ordered a few more ;) ), and they are made as well as or better then my "expensive" glasses from the optometrist! The only "extra" I add on is the anti glare for $4.95. So, dear Jess, when you are ready to expand your collection, go have a browse!!! I always have a few pairs of cat eyes in my cart!! xoxo, erica

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    1. Hi Erica, thank you very much for your comment and for suggesting that website. I'll have to look into if they ship to Canada for future reference. It's great to know that you've had only positive firsthand experience over the years in dealing with them and their specs.

      Thanks again!
      ♥ Jessica

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  30. Hi hun! LOVE the artist and the actress after...what a cool post! I love Vintage glasses.

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  31. I've had glasses for twenty years, but it took half of that to realise that I didn't have to hate them! Actually it's the fault of a Buddy Holly inspired pair. Since then I've not looked back and always selected a pair inspired by vintage fashion. I have several pairs of actual vintage frames but getting new lenses made for any of those is a dream project for another day. :)

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  32. I've been wearing glasses for reading, watching TV and close work for over 50 years and I must say my newest pair are so light and comfortable and darken in the sun most unlike the heavy ones I remember from childhood.
    I must say I cannot wear contact lenses but my husband wears glasses some days and contact lenses on other days depending what he is doing.

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  33. I love the contrast of the fun, patterned glasses with this elegantly beautiful suit in the 1945 picture. So lovely. The photo of the artist is just wonderful to me, and I am completely charmed by Eleanor Parker's glasses and hope to stumble upon a pair just like them some day.

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  34. Or six eyes, as I say, since getting bifocals ;) Such a lovely, lovely tribute to glasses - I've never seen anything like this - just love it!

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  35. I've been wearing glasses since I was in the third grade, and while there was a time I was tempted by contacts, I, like you, prefer my frames. I've gone through many different ones over the years, and quite like the ones I have now, although I hated them in the beginning.

    Recently I was called a hypocrite on my blog because I don't wear vintage frames (I deleted the comment, I wasn't about to get into it with her). It isn't for a lack of trying that's for sure though. Most vintage frames I run across are too round or square for my face. I need rectangular frames like nobody's business! I'm due for an eye exam though...I keep forgetting to make an appointment... :/ maybe this will be the year for vintage frames...

    Thanks for posting all of these delightful pictures!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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    1. Dear Janey, I'm so sorry to hear that someone would be so rude and cruel as to call you a hypocrite for wearing modern frames. The notion that someone who enjoys vintage needs to wear it head to toe all the time is flat out nuts. Vintage means different things to all of us, whether we like a little hint or to look we just stepped straight out of a 1940s fashion magazine. You always look incredibly vintage-y and beautiful, and are a true pillar of yesteryear fashion inspiration for countless people.

      ♥ Jessica

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    2. I have to day the general public can be so rude!

      Vintage glasses are not easy to come by and are often not availible on a try-before-you -buy basis on etsy and ebay. I have to wear glasses for night time (when my eyes get tired) and am tempted by vintage but am scared because I can't see them on myself. I think I have found the pair I want and I am currently mulling over them. xx Shauna

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  36. I've been wearing glasses all my life, since I have a terrible near-sighted problem. Since I was "forced" to wear mine as a child, I often hated glasses. I was called all kinds of mean names like "four eyes." So, I resented having to wear them, and always wished that I could have perfect vision.

    As an adult, I'm fine with my glasses. The pair I have now I've had for several years and truly adore them! I think they are the best pair of frames I've ever owned. I used to wear contacts for a few years, but I gave-up on those pretty quick. I found it very annoying to have something "in your eyes" all day long. Glasses are much more comfortable.

    I enjoyed viewing the photographs you chose of these fashionable ladies with their glasses. The woman with the serious expression was my favorite.

    Blessings! :)

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  37. Love these photos! I've been wearing classes since I went to high school and have become so used to them that I just think I look weird without them. :)

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  38. Your frames are rather lovely, good choice! I've had to wear glasses since I was 8, so that's 25 years of being practically blind without them. I am very, very short-sighted (-9) and had a horrible time with super thick lenses in NHS frames throughout school. When I was in my early twenties I tried contact lenses, and I have never looked back! (if you'll excuse the pun!)

    Now, I love the 1950's cat eye styles of glasses, but unfortunately I can't wear them because of the shape - I need lenses that are very narrow, as my super-compressed (and super-expensive) lenses get thicker further from the centre. It's a shame, I really would like a pair.

    I still wear my glasses just before bed and on waking up, but contact lenses have given me so much freedom (swimming, running etc) that I couldn't give them up! They'd be my number one item to take to a desert island.

    Love all those photos though of be-spectacled ladies!

    P x

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  39. Glasses have actually become quite the height of fashion these days! You look utterly sweet in glasses and I love that they are red! Love Marilyn Monroe in the cat-eye glasses too! Hope you will have a fabulous weekend my dear!
    May xx
    www.walkinginmay.com

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  40. Holy cow! So much.....eye candy! har har!! I have also always loved glasses. I desperately wanted to have a vision problem when I was in middle school so that I could wear them. I ended up buying glasses with clear glass lenses until I recently had to get prescription lenses. I found a gorgeous pair in blue from Dead Mens Spex and adore them!! If I was able, I'd buy a pair in every color :)

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  41. That is amazing photo collection, Jessica. I'm also belong to those who wear glasses pretty often :) And I'm still hunting for my perfect pair.

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  42. I recently started wearing glasses myself and I'm rather fond of mine and think they're rather stylish, even if I do say so myself. I've always seen some appeal in glasses and so wasn't too disappointed myself either, when I discovered I would need to start wearing them on occasion... although I did find it fairly emotional picking out the frames. Though I have no problem with the way they look, it is a wee bit sad to know that your eyesight isn't what it used to be! And though I love my new glasses, I was slightly dismayed recently, when dressed in a rather 1980s party dress and jacket, to realise that the slightly more mid-century vibe of my glasses didn't look quite right with the 80s ensemble. Something I didn't think of when picking them out!

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  43. What a wonderful blog post! I just adore vintage glasses. I have some beautiful cat-eye glasses that still needs a prescription! Thank you for including a photo of my favourite - Grace Kelly! :)

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  44. These are great photos! The photo of Helen Calcote is almost identical to a photograph of my grandma, probably taken around the same time. I completely agree with you that glasses can add character and charm to someone's face and outward personality - they're an accessory even if they are necessary! I like to find nice, cost-friendly frames to have my script lenses put into - the "real" vintage frames can be so expensive sometimes. I think yours suit you perfectly - glasses can sometimes age but yours look like you picked them out very recently - you could wear them for a while yet!

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  45. Hello dear Jessica,

    I, too, am one that always liked glasses. I am thankful my eyesight does not require wearing them, but I think they look fun to wear. I like your upbeat attitude on the issue.

    Speaking of attitude, I actually bought myself a pair of “attitude glasses” just to wear when I feel in the mood. They look like prescription glasses, but are not.

    I like the dark headed girl with the rolled bangs wearing the fashionable striped shirt and round glasses. I also have that photo stored away on my computer in my LIFE folder. I found that photo under “American Look” … http://images.google.com/hosted/life/0a2e7ab09e8ceb54.html

    “What Is The American Look?
    Good grooming displayed by this American girl's big, competent, well-cared-for hands, which she has manicured at least once a week & daily polish refreshings, as she holds her Pitman shorthand notebook during her secretarial job.”

    ******************

    We arrived home near midnight this past Monday and had news of my father-in-law’s death on Tuesday. That is why I have not been back to blogging yet.

    All is well.

    Hugs,
    Hope

    http://thesimplelifeofhope-updated.blogspot.com/


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  46. Love all of these! Its time for me to get a new pair and these are such inspiration!

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  47. Lots of great photos of women wearing glasses, I especially like the ones of Edith Head and the 190s artist. I've worn glasses ever since I was 9 years old, had a short flirtation with contact lens' when I was in my mid 20s but I have severe astygmatism so they were never really comfortable and so I went back to glasses. If I'm dressed up for a special evening out I don't wear them as I can see perfectly well to get around and read menus etc but other than that they go on as soon as I get up and stay on until I go to bed.

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  48. Wow, what a fun post! (Thank you for the Venus referral—I've had a hard time finding vintage-style glasses to fit my face, though I think I've done all right despite that.) I do wear contacts quite a bit, mostly because it's much easier to do my job wearing contacts, but my glasses are still on probably 60-70% of the time.

    You mentioned having a hard time finding photos of vintage ladies wearing glasses at their wedding. Here are a few photos of my own paternal grandmother, cute as a button and in *fabulous* glasses, on their wedding day in 1950. We lost Grandpa in November...so he and Grandma spent their first Christmas together in 20 years last month and their first wedding anniversary together in the same just this week. Hard on us, but great for them, I've no doubt!

    http://ow.ly/gWOl8
    http://ow.ly/gWOoz
    http://ow.ly/gWOrc
    http://ow.ly/gWOtc

    Hope you like them. She didn't even take them off for the kiss! ;)

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    1. Thank you very much for your wonderfully lovely comment and for sharing four of your own family photographs with me, dear Jen. It is an honour to look at your grandparent's wedding day. Your grandma really was a cute as a button, and her wedding dress was so elegantly beautiful.

      Thank you again & have a fantastic weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

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  49. I love the photos of the everyday ladies in specs! So stylish. The one of the painter is especially cool.

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  50. I am a HUGE fan of vintage glasses- so much so that I too have wished I needed to wear them... unfortunately I still don't, so I have tried to find sunglasses with vintage frames, but none of the modern versions compare to the real deal!

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  51. What i wouldn't do for a pair of Black cats eyes that actually fit the width of my face ...sigh

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  52. You look fab in your glasses, and they fit your face shape so well! I too have poor vision, but I've had it since birth. I had an astigmatism in one eye, and even had to wear an eye patch for a year to help with that and my lazy eye. Then later on I found out I have an astigmatism in BOTH eyes, which was great news (sarcasm). I am also legally blind in one eye if I recall correctly. But I can still shoot like my military self, on point ;-) I wear contacts most of the time, and I have glasses that are more rectangular and I wear them when my eyeballs have had enough of these suction cups on my eyes. I bought a pair of vintage '50s frames that I love, but I haven't had the money to have my prescription put in them. That and I kinda need that prescription too! LOL.

    Loved seeing those pictures!

    -Holly

    Veronica Vintage

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  53. I have to wear glasses too, and I chose on purpose to wear glasses and not lens contact ! I have a lot of frames and I enjoyed them a lot. For me, it is a perfect fashion detail in outfit !

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  54. I would love to own a pair of vintage glasses but unfortunately they don't become me. Nice post, love the pics.

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  55. Thanks for your response <3 this post is just lovely! I love the fact you see your glasses as a positive! I should think more like you! They really really suit you, clearly you were made to sport gorgeous glasses!

    I've recently purchased mine and just have to wait for them to be ready so I'll do a post on them soon! I'd love your feedback on it and for you to tell me what you think of my new specs <3

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    1. You're very welcome, my dear - I sincerely hope you adore your new frames and that you two have many wonderful years together, too.

      ♥ Jessica

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  56. Jessica,

    I love the pictures of the retro glasses,I particularly like the two ladies who appear to be wearing rimless ones!

    I too longed to wear glasses from an early age. My Grandmother was nearsighted and wore rimless glasses that fascinated me and I loved the look of them and always was trying to get a peek through them by getting behind her, When I was five my grandmother passed away and my older sister got glasses and from that time on I wanted glasses too! My secret desire to wear glasses would go on for ten years and then when I was a freshman in high school I found that I was having trouble seeing the board and one of my teachers noticed it,and sent me to the school nurse to have my vision checked; I found out my vision was 20/40 in one eye and 20/60 in the other and the nurse said she would send a letter home to my parents.

    A week later I was at my sisters eye doctor having my eye examined; I found out I was nearsighted, but also had astigmatism too and the optometrist told me I would need to wear glasses! On the way home my mom and I stopped at the opticians and I picked out a wire framed pair of semi rimless glasses that I loved how they looked on me and it kind of reminded me of my grandma's glasses. I was upset when I found out I had to wait a week for them to be ready!

    The following week the optician called and said my glasses were ready and I could come in the next day for my fitting. The following day after school, I was sitting in the opticians office and he was getting my glasses ready and was telling me I was going to experience something that I would remember for the rest of my life and then he slipped my glasses on my face. He wasn't kidding! My world changed in an instant from fuzzy to crystal clear and I could not believe how much different everything looked! Trees had individual leaves, I could see peoples faces from across the parking lot!, buildings looked like doll houses with so much detail , I could read signs that I would have had to be on top of an hour before from a distance that I could not believe and colors were so much more vivid!. My secret desire had come true! and this was by far one of the best days of my life up to this point !

    My parents were surprised at how easily I adapted to my life in glasses and couldn't believe how I actually embraced wearing them; with my older sister they had a constant fight on their hands to get her to wear her glasses and it wasn't until her vision got to the point she couldn't see anything that she relented to reluctantly wear her glasses. I on the other hand never took mine off, the day I got them I proudly went over to my friends houses and showed them off; they all complimented me on how good they looked and then they wanted to try them on! Not knowing what to expect, the next day at school would be my hardest day ever wearing glasses, I expected to be teased, but only got compliments and it went way better than I thought it would. Each day got easier and within a few weeks I was very comfortable and confident in my glasses and loved wearing them.

    Several years later my sister and I were talking about wearing glasses and she told me all the things she hated about wearing them and would love to not have to wear them. She then asked me what I hated about wearing glasses and when I couldn't come up with anything, she said there had to be something, and that is when I let her in on my secret and told her I had always wanted to wear glasses from the age of five and actually loved wearing them and it's always easier to do something you want to do and like it!

    It's now been over 30 years since I got my first pair and I still look forward to putting them on each day and still love wearing them. I have several pair that I mix up from one day to the next depending on my mood, what I'm wearing or doing and I have my absolute favorite, a pair of rimless glasses similar to the ones my grandmother wore so many years ago which I simply love wearing!

    p.s. sorry for the long response.

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    1. Please don't apologize in the slightest. I'm sincerely touched that you took the time to share such a detailed, personal story with me. We might not be the majority, but I've encountered others over the years now who have likewise confided that they longed for years or even decades to sport specs, too. Of course we all wish our eyesight could be dead on perfect, but as that is so often not the case, at least we can enjoy our glasses and make the best of the situation.

      You're really not alone, I'd be very hard pressed to think of something I don't like about wearing mine either (perhaps the fear that I'll fall asleep with them on and accidentally break them, even though I don't usually toss or turn much at night).

      I really appreciate your terrific comment, my anonymous friend, and am delighted that you shared it here with me and my readers.

      Have a beautiful Thursday,
      ♥ Jessica

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  57. The good, bad and ulgy of glasses in the 40s-50s that I had to endure before 1960 and I got my first contact lenses - now I can't wear contacts anymore and despite cataract surgery, I'm still in need of glasses!

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    1. I'm very sorry to hear that. I know several people for whom that rings true and if you're not big on wearing glasses, I'm sure it can be quite an annoyance. I hope that you've been able to find a comfortable, beautiful pair that you like as much as possible.

      Thank you for commenting on this post. It's now been over eight years since I started wearing glasses and I love them more than ever.

      ♥ Jessica

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