Right Round

R I G H T

R O U N D

Apparentlythefirstsighting (punintended)ofthemodern eyeglasseswasin13th-century Italy, andwouldn’tyouknowit, buttheywereround-rimmed. For thenext600years, glassesevolved bothintheirabilitytohelpwith visionandasafashionstatement. However, theroundspectaclefell outofvogue, andglassesingeneral foundthemselvesextraditedto restonthenosesof17th-century squares. However, asthe20th centuryrangin, sodidanindustrial agethatincludedthefabricationof affordableeyewear. Startinginthe 1920sandcontinuingintothe’30s, glasseswerespottedoneveryone frommotion-picturestarstocorrupt politicians. Surprisingly, therim styleofthe“in”crowdwasround. Insomecases, theycouldbefound platedingoldandbedazzledwith rhinestones. Fortheaveragegal andguylookingtohittheRitzin style, asimpleyetstylishpairof roundrimmersweretheperfect accessory. Fastforwardtothe1960s, andtheround-rimmedglasses sawaresurgenceinpopularity thatrivaledtheminiskirt. Maybe thebestwaytoillustratejusthow ubiquitoustheywerewouldbeto citesomefamous’60ssightings— JanisJoplin, EltonJohn, Mahatma Gandhi, and, ofcourse, John Lennon. Bytheirassociation withthesecelebrities, these glassesbecamesynonymouswith expressingpeaceandlove. The’70screptinwithdisco andpunk, andtheroundglasses werenowheretobefound. Infact glasses, ingeneral, wereafashion fauxpas. The’80sand’90swere knownasthedecadesofgreedand excess, andwhatbettertimeto takeasymbolofpeaceandturnit onitshead. OzzyOsborne, Black Sabbath’sbat-head-bitingfrontman, andMickeyKnox, leadingpsycho of“NaturalBornKillers,”both tooktosportingtheroundrimsand madethematokenofpureeviland rockandroll.

However, 2001 gave theworldsomeonewhocould defeatevil, despiteonlybeinga bespectacled12-year-old. NeedI saymore?

Overthelast700 years, the round-rimglasseshaveenduredan unrulymetamorphosis, andthey haverepresentedradicallydifferent thingstovarioussubcultures. These simplystyledocularaidsarenowa stapleofdiversefashionculture.