I’ve been cursed with bad eye sight since I was a little kid. I remember vividly the day that my dad, an optometrist, gave me the bad news that I’d have to start wearing glasses. I was just 10-years-old, but already, fashion and image were everything to me; I hated the idea that I’d have to start wearing frames full-time. 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.
During that first visit to my dad’s office, I sulked around the room as he forced me to pick out a pair of frames. They all looked hideous to me. When we finally landed on a sleek, black rectangular pair, they went on to collect dust on my nightstand; I’d rather squint to see than wear those things, I thought to myself. 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. Miu Miu’s spring 2024 show, for one, got me thinking about how glasses can be stylish; Miuccia Prada showed her elevated athletic looks with giant optical frames, and I felt the accessory added a cool sophistication to the collection. Ditto for Kenzo, which also opened its show with big, black frames.
I wondered: If glasses are catwalk-worthy, surely I can adopt them into my look?
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The case for rocking frames has been further strengthened by stars like Bella Hadid, Reneé Rapp, and Doja Cat, all of whom have been proudly donning them while out and about this year. (Another influential star? Gisele Bündchen in The Devil Wears Prada—love her saucy little frames!). 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.
So, I set out to find a perfect pair that reflected my style.
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 2000s. Plus, the sculpted futuristic sides add a bit of statement. The glasses worked with nearly every outfit I tried on; I was instantly sold on their cool factor. That same week, my dad so happened to (kindly) send me a new pair of two-tone Tom Ford frames, which felt a little more mature and sophisticated. In them, I felt suave—sexy, even!
After years of hesitation, is the splashy stamp of celebrities and catwalks all it took to get me to wear glasses? Apparently, yes. (God, I am such a follower.) I could have been rocking frames this whole time, all the while avoiding those pesky contacts that dry up by 3 p.m.! But here I am now— excited to wear my new glasses and ready to let my geek flag fly.
