Glasses with added specs appeal

11:51am Wednesday 20th August 2008

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It’s official: Wearing glasses is no longer considered geeky, with opticians reporting a surge in the number of customers requesting frames with plain-glass.

MEN seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses, went the famous adage by American author Dorothy Parker.

But it looks like times have changed, with opticians reporting droves of customers buying spectacles even though they don't need them, according to YouGov research carried out on behalf of Vision Express opticians.

The poll found that fashion has killed cliches of spectacles being a medical aid, and that now glasses are considered a must-have fashion accessory instead.

“The amount of women coming in to buy glasses without correction is increasing,” said Kevin Horkin, who owns Spex opticians in Accrington. and Clitheroe.

“I think glasses are thought of as face jewellery nowadays.

“You can buy spectacles by Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Armani, Donna Karan, the list goes on. Some girls think ‘I can't afford to buy a designer outfit to wear every day, but I can afford designer glasses’.”

The study revealed that 53 per cent of glasses-wearing 18-44-year-old-women have been on the receiving end of amorous approaches from men who have complimented them on their eyewear.

“I think the saying 'men seldom wear passes at girls who wear glasses' has always been a myth,” said Mr Horkin, who was the first person to introduce cut-price eyewear to the UK in 1993.

“Men have always made passes at girls who wear glasses. You only have to look at the old films to see that glasses can be very sexy.

“The eyes are the windows to the soul, they’re the first thing people notice about you so they're worth dressing up.

“If you’ve got beautiful eyes they’re like works of art — they need framing.”

East Lancashire beauty queen Nosheen Idrees, 22, who has reached the semi-final of SpecSavers opticians Spectacle Wearer of the Year award 2008 said: “I have to wear glasses for reading but I just like wearing them anyway because I think they make me look more sophisticated and different.”

The majority of those polled (64 per cent) said that they felt glasses create a more positive impression today than they did a decade ago.

And 22 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds said they felt they’d be taken more seriously at work wearing glasses.

Celebrity role models including Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson and Nicole Kidman have been seen wearing glasses and Daniel Radcliffe’s portrayal of Harry Potter, the bespectacled wizard, is also thought to have had a positive impact on perceptions.

At this year’s Oscars ceremony, many celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Seth Rogan, Jack Nicholson and Wesley Snipes took to the stage with glasses.

Amy Leeming, 21, dispenser at Specsavers opticians, King William Street, Blackburn, wears plain-glass spectacles for fashion.

She said: “I’ve always loved wearing sunglasses and so recently I decided to buy some glasses to wear in the day with plain lenses.

"They’re black Osiris designer frames with pink ribbon detail on them.

“I think glasses are more of a fashion accessory than something you only wear if you need nowadays.

“I consider mine a fashion statement and I’ll probably buy more to go with different outfits.”