It was one of those nights when my old friend insomnia stopped by for a visit. Wide awake at 2 a.m., I raided the fridge, turned on the TV and settled in to watch an oldie but a goodie, How to Marry a Millionaire. For those of you who have never seen it, this 1953 20th Century Fox classic starring Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, and Marilyn Monroe is a romantic comedy based on the mishaps resulting from Monroe’s character refusing to wear her glasses because she thinks they make her unattractive to men.
Now, fast forward six decades and you will find that not only are glasses no longer taboo, they are one of the hottest commodities of the retro fashion craze. Leading manufacturers such as Swank, Tura and Bausch & Lomb are turning out reproduction vintage eyeglasses and sunglasses by the thousands. But to many of us who covet this nostalgic look, scouring the flea markets and garage sales is the only way to go.
In 1917 comedic actor Harold Lloyd appeared on screen sporting a pair of horn rim glasses. Up to this time most glasses had been of the simple wire-rim variety designed to minimize their appearance on the face. By contrast the bold look of the thick framed rims, made of horn or tortoise shell, were made to draw attention to themselves. Voila! The birth of fashion eyewear!
The production of the earliest horn rims was short lived due to their extremely fragile structure. However, in the early 1940s they returned in a modified form which would become the defining eyeglass style of the 1940s and 50s. This adapted version of the horn rim with a fitted plastic brow over a metal frame was called the ‘Browline.” Worn by such prominent public figures as James Dean and Malcolm X, they were the number one selling style of eyeglasses for men through the 1950s.
For the ladies of the of the 50s it was all about the “Cat Eye” glasses popularized by Marilyn Monroe. This variation on the horn rim styling featured flared outer edges where the frame joins the arm. Their upswept dramatic styling can be found in both eyeglasses and sunglasses in a variety of colors and often trimmed out with rhinestones.
By 1960 both the horn rim and the Browline would be tossed in the bottom of a drawer until the recent popularity of AMC’s hit drama “Mad Men.” The public likes what it sees on the screen, and once again we are seeing the bold lines of these frames being worn by both men and women.
Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses first hit the market in 1956. Their plastic frames quickly replaced the standard metal frame sunglasses that preceded them, earning them the title of “best-selling design in the history of sunglasses.” While their popularity faded by 1970, they were catapulted back into the spotlight in the 80s thanks to the power of the cinema. The 1980s hit The Blues Brothers rekindled an interest in Ray-Ban shades and three years later when Tom Cruise slid onto the big screen in his tighty whities and his sunglasses in Risky Business, Ray Ban Wayfarers became the number one selling sunglasses in the world.
The bigger the better became the theme for women’s eyewear in the 1960s. Huge bug-eyed glasses with brightly colored or stark white frames were manufactured for both the designer and the “bought‘em at the drugstore” markets. By contrast, a second style of glasses surfaced known as “Teashades” or “John Lennon glasses.” Originally in clear glass set in small round frames, they evolved into colored glass in a wide variety of shapes.
Fun to collect and cool to wear, retro frames are still relatively easy to find for a few dollars. Keep an eye out for them as the yard sale season starts. Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com