Page 43 - JOA-6-22

Especially you.” Even Hollywood chimed in,
White pearlized swan highbrows. $450-550.
Fantasy black and rhinestone plumes
on clear plastic. Frame France, $500-650. the consumer a different pair of
Extravagantly
arched wings in black
and iridescent gray,
with rhinestone feather embellishment. $450-475. bowing to what Business Week
Mellow yellow highbrows with
asymmetrical brow. $200-300.
hornrims,” young girls could enjoy the same
with glamorous Marilyn Maxwell not only styles in scaled-down versions. The accent was
owning up to being a glasses-wearer, but also, definitely on the feminine, with an eyeful of
according to news reports, “posing for cheese- available options; eyewear for men and boys
cake photos, to prove that glasses don’t detract received scant attention. When it did, the result
from a girl’s attraction.” Dorothy Parker’s vision was no-frills; such hearty-sounding model
of things was finally laid to rest in 1953, when names as “Hawkeye,” “Everyman,” and for the
eyewear giant Bausch & Lomb crowned the first boys, “Cub” and “Jr. Attorney” reflect their
“Miss Specs Appeal” (“America’s prettiest model stolid stylings.
who wears glasses”). Said the happy winner, “of
course men make passes at girls who wear glasses. Highly Visible
It simply depends on the frame.” Eyeglasses, of course, had to retain their basic
Different eye fashions were now specifically function: vision improvement. Within that
geared for work, for play, for framework, however, there was
dress, and for everything in plenty of room for creative
between. Bausch & Lomb ran experimentation. Short-lived
an entire campaign based on eyeglass innovations included
the premise that “one pair of “radio glasses” which came with
glasses is not enough,” and a built-in transistor radio;
1954’s “Miss Beauty in “headband glasses,” which
Glasses” declared “modern combined hair care and eye-
frames for various occasions are wear; “earring glasses,” which
as much a part of fashion today did double-duty as jewelry;
as shoes, hats, or jewelry.” Miss “eyelash glasses,” and even
Beauty’s personal collection “awning glasses,” equipped
included “Hi-Lites, Balrims, with mini-shades to ward off
Ray-Bans, and rhinestone-stud- raindrops. Such novelties
ded Cordelles for evening.” attracted fleeting attention,
Eyewear production firms had then were abandoned as new
a new guiding principle: sell the looks caught the public’s eye.
consumer one pair of glasses, Achieving longer life spans
and the market is limited; sell were glasses that kept the func-
tion simple, experimenting
glasses for every occasion, and instead with form. Prominent
the market is limitless! among them was 1950s
In addition to Bausch & An idea that (believe it or not) “cat-eye,” successor to Altina
Lomb, other manufacturers never caught on: “Veil-Specs,” Sander’s “Harlequin.” Although
leading the visual fashion modeled by actress Gene Tierney, the cat-eye’s upswept brow
parade in the ’50s and ’60s on the cover of the edges were almost uniformly
included American Optical, July 3, 1951 issue of Look. unflattering, the style remains
Art-Craft, Gandy, J. Hasday, firmly identified with the 1950s. Variations
Kona, Swank, Tura, Trans-World Eyewear included the “double cat-eye,” the “triple
Corporation (TWEC/TWE), and Victory. cat-eye,” and even versions with yellow, blue, or
Romantic style names and decorative accents green lenses.
became the norm, for even the most basic Also popular were “highbrows,” among the
designs. “Venus Pearl,” “Twilight Jewel,” most imaginative (and most expensive)
“Sweetie Delight,” and of eyewear designs. These were most
“Coquette” all sound enticing, definitely not glasses for everyday
but each was a model intended wear. Liberally dotted with
primarily for daily use,
suggesting that even office- rhinestones, pearls, and other
wear could be alluring. And, decorative accents, highbrows
came in a variety of fanciful
shapes deliberately intended to
called a “teenage rebellion against attract the eye. Some were built up
the solemn, round, owl-eyed type of like sparkling tiaras; others took on
Floral vines place focus on the temples, resulting in a Roman wreath-like effect. By Tura, $275-325.
For a lustrous night out: black-and-gold mesh, with pearl and Give them a big hand: red novelty
blue rhinestone clusters at brow edge. $120-140. “finger” glasses. $25-35.
June 2022 41