Article: Big Frame Glasses: Why Bigger is Better

Share

Dec 26, 2024best eyeglasses

Big Frame Glasses: Why Bigger is Better

Vint & York would like to argue that when it comes to glasses, bigger is better.

From ergonomics and sturdy designs to fresh adaptations of materials and tints, the world of oversized glasses is limited only by the preference of the wearer. Big frame glasses shield the wearer from the world as sunglasses and make a statement as wide frame prescription glasses. Big-frame glasses offer distinct advantages over thinner counterparts in aesthetic and practical ways. Making more than a fashion statement, oversized frames have been used to make political statements and featured in cultural movements.

Let’s explore the history of oversized frames and their impact.

A Brief History of Big Frame Glasses

Big frames confer a number of benefits on the wearer; however, there is no consensus on where the larger frames developed, if they were made in service of eye protection, or if they were made initially to improve sight.

It is agreed that magnifying glasses were a Venetian invention in the 13th century. Eyeglasses were popularized later in the 17th century and originally used in service to read scriptures. However, the refraction of light was hardly new. Ancient Egyptian society was highly advanced in optometry, performing cataract surgeries and creating aids for vision. Our modern-day glasses for reading are related to Europe.

Sunglasses, on the other hand, are an invention attributed to the indigenous peoples of North America, which were made to block out the bright rays reflected off of snow. The evolution of protective and functional eyewear types followed utility over style.

Before the 1900s, adopting corrective glasses was a hallmark of the very wealthy. Only from the 1900s-2000s did eyewear take on the expression of individual style that they do today.

Big Frame Glasses on the Big Screen

In the postwar era of the 1950’s and 1960’s, the United States experienced a manufacturing boom that saw both men and women join the workforce. Around this time, with the widespread influence of movies on the American public’s taste, we also began to see the manufacture of sunglasses and designer glasses for fashion.

Films transformed eyewear from purely functional to fashionable. Some of the most important and memorable movie moments have involved oversized frame sunglasses.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Blake Edwards, Paramount Pictures, 1961

Perhaps one of the most memorable in cinema and pop culture history was the morning when Audrey Hepburn, playing Holly Golightly, was strolling down Madison Avenue, to the incredible Henry Mancini score, peering into the Tiffany’s window, eating a donut and coffee, with oversized Givenchy sunglasses.

Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, and other great American style icons have consistently chosen big frame sunglasses over time. This trend has never disappeared. British supermodel Twiggy, artist Andy Warhol, and singer Elton John are just a few icons who have consistently used oversized frames to make a statement.

Oversized Frame Styles

Round, Cat Eye, and Square glasses are all frame styles that often come in oversized options. Twiggy popularized oversized acetate frames in various shapes, whereas Audrey Hepburn mainly wore the Cat Eye, and Elton John has been a steadfast wearer of the square oversized frame.

Oversized Frames as Statement Glasses

An oversized frame makes a statement. It is bold, expressive, private, and sometimes playful.

In the 1960s and 70s, we began to see a rise in pop culture paparazzi and the oversized frame became the frame of choice to be “unseen.” They also come in unorthodox shapes that provide no function, and in hindsight, perhaps make the wearer feel a bit….embarrassed.

The 2000s witnessed trends in music and fashion in particular where we saw a number of oversized frames, serving little function and appearing almost cartoonish like the oversized butterfly frame, the shield frame, the round with flat top, and other heavily embellished oversized frames. These have not quite stood the test of mainstream time, but they have made statements at awards shows, in music videos, and on catwalks.

Practical Reasons for Choosing Big Frame Glasses

For many who have made regrettable decisions in fashion eyewear, fear not, there are good reasons that big frames are better than a strict cat eye or a Buddy Holly-style frame.

A larger frame, regardless of shape, can work to balance out facial features and provide practical advantages. Larger lenses offer a wider field of view, which can increase safety for the wearer. They are also sturdier, more durable, and offer a more reliable fit.

If you are a wearer of big-frame sunglasses, they keep out more light, and if you are a progressive lens wearer, they let in more of the world while also lasting longer.

Are Big Frame Glasses Better Than Small Glasses?

To the critics of larger lenses and wider frames, we would like to defend our take on why bigger frames are superior:

Some say that bigger frames are too heavy. While oversized glasses are technically larger, weight is distributed more evenly across someone’s face. Additionally, unlike early Inuit sunglasses made from animal bone, today's materials do not burden us with excess weight. In fact, big frame glasses rarely overwhelm with weight or size.

Lastly, none of the celebrities mentioned earlier have an oversized face, which shows how big frames are accessible for most face shapes without a need for worry. Modern materials and designs make an oversized frame a popular choice whether you wear big frame glasses for fashion or function.

If you have big expectations for bigger frames, Vint & York offers distinctive styles, lightweight materials, and high quality frames, at a not so big price.

Vint & York’s Tribute to Big Frame Glasses