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Vintage Eyeglasses

MisterGrey

Practically Family
Messages
526
Location
Texas, USA
A pair of plastic "crystal" eyeglasses. No idea on the brand. Plastic frames with varying degrees of transparency were very fashionable during the 1960s, though I don't know the semiotics of their rise to popularity. Andy Warhol is probably one of the more famous figures from the era to wear a pair, though his were round. Shuron still makes a pair, as do several other eyeglass manufacturers:

FRWY_CLEAR_LG.jpg


The type I've seen the most of from the era IME were dark at the top and faded to clear or a lighter shade at the bottom and were known as "fades." The style seems to be coming back, possibly due in part to Brad Pitt wearing a pair in "Tree of Life".
 

TipTop

Practically Family
Messages
540
Location
Albany, NY
I bought these as "Vintage" from Gilt.com a couple of months ago. When they arrived, I was pleased to see that they were high-grade Carreras, but, vintage--well 1990s at best--they were not. They are over-sized to the point that I decided to have them run up as sunglasses; as such the large lens size is not objectionable.
15304214-lg.jpg
 

The Wiser Hatter

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,765
Location
Louisville, Ky
I switched glasses this year to a vintage style as they
Look much better when I am wearing my fedoras.
Thin frames do not have enough weight an can not compete
with the fedora so they look wimpy.
 

Dubya

One of the Regulars
Messages
220
Location
Kent, England
I picked these up in Barcelona, vintage dead stock.

They were originally sunglasses but had the lenses swapped out for my script once I got back.

While they might not be 100% period correct (I like to sit within the 20s-40s most days), I feel they still work perfectly with what I throw together.

2012-01-29%2022.48.15.jpg


Basically, I'd never seen any like them before. Fell in love with the flattened circles immediately.

Ooh! I like those mate! I like those a lot!
 

Wunderful91

New in Town
Messages
1
Location
Philadelphia
I am on the quest to figure out what glasses frames James Dean wore. They were a very nice honey tortoise color and were very close to the Tart Arnel frame, but with a few differences. Anyone have any idea what they were or if they even exist? I am beginning to believe that perhaps they did not exist outside the photos they only seem to appear in.
 

MisterGrey

Practically Family
Messages
526
Location
Texas, USA
Interesting Eyeglass Find

Sorry if this doesn't really warrant its own thread; I'm having some difficulty finding the general vintage eyeglasses thread.

As a fan of browline glasses, I was intrigued to find these babies being sold on a vintage frame site. The seller-- a retired optometrist-- has dated them to the late fifties, yet they have the low chassis and rectangular profile of more modern Shuron Revelations, as opposed to the larger circles I'm used to seeing on vintage browlines. I seem to recall having seen somewhat "shorter" browlines in the past, but these are so similar to the Revelations that I thought it was worth passing on for other vintage browline aficionados to get a look at and toss in their two cents.
 

seabass

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,161
Location
nor cal
that is a excellent seller. good prices & excellent browline selection both vintage & contemporary
the glasses you linked to are nice & must be vintage due to the width being 44
the revelations start at 46 up to 50. i have a pair in 50-22 i like em
i also have the medium size nusir which works well for me its smaller than the ronsir & taller than the revelation
Great glasses all 3 sizes & good value & quality
 

MisterGrey

Practically Family
Messages
526
Location
Texas, USA
that is a excellent seller. good prices & excellent browline selection both vintage & contemporary
the glasses you linked to are nice & must be vintage due to the width being 44
the revelations start at 46 up to 50. i have a pair in 50-22 i like em
i also have the medium size nusir which works well for me its smaller than the ronsir & taller than the revelation
Great glasses all 3 sizes & good value & quality

Would you mind posting a pic of yourself in the Nusir? I was considering getting a pair to replace my current browlines, but am a little skeptical since Shuron advertises it as their "women's alternative." I like the shape of it over the revelation since it's more "period" looking, but am curious to see how it actually looks on someone.
 

seabass

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,161
Location
nor cal
Would you mind posting a pic of yourself in the Nusir? I was considering getting a pair to replace my current browlines, but am a little skeptical since Shuron advertises it as their "women's alternative." I like the shape of it over the revelation since it's more "period" looking, but am curious to see how it actually looks on someone.
Here ya go, plenty of pics
the size is 50-22-6'' Mocha
my hat size is 7 1/4 LO
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...w-Hats-Here!&p=1457052&viewfull=1#post1457052:cool:
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
I have a new pair coming in about a week. "Panto" shape. Yellow tortoise. Very chuffed. :)

Not being an expert in eye wear, but I do have to wear glasses as my eyesight is not very good, more so at night time. Do you find that a pair of frames such as what are being offered for sale such as the one's you are getting, would be of a problem for me to have an RX set of lenses installed into them over just sunglasses? I have to ask as one time many years ago, I purchased some very nice looking frames and when I took them to have my RX lenses installed was told they could not do it for me, and I was devastated over my own ignorance on the entire matter. I do not require really thick lenses either, just for the information regarding what you may need to know to answer my inquiry.

Thank you!
 

DanielJones

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,042
Location
On the move again...
There are better resources for lenses out there than there used to be. Most optical shops send out to different places to get lenses cut so they have better options as you will to to be able to get what you want. Of course, the more basic the shape the easier it is to get them cut.

I have a pair of half frame hex lensed (on the lower half) eyeglasses. The one pair I wanted my Rx put in proved to be a problem for the lense maker. Not so much the shape, but the fact that the old lenses were glued into the frame and they couldn't accomplish this task. They were glued just at a small spot at the bridge and whatever cement that they used to glue them in place was some serous industrial strength stuff. They actually brokeone of the old lenses trying to get it out and still left a piece behind. But this is a small area lense maker and they probably didn't have the tools a larger company in a city may have, and they didn't want to destroy my vintage frames. I had a second pair that were screwed into the frame and that was taken care of in a snap.
Maybe the next time I go to have my Rx in glasses done I'll try the other frames again since I now live nearer to a city.

Cheers!

Dan
 

LoveMyHats2

I’ll Lock Up.
Messages
5,196
Location
Michigan
Thank you for that input. I will more than likely go ahead and purchase some frames now as you have given me some knowledge.

Information is so valued! Thanks!
 

Nick D

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,166
Location
Upper Michigan
I just had my pince nez re-glazed in a new prescription. It's the second time I've had new lenses from this optician, and the first time there was no problem, and my wife has had three pairs of vintage spectacles glazed by them with no problem. But this time they really put my pince nez through the wringer. The nosepads were bent, the finger levers were bent, and one screw was stripped so I couldn't tighten or adjust the lens, which was loose. I think I've gotten everything back in order (I managed to get out the screw and luckily had a replacement). It's always a risk with vintage glasses, but I was very dissapointed after having such good service from them.
 

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