Stylish eyeglasses create a fashion spectacle - Idaho Statesman

Judging from the plethora of eye-catching eyewear that’s been getting face time over the last few years â€" be it on the European ready-to-wear runways or in the adjoining office cubicle â€" it’s clear that glasses have gone from nerd necessity to chic accessory.

It’s a shift reflected in the current look-at-me trends â€" retro, vintage-inspired frames, chunky tortoise shells and geometric shapes that attract rather than deflect attention â€" and reinforced by the laundry list of fashion-focused brands with a presence in the eyewear arena.

While it might seem logical to blame the deteriorating eyesight of the aging baby boomer population or the ever-increasing computer- and smartphone-induced strain on our collective eyeballs, consumer behavior statistics don’t show a jump in the number of people who need prescriptions. What they do show, however, is an increase in the number of people who wear glasses without prescription lenses â€" presumably to look cool.

Some in the eyewear industry point to the traditional pop-culture petri dishes of Hollywood celebrity and fashion runways for the shift. “Maybe they’re seeing more celebrities” wearing glasses, said Larry Leight, co-founder and creative director of boutique brand Oliver Peoples. “And there are more ... fashion magazines and runway shows where designers are accessorizing their shows with ophthalmic glasses â€" the kind that aren’t sunglasses â€" with either clear lenses or only slightly tinted colored lenses.”

“Think of Meryl Streep on Oscar night,” said Milena Cavicchioli, vice president of marketing for Luxottica Group â€"the Milan-based eyewear company that owns Ray-Ban, among others. “She was wearing beautiful frames.”

Also, fashion designers have frames that bear their names, she said.

David Rose, vice president of design and manufacturing at Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Salt Optics, switching out the spectacles provides a quick and easy way to create a whole new vibe. “It’s like getting a haircut â€" going from (having) long hair to buzzing your head â€" it really changes your overall look.”

The notion that a pair of eyeglass frames can so easily help define one’s personal sense of style is borne out by annual consumer behavior studies conducted by the Vision Council of America.

According to the group, as of the 12-month period through December 2011, 63.6 percent of Americans reported wearing prescription eyewear. Although that’s down a half a percentage point from two years earlier, it’s essentially offset by an increase in the use of contact lenses (up 0.4 percent) and reading glasses (up 0.1 percent) in the same period. But among U.S. adults who don’t wear prescription eyewear, 19.2 percent said they have worn eyeglasses without a prescription just to be fashionable â€" an increase of nearly 4 percent from December 2008 to February 2011.

Today the throwback look, dominated by classic shapes and tortoise-shell patterns â€" call it vintage-inspired, geek chic or the “Mad Men” effect â€" reigns supreme, while the addition of bright pops of color and unusual shapes make fashion-forward eyewear more eye-catching than ever.

“Retro-inspired design and classic shapes continue to influence the market,” Cavicchioli said. “But the cat-eye style that has been popular for the last couple of years is on the decline, and we’re moving into more geometric shapes; the hexagon, for example, is a shape that’s coming on strongly. Things are also getting a bit smaller â€" we were getting a little bit oversized â€" so you’ll see a return to smaller sizes. But, in the next year and a half, the geometric and sculptural shapes will be where there is newness in the market.”