May 20instant vintage : 05.2010 : …for the visually impaired… (Superfresh)
The lovely Sarah Von recently posted about being a girl who doesn’t feel so great in her glasses. After a bad experience early in her youth, she converted to contacts and left her frames up on the shelf.
My heart bled just a little bit.
It bled even more when I read comment after comment about people who hate their glasses.
Aghast at the thought, I yelled “…but, they’re beautiful! If you find frames that suit your face shape and personality, the heavens open up and somewhere in the world, a puppy is born. You’ll love them forever and will feel naked when you don’t have them on…”
I dont’ think anyone heard me.
Call me crazy, but I’m a firm believer that if you have to wear glasses, you should embrace your blindness and go bold. Coming from a family of women whom I rarely saw without some sort of combination of plastic and metal balanced on their nose bridges, I knew that I was sooner or later going to follow suit. By 8th grade, I officially became a lopsided astigmatic, geeked that I would finally be able to pick out a pair for myself. Since that time, my affinity for having ”four eyes” has only grown.
There was one time I tried contacts…well, they were colored contacts (because that was the hot thing to do when I was in high school…don’t judge…), but I figured if I could do those, I could do prescriptions in the future. Umm, no. I spent AN HOUR trying to put ONE in. By the time I said “fuck this,” I looked like I’d broken up with the love of my life and had spent three days crying about it. Not a good look.
For the past three years, I’ve wanted my glasses to be bigger and bolder. They’ve become an extension of me and as such, need to be a little bit…more…than what you would get at your optometrist’s office. Praise Jah that a very good friend of mine owns a shop that meets that need.
Nestled in a little cove on the edge of Echo Park and Silverlake is a place filled with high-end, rare vintage and select new glasses in a myriad of styles and shapes. This place is called Gentlemen’s Breakfast. Many people ask me where I get my glasses. I get them from here.
The mini whiskey bar – essential when trying on multiple expensive, easily breakable things
All vintage Yves Saint Laurent everything
Be honest: you thought of either Elton John, Rihanna or Lady Gaga when you saw these…
Just so we’re clear, this is not a subsidized advertisement. GB did not ask me to post this. As I said earlier, everyone who wears glasses should fully embrace their impairment and find a kickass pair that suits them. Be proud of your glasses, dammit! You’ve earned the right to wear them, unlike certain types of unscrupulous people who wear them just for show…or without lenses…but that’s a different post entirely. You should have first pick at the good ish and GB has the good ish. Word is bond.
If you ever make it down there in real life, tell Van and Tom I sent you; it’ll make me look good the next time I go. =P
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34 Responses to “…for the visually impaired…”
I love both – I also tried colored contacts in h.s. and I ended up wearing them for a while and now wear contacts/glasses maybe 60/40.
My only issue with glasses is that they are more sweaty in the summer and have peripheral vision issues…but they also carry a look the way contacts cannot.
.-= jesse.anne.o´s last blog ..Links a la Mode =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:47 am
This is true…glasses sweat is not fun. At all. LOL.
Very cute eyewear! I love how your glasses look and I think they fit your face/shape perfectly!
I have a post in the wings about my glasses experience and how much of a…traitor I feel. Like you said, they are an extension of yourself and they should be embraced, not shunned. I wear 30 day continuous contacts now and they are so convenient, that I forget to even put my glasses on now.
.-= Sheena´s last blog ..Rebirth of Cool =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:47 am
Really? More power to you. I cannot do contacts. Nope. Never. LOL.
yea. i’ve had permanent glasses since i was 12 and haven’t worn em in YEARS. i would love some older vintage frames.
i saw a 60 year old in some HAWTTTT frames that i was SURE were prescription and not just for fashion. you know- the over-sized frames with hints of colour like orange or red?
i needs those. then maybe i’ll go back to wearing glasses.
.-= kit´s last blog ..on sale: doc martens =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:48 am
Umm, yeah. You kinda do.
you don’t know how much I appreciate this post. It’s all so true.
When I frist read the title I thought it was about eye surgery (since I’ve just had some and blindness ect) but still, this is an important discussion and I am Pro-Glasses! sure choice is awesome, but it sucks that society kind of made the decision for us that glasses are nerdy. Glasses are sexy! Be proud! Sure they are annoying in the rain since built in windshield wipers are still uninvented but that is just one negative in a world full of positives and spiffy frames
xx
.-= charles´s last blog ..Yes, I Saw Two Super Hero Movies In The Same Month: Iron Man Review =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:49 am
Damn nerdy! I hated that glasses get a bad rap like that.
I wonder if anyone will be able to pull off mini windshield wipers…LOL
You might remember since we talked about it (I think, though briefly), but I’ve mostly worn contacts since about 12-13. I started having some pretty serious issues with mine, that I think was an allergic reaction to the contact material, but it basically amounted to foggy vision and lots of pain. So I switched back to glasses – at the very least for the meantime until I can afford to test out some different contact brands, but possible for quite a while.
Contacts are convenient in one way (less worry about fitting for one, asgkjdfg I’ve had so many issues with fitting and these glasses), but glasses are convenient in another – I can go swimming without worrying about losing a contact! I can rub my eye or walk outside when it’s windy and not worry about messing up my contacts. That, and I’ve got a ridiculous amount of compliments on my glasses frames…I think they’re the best accessory I’ve ever bought, hahaha.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Sandman and American Gods: Problematic Portrayals – Introduction =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:50 am
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
I love glasses…because I hate contacts and only wear them when I have to. It is upsetting to see people get so upset about their glasses. If people can wear jewelry 24/7 why can’t they wear glasses. If people viewed glasses as something that enhances one’s “look” rather than hindered it, glasses would definately be viewed in a different light. I have a post on my blog somewhere honouring glasses and I plan on having another one very very soon!
.-= Carina´s last blog ..For the upcoming summer… =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:51 am
I totally agree. They have the power to enhance a look and should be seen as such. It breaks my heart to hear about people who HATE wearing them.
Oh, I feel you! When I was a kid, my parents told me sitting too close to the TV would ruin my eyesight… so I’d sit with my nose touching the screen every chance I got! My dreams came true in 4th grade and I got SPEXY! Except for a few years wearing contacts because I was doing photography, I have been glasses all the way.
I must admit, though, sometimes they complicate things, fashion-wise.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:52 am
SPEXY!!!!!!!!!
I love that.
I love my sexy librarian glasses! I wanted to get the proper 50s-style cat’s eye frames with rhinestones the last time I was up for new ones, but the SO at the time nixed it. I could never go with contacts, though. Just can’t bring myself to stick a finger in my eye every day.
.-= Ellie Di´s last blog ..10 Steps to Body Love with Fat Dinosty =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:53 am
Get the cat eyessssssssss!
PREACH! Man…I love my glasses. Who can’t love a fashion accessory that is also really functional?
.-= Crissa´s last blog ..happy awesome tumblr find of the day =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:53 am
BINGO!
truth is…im poor and clumsy. I can’t afford to break glasses and have to get new ones, so i stick to contacts. they stick in my eyeball, and are only like $150 a year.
Am I lame? Most certainly.
.-= Angela´s last blog ..On *Not* Talking About John Mayer =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:53 am
Never lame, 6. Never. =D
Get a thick pair. I hit myself in the face with a phone (don’t ask) and it didn’t even phase these. LOL
omg. contacts irritate the hell out of me. & my eyesight gets worse every year. you just made me fall in love with my glasses all over again. in fact, I’m about to buy a new pair. big and bold.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:53 am
WHOO-HOO!
I love my glasses. I started wearing them in 8th grade and I never felt self-conscious about it. I think I was excited to look even *more* like my dad. And plus he took me to get an awesome designer pair on sale for my first frames. Some of the boys tried to make fun of me but I wasn’t fazed.
.-= Danielle´s last blog ..Tonight! LACDA 2010 "TOP 40" International Juried Exhibit =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 9:54 am
Same with me looking more like my mom and grandma.
Now I want to find my old glasses from 8th grade…they probably won’t “work” anymore but I thought they were so cute.
I’ve been wearing glasses since kindergarten and I love them! It also helps that my parents let me pick out a new frame every year (my eyes are so terrible, that I have to get a check up every 6 months instead of every year.) When I switched to contacts, I didn’t feel like my old self. And contacts aren’t that good for college kids; you should NOT study in them.
Plus, my boyfriend wears glasses, both of my parents, and all my siblings. I used to think people who didn’t wear glasses were weird!
.-= Toni´s last blog ..The Past Week =-.
I love this post! but I am afraid I am part of the guilty party that never wears her glasses other then at night.
I too come from a family of glasses, I officially had to wear them from 8th grade and between being called Blossom (for my nose) and Urkel… I decided as soon as I could I would ditch the frames.
Granted my HS boyfriend said he loved me for my glasses “made you stand out” the moment I gained independence (college). I ditched the extra eyes and got contacts. haven’t looked back…because now I can look to the side.
That shop though in Silverlake sounds awesome and I do need to fill my ‘script. Maybe finding a pair that fits me would give me a chance to shed the 4 eyes trauma.
I have glasses and contacts. I’ve been needing new frames like WHOA for awhile, but can’t seem to find the right ones that aren’t too expensive. I want plastic, either gold, or tortoiseshell, or olive green.
I ONLY do contacts for “special occasions” or if I’m going to be beaching or oceaning it up. I HATE spending a long day in them and having to take them out. My eyes are so dry toward the end.
.-= Gem´s last blog ..DC =-.
I never seem to have found the perfect frames for me
they usually look okay as samples and then when my actual prescription is added and the glass is thicker, they make my eyes look.. not as good as they do naturally! Thus, I’ve never really rocked the glasses look. Shame, I know. Maybe I should try new frames again sometime… but I just prefer myself without glasses @.@
.-= sui´s last blog ..there’s no such thing as strangers =-.
Love this! I’ve gotten to the point where I wear glasses more than contacts–probably 80% of the time, I’m in specs. I love that they hide the x-large grocery bags that form under my eyes no matter how much sleep I get.
I wish I had $$ to buy several different frames, but my prescription is so strong that to do so would be cost-prohibitive. If my eyes get any worse I’ll be required to use a white cane with a red tip when in public.
~T
.-= Tamia´s last blog ..Well suited =-.
i tried contacts. i gave up. the ‘fuck this’ moment came like 2 days later when several applications of anaesthetic eye drops proved unproductive. still working on finding THE frames. my favorites are the last 2 pairs i had, which i held onto. i’m thinking of going and having them fixed. but i SOOOO want to not wear glasses some days. just for a bit. just for a change. truly, the MAIN reason is because YOU, who wear your glasses all the time, and helped me to get comfortable (i know, i’m in my 20s, SO late) with incorporating my frames into my style, took them off for your edie sedgwick look. and i remember feeling…’even alicia takes hers off sometimes’. i was sooooo sad!
but alas, working on finding maybe more than one pair so i can rotate. i’m still practicing loving my blindness.
.-= pennerad´s last blog ..‘you look so vogue today’ =-.
Alicia Reply:
May 22nd, 2010 at 10:02 am
HEY NOW!!! That was only for costume purposes. Edie didn’t wear glasses, yo! I was fighting blind the whole night, believe me.
I’m all for having a rotation of frames. There have to be glasses spots in NY. I’ll let you know if I find out about any.
I’m sure those that have to wear glasses hate hearing this but I wish that I at least needed reading glasses. I used to wear glasses in elementary school when it seemed the only glasses they made took up half your face. As soon as they started to make cute glasses, my eyes mysteriously got almost perfect vision.
.-= hishers´s last blog ..His & Hers: A Week In Photos-San Francisco =-.
[...] for the visually impaired – Alicia’s glasses are awesome & here she talks about where she got them (as well as other glasses-related-rhetoric) [...]
this is gonna sound really fucked up but when i was 8 i REALLLY wanted glasses so i started lying that i was going blind.. white clouds in front of eyes upon waking up etc. went for consultations for 4months but they sussed i was lying somehow. ended up being quite an embarrassing episode :[
.-= florie´s last blog ..S.H.I.T =-.