There is an idea in the fashion world that everything comes back in style eventually and sunglasses are no exception. Based on design predictions from style experts, it seems that 2022 will be the year that a lot of favorite vintage looks are back in. 

For many of the other sunglass trends this season, a pair of vintage glasses provides the perfect answer with a look that is still in style while letting you bring your own unique touch to fashion.

What Vintage Sunglasses to Wear This Summer

Many people say sunglasses are a more timeless fashion accessory with most looks never truly going out of style. Vintage sunglasses provide a range of classic books to choose from and enough room to always experiment with bold looks.

But if you want to focus on adding a few more on trend pairs to your vintage sunglass collection, look for vintage frames in these styles:

• Bright and Colorful – Glasses this year should be vibrant with jewel tones and pastels most in, but any color will work as long as it is bright. Some great options for colorful glasses include acetate cat eye glasses from the 1950s. The 70s and 80s also offer colorful cat eye glasses with a less defined shape. Vintage horn rimmed glasses with colored frames are another good look since they since their extra thick frames are great for showing off all that color. 
• Vintage 1970s Glasses – The 70s are here again in the fashion world and oversized frames are going to be in this summer. There is no better way to stay on trend than with authentic sunglass frames from the 1970s. Search our women’s cat eyeglasses from the 1970s to get this look.
• Early 2000s Sunglasses – The Y2K years are also back with a sleek and futuristic look. You can get this look with a pair of vintage rimless glasses by adding in your own large square lenses, preferably in a light tone or gradient.
• Angular Shapes – Embrace the bold looks of 2022 with fun shapes that have sharp corners or sweeping curves. Fortunately, vintage eyeglasses have a range of shapes to choose from. Favorites for this summer include cat eyeglasses (the pointy-er the better) and hexagonal glasses for a truly unique look.

Any bold pair of vintage glasses will always be in style, as are classic frames from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Eyeglasses Warehouse is the best place to look for vintage sunglasses frames with a wide selection of frames. You can customize your frames with your preferred sunglass lenses to create a pair of glasses no one else will have or get a classic look by wearing the original pairs that defined fashion like horn rimmed glasses in black or tortoise shell, sleek vintage women’s glasses, rimless glasses, and more.

In addition to the original glasses from throughout the decades available in our inventory at Eyeglasses Warehouse, you will also find retro pairs modeled after classic styles but with the modern wearers in mind. Browse all that we have to offer and start planning out your sunglass look for summer 2022.

June 27 is National Sunglass Day. This day is all about promoting sun and vision safety to protect your eyes in bright conditions, but this holiday is also a great time to appreciate the exciting and stylish history of sunglasses, as well as some of the exciting facts that have made sunglasses such an integral accessory in modern style, both on National Sunglasses Day and all year long. 

Vintage Sunglass Facts and History

For most people, sunglasses are something we slip on in the car when the sun’s out or pick up as we leave the house right. A pair of sunglasses is often a must have item for comfortable and a few additional pairs enable you to have a pair of frames for every outfit.

While your sunglasses may be a standard a part of your daily look, these are some of the most exciting facts about sunglasses:

1. The First Sun Protection Eyewear is 2000 Years Old – Crafted by the Inuit people, this eyewear protected hunters’ eyes and cut down on the intense glare from the snow during Arctic summers. The Inuit made their sunglasses by carving a narrow slot into a piece of whalebone or driftwood that allowed just enough space to look through without too much light getting in.
2. Doctors Prescribed Certain Lens Colors – Early opticians prescribed certain lens colors for different vision, medical, and health benefits. Blue was thought to fix some vision problems, amber was a color for weak eyes, and other colors could supposedly boost health.
3. Hollywood Made Sunglasses Popular – Although sunglasses had already existed for more than 100 years, they were largely for medicinal purposes. But as moving picture actors and actresses started to spend greater amounts of time on the outdoor movie sets in Hollywood in the 1930s, they needed eyewear to protect from California’s frequent sun. When celebrities made their sunglasses look stylish in behind-the-scenes photoshoots, the public hastened to follow the trend.
4. Polarized Lenses Were Invented in 1936 – Prior to 1936, the tinted glass of sunglasses had some effect in reducing glare from sunlight. Polarized lenses, which use a chemical layer to filter light, are far more effective at cutting down on the sun’s glare for a more comfortable pair of vintage sunglasses.
5. Wayfarers May Be the Most Popular Style – Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses with their black horned frames and dark lenses are probably the most popular style of sunglasses throughout history. Vintage horn rimmed sunglasses in this style have been an iconic accessory in movies like Rebel Without a Cause, The Thomas Crown Affair, Risky Business, and several others, particularly because of the product placement advertising Ray-Ban undertook in the 80s and 90s.
6. Aviators were Originally Made for Pilots – Maybe you guessed from the name, but Ray-Ban designed the first vintage aviator sunglasses in the 1930s for airplane pilots in the military. The idea was to create a more streamlined pair of sunglasses glasses that would fit snugly to the head and reduce haze and glare, replacing the bulky pilots’ goggles in the open airplane cockpits.
7. Elton John Has Over 1000 Sunglasses – From the 70s onward, the legendary musician Elton John began to incorporate crazy pairs of sunglasses into his on and off-stage looks. His collection of sunglasses now reportedly contains over 1000 pairs, enough to wear a different pair of sunglasses every day for over three years. 
8. Sunglasses Break Frequently – A common estimate claims that one pair of sunglasses breaks in America – usually from being sat on or dropped – or gets lost once every 14 minutes on average.
9. The Most Expensive Sunglasses are $400,000 – The jewelry house Choppard in Switzerland debuted these glasses in 2012. They have 51 diamonds and are covered with 24K gold, giving them an estimated value of $400,000.
10. Sunglasses Continue to Become More Popular – The sale of sunglasses increases by more than 5% as more people start to wear glasses and own multiple pairs so you can always be sure of being in style when sporting your sunglasses.

Throughout history, sunglasses have evolved from being an implement for sun protection to a fashionable and essential accessory. National Sunglasses Day is the perfect day to celebrate all of the interesting details about them. 

It is also a great time to be sure that you have sunglasses that match your style with a pair of vintage shades from Eyeglasses Warehouse. We sell genuine vintage frames in a range of styles from classic 1950s women’s cat eye sunglasses to unique antique wire rimmed glasses to the always fashionable horn rimmed sunglasses.

Glasses in our inventory are optical quality and can be fitted with colored lenses, polarized sunglass lenses, prescription sunglass lenses, or any other lens you need to make the perfect custom pair of vintage sunglasses for this year’s National Sunglasses Day.

Few glasses throughout history are as iconic as John Lennon’s round Windsor glasses from the 1960s and 70s. Almost as recognizable as the music of The Beatles, just seeing a pair of round wire rim glasses can bring to mind John Lennon, 1970s hippie culture, and vintage nostalgia.

Because of the importance of these glasses, this is a sunglasses look that has never gone out of style and whether you have a specific costume in mind or simply want to bring some 70s rock and roll to your daily look, a pair of John Lennon sunglasses is the best way to get this style.

How to Wear Sunglasses Like John Lennon 

Reportedly severely myopic, John Lennon experimented with a few different glasses looks in the early days of The Beatles before settling on Windsor glasses in the 1960s. This frame style was originally popular in the late 1800s and the first few years of the 1900s. By the time John Lennon was wearing Windsor glasses, they were already on a dated look.

These glasses have perfectly circular frames and a saddle bridge, usually without nose pads. The lenses tend to be smaller than modern day sunglasses and they are centered over the eyes.

Windsor glasses became John Lennon’s everyday eyeglasses, as well as his go-to sunglasses which he often wore with amber, pink, green, or blue lenses. Some Beatles historians suggest these tints helped to soften the glare of spotlights while Lenon was performing on stage.

When looking for John Lennon glasses to wear today, you have two options:

• Vintage Wire Rim Windsor Glasses – These are original to the early 1900s and closely mimic John Lennon’s style. You can most often find these in gold filled or silver tone steel frames. To turn them into sunglasses, have your optician replace the lenses with tinted ones in similar shades to what John Lennon might have worn.
• Retro John Lennon Sunglasses – Retro glasses are new glasses made with modern materials and manufacturing techniques, but closely replicate the styles of glasses that Lenon initially wore. As with authentic Windsor glasses, you can change out the lenses to your desired color for sunglasses. Retro glasses offer some additional flexibility if you need a certain size or want a brand new pair of glasses without signs of wear.

At Eyeglasses Warehouse, we offer both authentic and retro John Lennon sunglasses. Each pair of our antique round glasses has been sourced and checked for wearable quality, and many are 100 years old or more. Our line of retro John Lennon glasses are made to a high standard and have optical quality frames compatible with any lens type.

Browse through the different options we have for vintage round sunglasses to find your preferred look and style, and get started achieving John Lennon’s legendary look with your own pair of wire round wire rimmed sunglasses.

Sunglasses are a fun way to experiment with eyewear accessories. They can be easily mixed and matched with different outfits and more avant garde looks are often encouraged. When you want a more unique vintage style, cat eye sunglasses are often the best choice with their fun shapes, bright colors, and exciting embellishments.

Vintage cat eye glasses are often the perfect accessory to add some flair to your sun protection, but with the wide range of options available, it can be helpful to start with some style inspiration.

Cat Eye Glasses Frames that are Great for Sunglasses

Nearly a century old, the cat eye frame style offers a lot of different options to choose from. The quintessential 1950s cat eye sunglasses are always an iconic look while 1980s cat eye sunglasses are going to be a little closer to modern glasses, but with the perfect amount of charm. You can also create a pair of cat eye sunglasses that are uniquely you by choosing an authentic pair of metal cat eye frames and adding in your favorite color sunglass lenses.

For inspiration, some unique ideas for vintage cat eye sunglasses include:

• Silver Cat Eye Sunglasses – In the 1940s and early 50s, many women’s cat eye glasses were made from silver-toned metal. These thick metal frames will be unique on sunglasses, but look great when catching sunlight.
• Rhinestone Cat Eye Sunglasses – Rhinestones are to cat eye glasses as sunglasses are to days at the beach. A pair of cat eye sunglasses with rhinestones in the corner is not only perfect for that vintage look, but those rhinestone glasses will look great when they sparkle outdoors.
• Tortoise Shell Cat Eye Sunglasses – A pair of tortoise shell cat eye frames with dark lenses is a classic look reminiscent of some of the most glamorous stars of the 1950s and 60s.
• 1980s Cat Eye Sunglasses – As the decades went on, cat eye frames got larger. Cat eye glasses from these decades stand out, and the larger lenses can offer a little more sun protection as well. 
• Acetate Cat Eye Sunglasses – Colorful cat eye sunglasses make it possible to bring some personality to your eyewear and acetate glasses from the 1950s often came in a range of bright colors, making it possible to find the sunglasses that best match your style.

This list is only to get you started in searching for the right pair of cat eye sunglasses. Another good place to look for inspiration for the best style of vintage women’s sunglasses for you is in our selection of cat eye glasses at Eyeglasses Warehouse. We have several original cat eye sunglasses from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and later as well as an extensive collection of optical quality cat eye frames that you can turn into your own pair of cat eye sunglasses. Check out all the classes we have available here to find your perfect pair.

One of the sunglass styles that seems to be more popular this summer is rimless sunglasses. This summer’s glasses trend is all about the rimless frames with rectangular lenses, preferably in brown, grey, or pink tints.

At Eyeglasses Warehouse, we love the idea of making this modern style with a pair of vintage rimless frames. Original frames from the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s offer an unmatched look and quality that you will not find in modern sunglasses, while still providing that sleek and minimalist look without frames that will draw attention away from your face. Here is how to get your own pair of custom vintage rimless sunglasses.

How to Create Your Own Rimless Sunglasses

Rimless frames were first introduced at the beginning of the 1900s as eyeglasses that offered a low profile look without bulky rims. Most of the original hardware and temple pieces consisted of 10k or 12k gold filled that easily held up over the decades and hundreds of wears.

Today, this look is back in as sunglasses, honoring the retro style from the 90s. We advocate for incorporating an even more retro look from the early 1900s by using these rimless frames as the basis for your sunglasses:

• Find Your Size – Vintage rimless frames are easy to fit since you only have to worry about bridge and temple measurements. Since you will be changing the lenses out, there is flexibility on the front measurements. Take your measurements so you know which pair will fit.
• Browse the Selection – You can search through our collection of antique rimless glasses at Eyeglasses Warehouse to find a frame in the metal tone, size, and quality you want. We also have retro rimless glasses which are brand new glasses inspired by the vintage rimless frames in our collection.
• Swap Out the Lenses – Take your vintage sunglass frames to your optician or send them to a company that does lens replacement. You can choose to replace them with lenses in a variety of shapes, types (including polarized or prescription), and colors. You can go with what is in style this summer and choose more rectangular lenses, or opt for a classic look with tinted ovoid lenses.
• Wear Your Glasses – Grab any other 90s era items in your closet and pair them with your vintage rimless sunglasses, or simply wear vintage glasses as your daily pair of sunglasses. The original gold frames will hold up well to everyday wear and continue to look great. Since they are optical quality, you can also change out lenses the next year to keep your look fresh.

Eyeglasses Warehouse has one of the largest selections of vintage rimless sunglasses online to make it easy to find the exact pair you want to wear this summer. Get started looking today with our inventory of vintage rimless frames and retro rimless frames.

Plastic started coming into mainstream use in the early 1900s and suddenly offered a wider range of options for vintage glasses frames. Before, glasses wearers had been limited to wire rim frames, and occasionally fragile animal horn or tortoiseshell.

New plastics provided a range of new looks for glasses, with exciting shapes, colors, and affordability, giving rise to all of the popular frames for vintage sunglasses and eyeglasses that are still in style today. 

Timeline of Plastic Glasses 

The first plastic glasses appeared sometime in the first decades of the 1900s as glasses manufacturers started to replace the thick horn rimmed frames that had previously been made of horn with new plastics. As plastics evolved over the following years, so did the glasses as optical companies relied on the following materials:

• Bakelite – First discovered in 1904, Bakelite is a rigid man made plastic that quickly became popular in everything from household goods to jewelry to early machine guns. Optics companies began also using it in glasses frames as well, but it is prone to cracking in cold conditions. Due to this, few original vintage Bakelite glasses have been able to survive the century since they were first made.
• Cellulose Nitrate – This plastic, derived from cotton, has been recognized by many brand names throughout the years, but is most often known as zyl. This name comes from the American Zylonite Company. Started in 1881, this company quickly expanded to be one of the best known producers of zylonite before going out of business in 1891 as the result of a patent dispute. Ironically, the American Zylonite Company never made glasses frames, and instead made piano keys, billiard balls, and a range of other goods. But the name was so well known that zyl became the primary way to describe this material. Cellulose nitrate stayed in use in the 1930s after Bakelite, but is flammable if it comes too close to heat and is now prohibited in glasses use.
• Cellulose Acetate – The successor of cellulose nitrate was cellulose acetate. Also made from cotton wood pulp, it has a different production process that renders it more stable while still keeping the colourfast and glossy characteristics. It was first created in 1864, but development for mainstream use coincided with the rise of cat eye glasses and browline glasses in the 1950s, making acetate the preferred material for plastic glasses. Because of the early popularity of zyl, you will often hear zyl and cellulose acetate used interchangeably. 
• Nylon – Nylon is a newer glasses material and the plastic was first synthesized in 1935. Nylon has the benefit of being flexible unless it is allowed to dry out, in which case it quickly becomes brittle. Because of its affordability and easy manufacturing, nylon was generally a choice for sunglasses. With later nylons, scientists have incorporated different additives that increase nylon’s strength and durability, so you are more likely to find genuine plastic sunglasses from the 1970s and later made of nylon.
• Optyl – Optyl is the brand name for an epoxy resin that the Carrera Eyewear company patented in 1964. It is almost 30% lighter than cellulose acetate and long lasting. Because it is a trade name, you will only find Optyl glasses available from brands like Carrera and a few other Italian optical manufacturers. 

Generally when you are looking for vintage plastic glasses or sunglasses, they will most often be made of cellulose acetate. This material has offered clear benefits since the early years in terms of creating a  beautiful, vibrant, and durable pair of men’s or women’s glasses that you can still rely on as your daily fames today.

If you are looking for vintage classes from the 1940s, 50s, or even today, one of the common terms that you will come across is cellulose acetate. Since the 1940s, this has been the dominant material for any plastic frames on the market. 

Also occasionally known as simply acetate or zyl, all of these describe a high quality plastic that has historically been used in everything from affordable frames to designer frames with attractive results that last for many years.

The Process for Making Cellulose Acetate Glasses 

The discovery of cellulose acetate occurred in 1865, but it would not be until the 1900s that this material started to see more widespread use starting with film for cameras and motion pictures, playing cards, the original Lego bricks in the 1950s, and clothing as acetate fibers. By the 1940s, it was also the main material for vintage plastic glasses frames.

Cellulose acetate is a bio plastic. The cellulose in the name refers to the wood pulp from which the plastic is derived. By the cellulose from the wood pulp with various acids, a chemical reaction creates the rigid cellulose acetate plastic. 

By the 1940s, manufacturers perfected the production process and were able to create high quality glasses with many customization options very quickly, making glasses more affordable for the average consumer. The process for making acetate glasses looks like this:

• Making Acetate Sheets – One of the main beauties of acetate glasses are the range of colors. This starts in the acetate manufacturing process when the technician adds colors to sheets of acetate, sandwiching many sheets together to create the desired color, layering effects, and thickness. When complete, the sheets cure in a kiln for a number of weeks.
• Frame Cutting – Next, the frame manufacturer will cut the frame and temples out of the acetate sheets. Today, this process is done with computers and routers, but in the past it was done by hand. Steel dies punch out the general shape of the frame and then the technician can trim off any excess plastic, add nose bridges, and use heat to soften the plastic and create curves. They may also insert a steel wire into the temple piece for added stability.
• Polishing and Finishing – The manufacturer polishes all of the individual pieces to show off the natural luster of cellulose acetate.
• Assembly – The final step is to attach the temples to the frames and insert lenses if necessary.

Cellulose acetate has many advantages as a glasses material. Despite the short lifespan many other early plastics – and many plastics today – zyl frames will last for decades. The plastic has enough flexibility and durability that it does not easily crack, and because the color is embedded into the acetate rather than painted on or injected, it does not fade over time. Acetate also has the benefit of being hypoallergenic. 

When you want a pair of vintage plastic glasses that truly embodies a classic look from the 50s, 60s, 70s, or later decades, acetate is the best material. Eyeglasses Warehouse offers vintage cellulose acetate glasses in a range of colors, including everything from black to bright, multicolored frames, and popular shapes like cat eye glasses, horn rimmed glasses, browline glasses, and others.

The majority of our genuine vintage glasses are optical ready frames made from high quality cellulose acetate that will keep your glasses looking good for decades to come. Browse our inventory of plastic glasses to see all of the amazing styles that are possible with cellulose acetate.

When America entered World War II and issued the draft, the military was quickly met with a problem of manpower. Millions of men did not qualify for service because they had either bad teeth or bad eyesight. 

With the Army facing a troop shortage of almost a million men, they were forced to rethink the qualification requirements, particularly in terms of vision. The result was an interesting standard for who was able to serve and, once enlisted, which US soldiers received military-issued eyeglasses for vision correction. 

Glasses for Soldiers in WWII

Looking at photos of soldiers in World War II, glasses are not often a common sight. This is somewhat understandable since combat requires high energy activities and having glasses slip off could be extremely dangerous in a high stakes situation.

But troop shortages meant that the Army had to send even those with less than 20/20 vision to the front lines, and after the initial months of low draft numbers, the military lowered the standard to 20/200 vision as long as glasses could correct it to at least 20/40.

Today, 20/200 is considered legally blind. To put this into perspective, if you consider the Snellen vision chart that is most often used for eye examinations, 20/200 means that the person can make out only the top line from 20 feet away.

20/40 vision was required – whether through natural or corrected vision – for a man to be sent to the front. On that same vision chart, 20/40 means a person can read the fifth line from 20 feet away. A person with 20/40 vision would need to stand twice as close to an object as someone with average 20/20 vision to clearly see it. The military determined that this was satisfactory for service.

The result was that the military did not generally issue glasses for soldiers who had 20/40 vision or better. 

The 20/40 vision requirement is a significant difference from today’s practice of prescribing glasses to most people with less than 20/20 vision, although this was not limited solely to the military. Many opticians for the general public also would not prescribe glasses for vision that was better than 20/40, but it made more sense during war time due to extensive shortages in materials and available factory space for manufacturing anything that was not required for the war effort.

For some, this was preferred since fighting with glasses could be cumbersome. Some recruits memorized the Snellen chart so they could convince the optician they had better vision.

But the use of military glasses in WWII exposes yet another one of the hardships on the front lines. It is alarming to consider what it would mean if a soldier with 20/200 vision lost or broke his glasses on the front line, or a soldier with 20/40 vision struggling to see small details at even 20 feet away.

These requirements also only applied to combat units, such as infantry. Those working in medical units and other operations could have lower vision, although many still operated in high risk situations at different times.

While there were some limitations on who qualified for vintage GI glasses during World War II, there were still millions of pairs produced and hundreds available today for anyone who wants to own and wear a piece of history. Fortunately, you are also able to change out the lenses with your specific prescription, even if that is 20/40.

Eyeglasses Warehouse has many pairs of vintage P-3 military glasses in our inventory for WWII reenactors and daily wear. Check out our available options for these and other eras today.

If you are new to wearing vintage eyewear, whether antique spectacles or retro sunglasses, the process for purchasing and wearing fashionable vintage eyewear with your preferred lenses may be somewhat different from your usual process of buying glasses online or through your optometrist and having the lenses already inserted when you receive them.

Vintage glasses will often come in one of three ways. If they were previously worn, they will likely already have a pair of sunglass lenses or prescription lenses in them, although unless you are very lucky, it is probably not a prescription that matches yours. New old stock vintage glasses, which are glasses that were never sold to a customer, may still have the demo lenses. Other vintage glasses may come without lenses at all if the original lenses cracked or were already taken out in preparation for sale.

As long as your vintage prescription glasses meet a few requirements, you can add in any lenses of your choice.

Which Vintage Glasses Can Fit Modern Lenses?

The first step when picking out vintage glasses to turn into a pair of everyday prescription glasses, vintage sunglasses, reenactment glasses, or simply a fun accessory – and the most fun step in the process – is to choose a frame style and design that you like. 

Shopping online is a great option for this because of the wide selection available and your ability to narrow down your options to the styles you are interested in. But it was also possible to find great vintage glasses at places like antique stores, estate sales, and flea markets.

While you are looking, you will want to keep these features in mind to increase the chances that your optometrist can successfully change out the lenses and that you will have a comfortable pair of glasses to wear afterward:

• Size – Because many antique glasses are one of a kind, you need to be sure that the individual pair will fit your face for both comfort and suitable vision correction. Check out our measurement guide for how to measure for your glasses. With older glasses, especially from the 19th century, some frames were crafted specifically for the wearer, so the measurements may be non-standard.
• Choose Ophthalmic Frames – Ophthalmic frames are those meant for prescription lenses but are also suitable for tinted lenses and non-magnifying lenses. These glasses were made to have lenses replaced so the prescription could change. The majority of vintage glasses you find today will have a form of frames largely because cheaper non-ophthalmic sunglasses were not made to last and are no longer easily available.
• Consider Your Material – While small points of wear are not usually an issue on vintage glasses, and in fact part of their charm, cracks or weak spots could put the glasses at risk when the optometrist is changing out the lenses or keep them from standing up to everyday wear. For this reason, you may want to choose a more durable material like gold or nickel alloy that is slower to wear. Plastics are fine unless there are significant scratches or cracks. Genuine tortoiseshell or horn glasses will tend to be more of a risk.
• Limitations with Drill Mount Frames – A drill mount frame is one in which the lenses are attached via holes drilled through them. This has a few limitations on which prescriptions can be used and may not work if you require a more unique prescription.

If you do find your perfect pair of glasses, but there is some damage or you are unsure about the lens mount, you can always see if your optometrist can attempt to change the lens anyway, but know that there is slightly more risk of permanent damage to the frames.

Once you have found glasses with the right look and quality, you will need a professional optician to handle the lens replacement. You can work with your optician if you have one or find one in your area. You can also send them to us and we can do it for you.

In our inventory at Eyeglasses Warehouse, the majority of our genuine vintage glasses are ready for ready to have the lenses switched and be adapted for your daily wear since we have carefully chosen each pair of glasses for their quality and wearability. If your priority is style with the need for function, we also offer some fun options for non-ophthalmic vintage sunglasses that make for stand-out eyewear. Find your next pair of vintage glasses in our inventory today.

Eyeglasses are a great way to show your personality and style in addition to serving a functional purpose. They are a chance to bring color, dynamic shapes, and a unique accessory into your daily wear. But while your optician or favorite glasses shop likely has hundreds of frames to choose from, it can still be difficult to stand out with a pair of modern glasses and finding that perfect pair is still a challenge.

This is where vintage glasses frames can offer an alternative, as well as several additional benefits that make them the right choice for your sunglasses or eyeglasses. 

Top Reasons to Buy Vintage Eyeglass Frames for Modern Eyewear

The leading reason that more and more people are choosing vintage frames over modern ones is the design options. These frames offer iconic looks like vintage round glasses, 1950s browline glasses for men, gold rimmed spectacles, and the antique glasses from the 1800s, all styles that are not necessarily easy to find today with modern glasses.

The modern evolution of retro styles are often significantly different. For instance, few pairs of modern cat eye frames can pull off the bold look of the 1950s cat eye glasses for women with the narrow lenses and sharply pointed corners, not to mention the rhinestones and gold filigree. 

The undeniably vintage look of a pair of genuine antique glasses also has something that new glasses, even when made in vintage styles, often cannot match. Maybe it is the original materials, production techniques, or, for gently used vintage glasses, the small signs of wear from being a previously beloved accessory.

But there are also some additional reasons to opt for vintage eyewear such as:

• Vintage is in Style – Whether it is period dramas like Mad Men, Downton Abbey, or others where characters are wearing stylish antique glasses, or simply the idea that everything comes back in fashion eventually, vintage fashion is having a resurgence. Many types of vintage clothing, including vintage glasses, are more popular than ever. 
• More Affordable – Despite their antique nature, many vintage glasses are reasonably affordable. Except for some highly collectible pairs that can be pricey, vintage glasses, especially from the 1940s, 50s, and later decades, were readily available at the time and you can often find your perfect pair available in your budget. 
• Long Lasting – With some exceptions for authentic tortoise shell glasses and early plastics, many vintage glasses are extremely durable. Having already lasted for decades or sometimes more than a century, most of these spectacles will easily last for decades more. Many early glasses were handcrafted in limited numbers with an extreme focus on quality in each pair. The majority were also made in America.

One challenge with vintage eyewear is that some searching will often be necessary to find a pair that has the right style, quality, and size. Eyeglasses Warehouse is the best place to start with an inventory of antique glasses from the 1800s to early 1900s. Picture your perfect style or learn more about the styles available and start browsing our inventory to find your glasses today.