Horn Rimmed Glasses

Horn rimmed glasses are an iconic accessory that elevates everything from your daily wardrobe to a costume. At Vintage Eyeglasses Warehouse, our horn rimmed glasses are reclaimed glasses from the 1920s, 1950s, 1960s, and other decades that our team restores to be ready for your lenses.

There is no better place to buy vintage and antique horn rimmed glasses for eyeglasses, sunglasses, and accessories than on our website. Check out our inventory of authentic vintage glasses and bookmark this page to be the first to see new horn rimmed glasses as they become available.

About Our Vintage Horn Rimmed Glasses

Horn rimmed glasses are a look that has never gone out of style. Since their introduction in the early 20th century, horn rimmed eyeglasses have experienced several decades of popularity. The 1920s, 1950s, 1980s, and most recently the 2010s have seen horn rimmed glasses as the style of choice for both men and women.

These glasses have a thick frame surrounding the lenses. When they were first manufactured, this was a departure from earlier glasses that used narrow wire frames and were only for a functional purpose. Horn rimmed glasses were an accessory that stood out.

Prior to the era when horn-rimmed frames became popular, Steel was the most popular material used in eyeglasses before WWII. This limited glasses’ colors since steel frames were generally gold and silver and most colors could only be introduced with the use of plastic which started after WWII.

Options for Horn Rimmed Glasses

Distinguished primarily by their thick frames, horn rimmed glasses have undergone many changes in style throughout the decades. Optical manufacturers have adjusted their shape, frame size, and material to match contemporary preferences. Some of the materials you will find for horn rimmed glasses here on our site include:

Black and brown have always been the most common colors for horn rimmed glasses, particularly in the 20th century when they were a standard for men’s glasses. Other color options included silver and gold. The use of plastic also allowed for brighter colors and imitation tortoise shell, all of which were popular with sunglasses and women’s horn rimmed glasses.

Various subtypes of horn rimmed glasses have shown up through the decades, such as browline glasses and Ray-Ban Wayfarers in the 1950s. Horn rim glasses showed up just after a period in the history of eyewear when round glasses and rimless frames were the standard, so this style marked a big shift in style.

Horn Rimmed Glasses as an Accessory

Like many types of vintage eyeglasses, One of the reasons horn rimmed glasses were an iconic accessory for men in the 1950s was their association with rock and roll culture after Buddy Holly started wearing them. This resulted in them becoming known as Buddy Holly glasses, as well as Clark Kent glasses after Superman’s alter ego wore them in comics and movies.

Today, horn rimmed glasses are once again a popular style for eyeglasses and sunglasses and while many manufacturers are making horn rimmed glasses, antique glasses still offer a superior and unique option. Their bold look, masculine appearance, and retro style make original horn rimmed glasses an in demand style here at Vintage Eyeglasses Warehouse.

If you are new to eyewear please see our page on How To Know If You Need Glasses, or our page on the most suitable frames for your face shape.