Why Choose Vintage Frames for Your Next Pair of Eyeglasses or Sunglasses?

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.