I have been wearing glasses since I was 7 years old. Back then, I pretty much only wore what my parents picked out for me. But, whenever I’ve been able to shop my own specs, I’ve always gone with the classic looking frames. I choose my eyeglass frames the same way I buy frames. Glasses, like clothing, are a personal statement and an investment. In both respects, the classic look seems to me the most obvious choice. Following trends means you have to invest in new glasses every year to keep up with the latest trend. Also, those classic frames look better in my opinion.
Some examples of brands that produce classic looking frames would of course be Ray Ban, Warby Parker and Benji Frank. I’ll save Benji Frank for last because the brand is the newest and least expensive.
Everyone knows Ray Ban. This brand has been manufacturing eyeglass frames for almost a century. Fun fact: Ray Ban was created as a division of Bausch & Laum after the US Air Corps asked the medical company to design sunglasses specifically for fighter pilots. You guessed it… those glasses were called Aviator.
Sometime in the early 1950s, a Ray Ban designer created the Wayfarer. This style of frame is the most popular for prescription glasses. They have been worn for decades by everyone who is cool. Musicians especially love these frames. Buddy Holly sported a variation of these frames in the 1950s. And nearly 50 years later, Rivers Cuomo wore the same glasses onstage as the lead singer of the rock band Weezer. These are just a couple of examples, but I’m sure you’ve seen these frameworks.
Warby Parker is a relatively new brand, but they look sick. The frame I specifically like is called Chandler. They offer that classic style with a twist. They give the wearer the “I spend most of my evenings playing crocket and drinking mint juleps” look. Basically, you can’t go wrong with a set of these frames.
Benji Frank is an awesome new brand. The 2 guys who founded Benji Frank are on a mission to help those less fortunate. With every pair of Benji Frank glasses you buy, an impoverished person somewhere in the world receives vision aids. By buying the frames from him, he can decide whether he wants to donate a pair of glasses to someone or help pay for eye surgery. This does not mean Lasik surgery or anything like that. I’m talking about surgery to correct severe cataracts. On top of that, the frames look great. They have about 25 different styles that are inspired by classic frames from the 19th and 20th centuries.