Glasses direct blog

At Glasses Direct, we’ve always believed that those behind glass are those with a timeless style. For instance, worldwide renowned designer Yves Saint Laurent may have been short sighted wearing glasses from an early age, but was a visionary within the fashion world and today his designs influence some of the most coveted designers out there. From the get go, the press painted him as this vulnerable style genius, an image arguably emphasized by his glasses. The thickness of the framework was a stark contrast to his slight frame creating an air of creative intellect.

Get the look with Mai Tai:

60s icon, Warhol was heavily identified with his glasses; from the harsh dark shapes, to the clear perspex rectangular ones of the 70s. An anti-fashion look, which ultimately resulted in a fashion movement, the art-school geek look was the accidental man of the moment.
With an overload of pretty, cookie cutter celebs now at an over-spill, the power than glasses have to cut through the style chaff has increased by ten-fold.

Take after Warhol with Benetton BE133:

Boyish and gorgeous, Alexa Chung’s off beat wardrobe contrasts against the diamante clad glamour of today’s pin-ups with her specs playing a key part in achieving her stellar star status on both sides of the pond.

Steal Alexa’s style with Lucky Brand Cliff:

For an unexpected twist on the usual hip-hop mogul’s wardrobe, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Tinie Tempah have swapped their anti-pap shades for quirky specs, tapping into the preppy trend with an individual, urban edge.

Try Mai Tai in black for a quirky, preppy style:

Two naturally ‘spectacled’ heroes from the pre-millennium corner are The Smiths front man Morrissey (NHS specs with quiff in the 80s) and in the 90s, Jarvis Cocker (dorky frames, skinny hips, Michael Jackson insults).

Get a bit of Jarvis style with Harold:

This season, we’re predicting a surge of celebrities making a spectacle of themselves (see what we did there?), and we’re not talking about falling out of a cab, sans knickers a la Lohan either. With taste makers such as Justin Timberlake and Chloe Sevigny leaving the contact lenses at home, we’re going to be keeping a beady eye on the London Fashion Week shows this week to see who sends their models down the runway with some all seeing specs on.

As we’re gearing up for LFW, editing our wardrobes as the nights get cooler and the days get shorter, we decided to embrace the joys of the autumnal trends and get preppy.

King of the Preps, Paul Smith showcased why he’s a British icon when it comes to creating hot-to-trot trends when he launched his AW11 collection earlier this year. On great form, the fashion designer skilfully translated what he does for men, for women. Men’s tailoring was slimmed down for the female form but otherwise untouched. Polka dot blazers under collarless coats, pinstripe city trousers, herringbone blazers and boyish cashmere cardigans; It’s his wardrobe in a smaller size.

Yearning to get our Paul Smith thang on, first things first, we focused on the room below our heads. The Paul Smith models looked enviably cool and comfortable, accessorising this most covetable trend with glasses that depicted an amalgamation of the 70s office worker, and 50s rockabilly.  Glasses framed the model’s elfin features, contrasting with soft, school girl-styled tresses or complementing a ‘don’t mess’ quiff, this season everyone wants to be a Paul Smith girl. Grab your brogues and braces ladies and get set for back to school-cool.

Portobello by London Retro

Cute cat-eyes from Lucky Brand

With Colin Firth sporting his nerdy yet undeniably hot glasses in what the industry predicts to be an Oscar winning performance as George in A Single Man, we take a look at some of the most memorable movie characters renowned for their glasses and specs appeal. According to our survey to find the most memorable glasses wearing movie characters, we have a list of the Top Ten. Clark Kent tops the charts, fooling us with his somewhat obvious glasses disguise and the unlikely sex symbol Austin Powers rocks up behind with his comical phrases and glasses to match! The others are as follows:

3. Harry Palmer (The Ipcress File, 1965) 13 per cent
4. Sue Storm (Fantastic Four, 2005) 10 per cent
5. Harry Potter (Harry Potter series, 2001) 9 per cent
6. Raoul Duke (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1998) 8 per cent
7. Miranda Priestley (The Devil Wears Prada, 2006) 8 per cent
8. Chief Martin Brody (Jaws series, 1975) 6 per cent
9. Pola Debevoise (How to Marry a Millionaire, 1953 3 per cent
10. Tootsie (Tootsie, 1982) 2 per cent

It’s not only the boys who know the secret. Jessica Alba brings the girls to the top as number 4 as Sue Storm in Fantastic Four. Now calm down boys! Poor old Harry falls behind at number 5. Don’t worry Harry you still have plenty of time to climb the charts.

Why not increase your specs appeal with a pair of Mai Tai glasses from Glasses Direct…

Barbie is growing up, and has started taking her career more seriously. Digital files have replaced nail files for the blonde bombshell as she begins her new role as a Computer Engineer. Most importantly however, in her new role she sports a very striking pair of geek chic glasses in the obligatory Barbie Pink.

If you want to be a Computer Engineer in Barbie Land, get the look with Glasses Direct:

Glasses Direct price: £59 inc. single vision lenses + extra pair FREE
http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/daiquiri-wings/

Glasses Direct price: £59 inc. single vision lenses + extra pair FREE
http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/cuba-libre/

Kookai Neon Printed Dress from ASOS.com

Yes, hot neon colours are back with a vengeance. The 80s-inspired look is brightening up the high street this season. Following on from the neon colour palette first seen on the AW 2009 catwalks, with looks from collections by Marios Schwab, Jil Sander, and Marc Jacobs.

Now you can get a pair of glasses to match your style. This season we’ve introduced a collection of Mojito Neon‘s, perfect to accessorise your outfit for the upcoming Christmas party season. In five great colours, you can pick just one or all five to mix amd match as you change your style.

Here at GD Towers, we’re excited to announce that we’ve launched the first of our Limited Edition Autumn-Winter glasses!

Just in time for the Christmas party season, these frames all have gorgeous rich colours and chic designs that are so stylish, anyone will feel utterly divine when wearing them. These glasses are funky updates to existing bestselling styles, ensuring that you can update your look whilst keeping to your favourite style of specs.

Below are some photos of the new glasses, including the stunning Daiquiri Wings, instantly adding a touch of sparkle to any outfit, and the Cuba Libre Orb range brings understated glamour to your look. All of these fashionable frames put the finishing touches to your Christmas party outfit, meaning you will be the belle of any Christmas ball!

Don’t forget that you can use our home trial service to see which styles best match your outfit and with free delivery during the Royal Mail postal strikes, you can be confident that you’ll get the right look at the right price with Glasses Direct.

See you on the dancefloor!

We saw a magic photo of Kylie in last night’s London Lite, wearing some kooky Harry Potter style glasses and we wanted to let you know that you can steal Kylie’s style (and probably for less!) with some fabulous frames from GlassesDirect.co.uk.

We’ve noticed a growth of over 100% (!) over the last year of these style of glasses. But it’s no surprise really, as Telegraph.co.uk reported earlier this year that ‘Harry Potter glasses have been flying off the shelves like magic’ and Natalie Imbruglia has also been spotted adopting the Harry Potter style too.

Here’s Kylie sporting the look:

And here’s some similar styles from Glasses Direct:

Here’s a great link that shows quite a few similar styles for you to choose from and get that Kylie look:

http://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/frameshape/round/price/39:154/

And why not try before you buy with the Glasses Direct Video Mirror and Home Trial service!

So what are you waiting for? Soon the whole of the UK will be going potty for Potter-style frames!

Image courtesy of Paulblank

Ever wondered what glasses Fabio Capello, England football manager wears? Well, here you go! Today we launched a fabulous selection of Zerorh+ prescription glasses, as worn by Fabio!

See the Zerorh+ range HERE

We hope that his specs give Fabio Capello and the England football team all the luck in the World for tonights’ World Cup Qualifier against Croatia. Here’s hoping we’ll see them in the World Cup Finals!

We’re getting very excited here at GD Towers as we await the arrival of our exclusive range of designer vintage sunglasses.

The 10 piece collection is truly amazing and comprises genuine 70’s and 80’s sunglasses from designers Christian Dior, Carrera and Paloma Picasso. They’re so limited edition, there’s only one pair of each style available!

They’ll go on sale on Tuesday 1st September 2009 and will be priced at £99 each, sold on a first come first served basis. But remember – once they’re gone, they’re gone!

Here’s some preview photos of the sunglasses, including Carrera gold aviators with metallic blue lenses, Christian Dior tortoise shell frames with a gold circle detail on the arms to Paloma Picasso’s oversized glamorous shades with delicate gold arms.

To find out more about these fantastic one-offs, follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/glasses_direct or register for email updates (we’ll send you updates about the launch as a reminder).

If there’s a pair you’d like to know more about before they launch, tell us on Twitter or in the comments below.

What’s sexy, multitalented and every celebrities’ best friend? That’s right – a pair of sunglasses. Whether glamming up an outfit, hiding a hangover from the paps, or simply blocking the sun – shades are a star’s must-have accessory.

Copy these celebs’ summer specs appeal with our suggested lookalike versions, and be left with more than enough change for a round of ice creams. Happy days.

Victoria Beckham

All the talk recently has been about VBs third boob job, but headline magnet and fashion designer Victoria Beckham keeps her trademark cool in a pair of on-trend oversized designer sunglasses.

Emulate her elegance with these oval French Connection shades.

Lily Allen

Ladette Lily looks as lovely as ever in a pair of vintage-style sunglasses that match her down-to-earth retro dress. Check out our similar shades below

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal does the effortless hot Hollywood heartthrob thing in a casual t-shirt and 80s-style black Wayfarer sunnies. Our Mai Tai glasses look just like Jake’s pair of shades. Simply add a sunglasses tint when personalising your glasses, to get the same look.

Nicole Ritchie

Nicole Richie accessorises her huge patterned shades with a feminine headscarf as she hits the shops in Beverley Hills. Get Nicole’s look with a pair of our Frankie glasses, simply add a sunglasses tint when you personalise your specs.

Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams looks every the bit the cheeky chap millions love him for being as he leaves a London recording studio. Add a dark sunglasses tint to our Cosmopolitan glasses to get the rockin’ Robbie look.