As the festive season is well and truly upon us, it’s a long standing tradition for us all to be bombarded with films and TV shows aimed squarely at the kids. This is probably a) to try to keep the occupied for more than 15 seconds and b) for them all to pipe up to the chorus of “Daddy, can I have one of those?” (of which the standard reply is always “ask your mother”).
So to help celebrate Christmas and all this lovely time we get to spend with the little ones, here is the Glasses Direct top 10 spectacle wearing cartoon characters (in no particular order of popularity!)
1. Hans Moleman (The Simpsons)
The oldest nerd on the planet, Hans is basically a magnet for any mishap that could and would happen to anyone anywhere, let alone in Springfield where the laws of Homer apply!
2. Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
Yes he does actually wear specs! They just happen to be very thin and exactly the same lens shape as his eyes. Although not the ideal role model for young children (let alone his own), we salute Peter’s slightly distorted view of the world.
3. Penfold (Dangermouse)
Ernest Penfold, half battling side kick to Dangermouse and half bumbling fool who always needed rescuing from the clutches of Baron Greenback. Either way, Mr P is a spec wearing legend who deserves recognition in our top 10 list.
4. Velma (Scooby Doo)
Or “The brainy one of the bunch”. Ms Dinkley was a total nerd but somehow cool at the same time and with specs that big wasn’t afraid to flaunt her short sightedness.
Grab a pair of black Mai Tai’s and a VW camper van and you’re a one man sleuthing machine!
Velma's choice
5. Spongebob Squarepants
Rather than use his specs for reading, Spongebob uses them for catching jellyfish, not something that most of us use our specs for but a crucial skill non the less. Subtly cleverly than the average cartoon series, SBSP is smarter than the average sponge.
6. Professor Frink (The Simpsons)
Epitomising the classic “too clever for his own good” spec wearing science nerd, professor John I Q Nerdelbaum Frink Jnr is a genius beyond compare. Named after one of the writers on the show and based on Jerry Lewis’s character in The Nutty Professor, he slips between conversations Einstein would struggle to understand and complete gibberish.
Nerd it up Frink style with the JL260F
Neat classics from John Lennon
9. Chuckie (Rugrats)
This flame haired 2 year old almost made it respectable for kids to wear….lose…..and wear again big, thick rimmed specs. Well almost.
Lose the nappy but gain the look with our very own GD Classique 6
Over-sized and on-trend
10. Johnny Bravo
Somewhere between a stand in for a West Side Story extra and a one man Elvis tribute, Johnny B was dumb, vein but ultimately the coolest dude on the telly sporting a rather small but chic pair of black sunglasses.
London Retro Kings
Be as cool as JB with the London Retro Kings with matching dark tint.
Posted on: December 13th, 2011 by Jon
To celebrate men, moustaches and the month of Movember, I have decided to pen a little piece celebrating the art of the double facial appendage. I mean, why hide your features behind one clever disguise when you can completely bamboozle the enemy with two! So let’s all get out our moustache combs, brush the dust off the Ray Bans and embrace the month of Movember as if it were our last!
Ned Flanders:
No other programme captures modern life like The Simpsons and no other man carries the old push broom as well as Ned Flanders. Clearly designed around the Magnum PI ‘tache, Ned epitomises the suburban nerd and captured the moustache/specs combo perfectly…….okely dokely?
Ned works specs AND a tache. Genius.
Say “hello Ned-erino” with the JL260F and matching jumper.
Hercule Poirot:
Although, probably the most famous creation from the mind of Agatha Christie and brought to life so perfectly by David Suchet in the TV adaptations, his keen mind and sleuthing skills have been well hidden behind his little twirly moustache and glasses. Although not as unkempt as the “Flanders”, what it lacks in volume it more than makes up for in “Artistic Polish”
Ali G:
As part of the “West Staines Massiv” but actually living with his grand mother at 36 Cherry Blossom Close, Ali G has come to represent all that is well wicked in W London and his sporting of the full on face fungus and bright yellow lensed sunglasses is, in our books, proper booyakasha and deserves much respek.
'Is you Madonna?'
Join in wit da crew with the Nueu 06 with yellow tinited lenses
Groucho Marx:
Born in a room above a butcher’s shop means too things. A) you’ll never run out of sausages and B) there’s a good chance you’ll grow up to be a very famous film star.
Groucho achieved both of these with a razor sharp wit, a trademark cigar and a truly awesome ‘tache. It started off as being grease painted on but proved so popular Groucho decided to grow his own and kept it for the rest of his life showing you can never keep a good moustache down!
- Groucho goes for a classic wayfarer
Posted on: November 18th, 2011 by Jon
I thought, rather than the normal “look back at the life of” article, I’d reel off a few, maybe, rather unusual facts about the life of the great man. It seems the only way show how much Sir Jimmy, commonly mocked for his catch phrases and dress sense, actually gave to the world of radio, tv and charity……….so deep breath and here goes.
He was born in 1926 and was the youngest of 7 children.
He was a semi professional wrestler but lost all of his 35 bouts (apparently no one wanted to lose to a long haired DJ)
He presented his first tv programme in 1960 and although shown in black and white, he dyed his hair a different colour every week.
He was the first presenter of Top of The Pops on New Years Day 1964 (he also hosted the last ever episode in 2006)
Although always seen with a cigar, it was really a prop, as he never actually lit or smoked them.
He was a member of Mensa
He was chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games
He was given an honourary commando green beret by The Royal Marines in the 70′s for completing their 30 mile speed march (one of only 2 civilians to do so).
He was a Knight of Malta and a fellow of The Royal College of Radiologists.
He raised more than £40 million for charity.
He died just two days short of his 85th birthday.
Jimmy's Choice
……….what more can we say! Respect the memory with our JL260F and some blue tinted lenses (shell suit and jewellery not included)
Posted on: November 13th, 2011 by Jon
An article in The Guardian this week has focused on the G20 summit currently taking place in Nice this week and among the items on the agenda has been the much publicised Robin Hood Tax. This is in no small part thanks to the presence of actor Bill Nighy ( him of the cool, geeky glasses…….and Love Actually fame) who has got behind the tax reform with the same gusto he normally reserves for the big screen.
Right on, Bill.
In essence, it is asking for a tiny tax to be implemented on the world financial sectors, thus creating hundreds of billions of dollars which could then be used to improve public services world wide and at the same time help reduce poverty and debt throughout the countries of the world. The UK alone would generate £20 billion in extra cash.
Shop The Nighy Look:
Bench BCH180
With Nighy being joined by other famous names like Nicholas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, Bill Gates and even The Archbishop of Canterbury the Robin Hood tax is growing in recognition by the day and currently has web support at 97,398 people. Not bad for an idea that has only been in the public eye for 19 months.
And the reason for Bill Nighy getting behind the cause?……”I blame Richard Curtis…..everyone else does”. Get’s our vote!
Posted on: November 4th, 2011 by Jon
As ever, we here at Glasses Direct are always keeping our musical ears to the ground for interesting music and videos and this artiste recently slipped onto our radar, mainly due to his cool video which seems to have been shot in a rather swanky Parisienne opticians.
The guy’s name is Oscar O’Mailey and the song is called ” Ques an Charde”. The video was produced by Manuall Focus (another clever link) and although neither name is, as yet, that well known, we expect big things if this tune is anything to go by.
Check the vid out here and let us know what you think!
Posted on: November 4th, 2011 by Jon
'Need a little help reading the small-print?'
Being nice to his mum, a model citizen and “that nice chap next door” are 3 phrases not commonly associated with Adolf Hitler. In fact, they’re about as well used as chopsticks at an all you can eat soup buffet. The other sight you don’t get to see very often is Hitler wearing specs and as The Daily Mail reported this week, there’s a very good reason for it.
According to recent stories, Hitler needed reading glasses but being the chap he was, deemed them as a sign of weakness in front of his supporters, so he never wore them. Now most of us when we hit a certain age, will be told we need specs to read. So we bite the bullet, log on to the Glasses Direct site and buy a pair. What we don’t do is toodle off and invade Poland.
Presbyopia or the loss of accommodation in the eye ( or, the need for longer arms) is something we all encounter at some point as we pass the great, big 4…0 but we just chalk it up to experience and carry on. Hitler choice to ignore it completely and simply had a type writer made with extra large print and had his top PR bods and spin doctors (now that’s a tough gig) double space all his speech notes so he could read better.
So his rather classy specs, probably the most under used in history, find themselves up for sale for the princely sum of £5000 (you don’t even get a second pair free) along with a few other of his personal effects. If you have the cash, then casually dropping into conversation “you haven’t by any chance seen my glasses have you? You know the ones, gold? rimless? swastika on the side?” might impress some but I’d prefer the 2 for 1 for £59 with us. Cheaper and a bit less controversial when flying abroad.
Posted on: October 7th, 2011 by Jon
As befits a man like Steve Jobs, I thought I would write Glasses Direct’s own little homage to the man who changed all our technological lives. The papers and internet have been inundated with countless articles about the iGenius since his sad passing, talking about his impact on the modern world and the way in which his vision for the future have come to shape our own. I can not even remember a time without an iPod, iPhone or Mac…..can you?
The Late Steve Jobs
From his early days working as a technician at Atari, Jobs was always a visionary. The start of things with the Mackintosh personal computer lead to the iMac G3. Then came the IOS software which would revolutionize portable gaming. Then came the iPod, iPod touch, iPhone and of course the iPad. Combine this with the introduction of iTunes and the brilliant idea to turn computers into works of art with the stunning Mac computers, and you have a whole family of products that not only combine form and function so perfectly, they actually simplify the way in which we work and play, resulting in Apple being totally unique. The ease of use and the ability to sync to your other devices made all these products unbelievably friendly (bearing in mind none of these products ever came with instructions) and that is, of course, why they sell like they do.
If there was any more proof needed of his genius, we also have Jobs to thank for bringing us films Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Up. Jobs bought The Graphics Group, which was then part of LucasFilm in 1986, changed it’s name to Pixar and shifted the company focus to making animation and like they say, the rest is history. He later sold the company back to Disney for the not too shabby a sum of $7.4 billion.
So the world mourns, not only for a great man but a great inventor, a great leader and a great visionary. His trade mark jeans, black roll neck and round glasses made him look like a slightly tired college professor but underneath all that was so much more. Bill Gates called him a genius, comparing his impact on the world to that of Einstein. By my reckoning, that’s probably not too far off the mark.
So, as the Glasses Direct team look back on the man that bought so much to modern day living, quietly making a worldwide impact on how society functions we’re making like the late and great Jobs and keeping out specs subtle, round and rimless. Quietly functional and fabulous: RIP Mr Apple, thanks for taking a bite out of society and leaving a lasting impression.
Posted on: October 7th, 2011 by Jon
As someone (just) old enough to remember when Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy first hit the small screen way back in 1979, it is no surprise that we now find it transferred to the big screen 32 years later. The original boasted a strong cast, lead by Sir Alec Guinness in the lead role playing George Smiley, a right hand man to the head of British Intelligence Spymaster Control (now played by John Hurt). This new, updated version has Gary Oldman cast in the role and with probably the finest ensemble cast to hit cinemas this year, the film not only remains faithful to the BBC original and therefore the book but uniquely also stands up as a film in it’s own right.
The film is basically a spy thriller but what a thriller it is, cleverly playing out the pieces as George Smiley, fired (along with his boss) after a botched covert operation in London in the 1970′s is asked back by the Whitehall powers that be to investigate evidence of a Russian mole within the hallowed walls of MI6. His role? To spy on our spies as he tries to uncover the identity of the Russian spy!
The supporting cast of John Hurt, Colin Firth, Kathy Burke, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch are more than up to the task of matching Gary Oldman on screen and indeed Benedict Cumberbatch’s character (Smiley’s sidekick Peter Guillam), seems to have the most fun on screen of all the protaganists. However, the film belongs to Gary Oldman. Daunting enough to be following in Sir Alec’s footsteps, Gary carries the film not just with his thoughtful portrayal of a somewhat put upon government stooge but in the way he carries himself and of course in the way he looks.
The 1970′s is captured perfectly with the dour suits, beige macs and black briefcases but most importantly in George Smiley’s eye wear. Remember these were the days when spectacles were a purely functional item and with the choice opticians offered sometimes limited to “would you like those in brown or black”, it was an era populated with the classic NHS eyewear.
Thankfully, the big, square, plastic look has come full circle and having virtually disappeared for the last 20 years, it has made a return to our faces with a modern twist. With designers recreating this look now has never been a better time to buy into the “George” look. Try to match the sharp, modern suit and overcoat with frames such as London Retro Shoreditch:
Ashton:
and Mai Tai:
The Fabris Lane Thomas:
and Lucky Brand Cliff:
add a slightly modern take on it and if you’re feeling very brave then the Harold is one for the true Spy!
So take a look and get the 2 for 1 offer to truly blend in (as only a true spy can). I know MI6 would approve.
Posted on: September 16th, 2011 by Jon
We Love Le Loeb- Keep scrolling down to get 'Le look'.
After last week’s movie themed blog, I wondered what it would be like if I could gather my all time favourite spectacle wearers around the dinner table, open a bottle of 1946 Chateau Petrus Pomerol (sold at auction for £25,570 a bottle….well why not spoil my guests) and generally chew the fat and put the world to rights. Well if I am going to open such a fine wine I would need to choose my dinner companions wisely. Criteria such as story telling, knowledge of clever jokes (nothing smutty you understand), insightful anecdotes, dress sense and worldly wisdom would all be considered and of course spectacle choice would be key.
But before I begin, first things first; this dinner party needs a chef and the only man capable of creating a meal as fine as the conversation is Heston Blumenthal. Renowned gastronome and full time specs man, no man on the planet can cook something that looks like steak but tastes like strawberries and his choice of spectacle is equally brilliant.
Get the cooking look with the JB11002
Right, so that’s the food sorted, so it’s time to pour the G&T’s while I await my first guest.
Well who can this be?…….First to press my bell is Peter Ustinov. Not a man renowned for his specs but none the less a glasses man. He became synonymous with his portrayal of Poirot and later on for his UN work and world travels. A true gentleman with a story for every occasion. As the great man himself said…… “I am an international citizen conceived in Russia, born in England, working in Hollywood, living in Switzerland, and touring the World”
Stetson ST XL8
Next to the door is Steve Martin. An all time legend in film comedy and although he’s hasn’t been firing on all cylinders lately, his early films in the 70′s put him at the top of his genre. I think we’ll skip “Pink Panther 2″ and steer the conversation towards ‘Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels” instead.
……copy this with our own London Retro Shoreditch frame.
And finally to make up my table of 4 (it’s a small table, I blew most of my money on the wine) is Lisa Loeb. Now for those of you who don’t know, Lisa is a singer/song writer (you’ll know who when you listen to “Stay”) who isn’t on the scene a lot but has been around a long time in the biz. I had the pleasure of seeing her do a show in Washington about 10 years ago and she blew me away so she’s on the list for that reason alone. She has also just launched her own range of specs so I’d quite like to swap ideas!
........get the LL look for a bit less with 7forallmankind 701.
Well, now all my guests have arrived, let the starters begin! So if you don’t mind….please close the door behind you. Thankyou
Posted on: September 9th, 2011 by Jon
As a slight departure from the normal film related spectacle tie in (think Clark Kent or Harry Potter), I thought I’d flip the view a little bit and take a peek behind the camera with a quick retrospective nod to some of the great be-spectacled directors of our time. Never really seen on screen (except when it comes to plugging their next must-see project) there are quite a few directors known for their face furniture.
So, its curtains up and roll VT for the following ‘Directorial Gods of Geek’.
Simon Pegg
Although known more now for his exceptionally funny film work (yes I’m a massive fan), Pegg’s early work can be seen in the C4 sitcom Spaced, which he wrote alongside writer pal, Edgar Wright. Responsible for writing what is possibly the greatest sitcom of all time, the two also collaborated in writing Brit flick, Shaun of the Dead which also starred Pegg’s best mate Nick Frost (also a specs man).
Oscar for a future Oscar winner
Martin Scorsese
Well, where do I begin with possibly the greatest director of all time. Films such as ‘Mean Streets’, ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘The King of Comedy’, would compliment a life time’s work for most directors, but to then follow those up with ‘Goodfellas’, ‘Cape Fear’, ‘Casino’ and ‘Gangs of New York’ is almost too much for my peas sized brain to comprehend! With 3 films in post production at the moment, his Royal Specciness seems unable to slow down. A big thumbs up from Team GD.
A classic for a classic.
Steven Spielberg
Probably one of the greatest directors of all time with a rare ability to bring together sensitive films (‘Schindler’s List’, ‘Saving Private Ryan’) huge box office results (E.T, Jurassic Park) and futuristic ideas (‘A.I’ and ‘Minority Report’), Mr Spielberg can do no wrong in the move world and with his subtle style of specs as his trademark (along with the beard), his choice of scripts are spot on. Having invented the idea of the summer block buster with ‘Jaws’ he also co-produced ‘Shrek’ and the lesser know, but with a cult following, ‘Pinky and The Brain’.
The Portobello from London Retro
Danny Boyle
If you ignore ‘The Beach’” this Brit director has barely put a foot wrong. Bursting onto the big screen in 1994 with ‘Shallow Grave’ and quickly following it up with ‘Trainspotting’ (has there ever been a better follow up movie?), Mr Boyle has just delivered the double whammy of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘127 Hours’ and with new film ‘Trance’ out in 2013, this visionary genius is set to show us his best yet.
Get the DB look with the ST006
Steven Soderbergh
Well, we can start with the genius that is ‘Sex, Lies and Videotapes’ and move swiftly on to ‘The Usual Suspects’ (and yes it’s Kevin Spacey, I thought everyone knew that?) and end up with ‘Oceans 11’ and ‘Traffic’. With a remake of the classic ‘The man from U.N.C.L.E’ on the way next year with long term collaborator George Clooney (calm down ladies), the specs of Mr S are set to continue being stellar.
Neat and masculine: the Madrid
Guillermo del Toro
Maybe not a well known director to part-time movie buffs, the Mexican great is probably best known for ‘Hellboy’ and ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ but surprisingly, also had a hand in ‘Kung Fu Panda’……so a slight departure for him there then! His spec of preference is the classic round eye, a la John Lennon. Easily achievable with our own the John Lennon collection.
The John Lennon JL260
Ethan Coen
As one half of the aptly named Coen Brothers (with brother Joel and his unruly hair), he has helped write and direct some truly modern greats. Kickstarting his career with ‘Blood Simple’ and ‘Raising Arizona’ in 1984 and 1987 respectively ,he has become one of The greats in edgy direction. Their style of film making (see ‘Fargo’, ‘The Big Lebowski’ and ‘O Brother Where Art Thou?’) is founded on self belief, a unique camera style and clear vision.
Get the look with our Mojito range
Tim Burton
This man should win an award purely for his hair, but having directed films such as ‘Beetlejuice, ‘Edward Scissorhands’, ‘Mars Attacks’ and ‘Corpse Bride’ Burton’s directing talent over-rides the crazy mop. The gothic theme he puts in his films, coupled with his style and frequent use of Johnny Depp mean his films are always visually stunning and his re-invention of the Batman franchise proves his genius……as does his taste in specs.
Acheive a more wearable Burton vibe with the ST002
Spike Lee
Known just as much for his film topics as the films themselves, Spike Lee has never been one to shy away from directing controversy. ‘Do the Right Thing’, ‘Jungle Fever’ and ‘Malcolm X’ have all show cased his brilliance, and with ‘Summer of Sam’ he showed why he one of America’s greats in direction. His choice of frames is equally out spoken. Be inspired if you feel brave enough with the Mexx 5358.
Frame it like Spike.
Woody Allen
Having written 68, directed 47 and starred in 42 to date, Mr Allan Stewart Konigsberg, now pushing 76, has long been associated with his iconic specs and although some may say his vision may have been a good reason for his rather poor films in the last few years, his early works such as ‘Bananas’, ‘Love and Death’ and ‘Husbands and Wives’ are surely classics of the highest order.
Oh-so very Woody.
Like this post? We want to hear who your glasses wearing, favourite movie icons are.
We may just be inspired so watch this space…
Posted on: September 2nd, 2011 by Jon
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