Glasses direct blog

'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.

Old Hollywood romance is something that’s about as extinct as our visits to the gym, so when we read about the auctioning off of Tinseltown legend, James Dean’s love letters to his then girlfriend Barbara Glenn, there was a collective steaming over of lenses and wistful sighs (from the girls, anyway). With only 4 films under his belt before his tragic death in 1954, James Dean is still talked about and hailed as a Hollywood great. To this day, men want to be him and women, be with him. The figure of James Dean is one with undeniable sex appeal and of course, specs appeal.

For a man who managed to immortalise the white tee and leather jacket combo into a timeless trend, it’s a ‘go figure’ that his hotness also smouldered in a pair of reading glasses. Just check him out in this archive snap that we’ve dug up. Looking sartorially handsome, albeit a bit brow-beaten Dean is pictured with Bond girl and beau Ursula Andress (we’d give our right eye to know what she was saying) at the Thalian Ball on August 29 1955 at Ciro’s nightclub in Los Angeles. This era-capturing snap encompasses Dean’s style and how the tragically yet iconic actor gained and has continued to retain a global following. Teaming a classic tux with tortoiseshell reading glasses, the actor opted for a soft wayfarer outline to compliment his chiselled features and fair, but brooding looks. We’re sure that you’ll agree that ‘dapper’ just isn’t the word, so gents, may we suggest that it’s time to invest in some tortoiseshell specs and make like a movie star. Just see those ladies swoon in your office!

…  and  you never know, you might even snare your own Ursuala.

Get the James Dean Look with Mai Tai:

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

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

In our opinion, its seasoned dudes like David Hockney who help place Britain firmly on map, when it comes to producing artistic greats.

British Icon: Hockney

The 74 year old was promoting a newly devised technique of filming video art that is ‘better than 3D’ yesterday, whilst at the press release of his up and coming exhibition in London. Using 9 cameras to create ‘9D’ film Hockney also spoke of being able to create landscapes with his iPad as ‘fantastic’. The pioneering artist used a mixture of up-to-the minute technology to produce his retrospective exhibition which starts at the end of January 2012 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

A legend for a legend: John Lennon JL10B

Hockney showcased his iconic style at the press launch with a pair of circular tortoiseshell specs: A style of which he’s become synonymous with since his first foray into the art world, along with his series of swimming pool paintings that he produced whilst living in LA, back in the 1960s. The British artist who spent many a year living in California, cemented his name in the art world with his highly realistic style and vibrant colours, as well as being famed for rubbing shoulders with the likes of Andy Warhol and fashion designer Celia Birtwell (who appears in several of his works).
With an heir of ‘agelessness’ about him, Hockney looked bright eyed and switched on, showing us how true timeless style is achieved. We love Hockney’s choice of symmetrical specs, which would add a sartorial edge to the most casual of outfits and perfect for this season’s preppy trend, for boy or for girl.
Hockey’s exhibition ‘Bigger Picture ‘runs from 21st January to 9th April next year at the Royal Academy of Arts.

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…

To be honest, we’ve never really paid an amazing amount of attention to Justin Beiber (sorry girls) until that is the 17 year old heart throb bespectacled himself at this year’s VMA awards, where he was nominated for his video, ‘Make You Smile’. We seen the error of our ways and sat up and taken notice, so sorry about that.

An Echo of screams rippled across the crowds as Beibs made his way along the red carpet in a classic tux jacket, on-trend skinny red jeans, a pair of oversized wayfarers and a snake. Yes, a snake. Bespeckled Biebs made his way into the award ceremony carrying a small white snake wrapped around his hand. We’re not sure how PETAs going to feel about this, or his girlfriend Selena Gomez for that matter, but whilst we’re waiting for the Beiber back-lash, we’re more than happy to focus on the singer’s impeccable taste in specs. Fast become the number one fashion accessory for both genders this season regardless of 20/20 vision or not, glasses can really give an edge to the safest of get ups. Adding a sartorial edge to an ultimately rock n roll-inspired ensemble, Beiber opts for a wayfarer silhouette in a mixture of acetate and metal. Oversized and softly square, Beiber’s framework can be re created with the John Lennon JL13BF

Add Some Rock Heritage with John Lennon

Neat and on trend, this tidy wayfarer inspired frame ticks all the right boxes when teamed with this season’s tailored pieces. Wear with jeans and your favourite biker, or for a more polished look gentleman, why not stir things up a little in the boardroom and get the office gossips talking.

Oh, and from now on we’ll be taking a little more notice of Mr Beiber and his style choices. Good work young man, gold style star from Team GD…

…Not sure on the snake though, we’ll leave that to you guys to comment.

The sun is still shining out here at our Swindon office, so I’ll make no apologies for posting my second hot tip for sunglasses this season! You can never beat a good pair of aviator shades and our Cowboy specs look pretty sexy as sunglasses. These ones have a graduated brown sunglasses tint added to them and Adam from our IT team is kindly modelling them for us!

Some of our glasses have recently appeared in an advert for Dulux paint.

The lady wears a pair from our Scandinavian range and the gent steams up a pair of Mai Tai

We’ve set up a flickr group for people to post pictures of themselves in their new specs – or to get second opinions on their Home Trials.
There’s also a question ‘How many pairs of glasses do you own’

I thought I’d list mine here.

I’m pretty obsessive about glasses, and I have a lot of pairs. What I find is that, just like my wardrobe, there’s a core set that I wear often, and a bunch of others that get occasional outings.

Different pairs definitely have different feelings
- my rimless pair were sensible and neutral, and vaguely stylish they go with anything. They were my default pair that get the most public time – unfortunately they were lost over the side of a canoe in wales.

- my bold plastic pair are cooler than the rest, but slightly pretentious. I’m totally gutted that they’ve broken, as they were my day-to-day pair.

- My Second pair of bold plastics are also cool, and very comfortable. For some reason I feel safe in them. Madrid glasses from Glasses Direct for £29

- super bold plastic pair with blue lenses are overtly ‘fashionable’ and I need to be in a very confident mood to wear them.

- my yellow aviators are great fun – I feel oddly rock’n'roll when wearing them. Very Hunter S. Thompson
Unfortunately I’ve lost these somewhere, but they looked a bit like these:

- my red plastic ones – are slightly too much for my wife to bear, but look great with the right togs on. The darker colours are better for these though I think. Kamikaze glasses from Glasses Direct.

- my plain plastic ones fall off too much, so I’ve never really worn them

- my swimmers are great for…erm…swimming. so much better than contacts in the pool, which always end up falling out and stinging afterwards from the chlorine.

- my graduated tint aviator sunnies – are fantastic. Simply fantastic, and i wear them whenever it’s sunny. Personally I think they’re cooler than most people’s branded sunnies. They’re Ray with grey graduated tint lenses.

- my wirey ted baker specs – I can’t wear these for very long as the lenses are massive and I foolishly didn’t go for thin lenses so they dig into my nose.

- my wireless bendable specs – were bought from vision express as part of a competitor shop. They’re good everyday specs, but we sell the same type of glasses for about £150 less. Our version Malaga bendable rimless are currently out of stock.

- these are just stupid, I bought them on a whim as they’re so incredibly huge and I have yet to put lenses in them. As they’re SO massive I’ll have to get extremely thin lenses put into them otherwise they’ll be too heavy on my nose.

- My Bolle bold specs were a bargain from our own site (not in stock at the moment). I wear these most days.

- My most expensive pair are a lovely pair of glasses by a company called ‘Mykita’ which I bought from a wonderful little opticians in Brighton. I can’t afford to buy too many pairs like this, but I couldn’t resist.

So there you have it – my current range of 14 pairs of prescription glasses
3 pairs from high street chains
4 pairs from Glasses Direct
1 pair from an independent optician
2 pairs bought online, then glazed by Glasses Direct
3 pairs bought from competitors online
1 pair bought from a sports shop! (The goggles)
- Oh and a small batch of daily contact lenses that I occasionally wear.

What about you?