Horn-rimmed glasses

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Horn-rimmed glasses are a type of eyeglasses with frames made of horn, tortoise shell, or plastic that simulates either material. The name horn-rimmed glasses refer to their original material, which was horn or shell. These glasses began to be popular in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s, and have been a standard for many decades. Over time, the glasses changed appearance and meaning. They later were known as dark, heavy, and plastic framed glasses. An early plastic, called celluloid, was dyed and molded to look like an animal horn.

Another characteristic is their lack of nose pads. This differentiates them from other glasses, making the profile of horn-rims appear unique. Sometimes saddle bridges are attached to distribute the weight of the glasses. These are placed on the sides and top of the frame’s nose.

Currently, the definition of horn-rimmed glasses has become more flexible. They are commonly referred to as a pair of dark, plastic eyeglasses with frames that range in thickness from about 1/16" to 1/4". The dark colored plastic stands out, giving the appearance of thick frames.

Contents 1 History 2 Fashion and popular culture 2.1 Celebrities 3 References

[edit] History

Harold Lloyd originally made eyeglass wearing popular. In particular, he made horn-rimmed glasses mainstream. His glasses were plastic. In Europe, frames were made from tortoise shell and were expensive. However, America made plastic framed glasses because it was less expensive than tortoise shell. Around this time, plastic frames began to be called “shell."

Lloyd donned his plastic horn-rims in 1917 when he starred in the short comedy film, Over the Fence. Oddly enough, the glasses contained no lens due to the glare that it would have created from the studio lights. The glasses’ purpose was to differentiate Lloyd from the character he portrayed in the film. He could then go out in public without glasses and was unrecognizable. At this time, the horn-rimmed style was fresh. They were large enough to be dramatic without being over the top.

Lloyd wore glasses whenever he acted. He stated that "They make low-comedy clothes unnecessary, permit enough romantic appeal to catch the feminine eye, usually diverted from comedies, and they hold me down to no particular type or range of story."[1] Lloyd’s seventy-five cent pair of horn-rimmed glasses lasted him eighteen months. He patched them with things like glue and gum until he had to replace them. This look could have been the catalyst for society's image of a stereotypical "nerd," who wears thick, black-framed glasses held together with tape. Harold influenced young Americans to become consumers of these glasses.

The glasses continued to be popular through the 1930s and worn in each decade following, with hightened popularity in the 1960s. Currently, in the 2000s, it seems that horn-rims are being altered to fit the times. Some wear the glasses without prescriptive lenses, purely as a fashion statement. They are no longer as popular as they once were and some consider them "nerdy".

[edit] Fashion and popular culture

Particularly in the pre-World War II era, there was a relatively limited selection of eyeglass styles. When horn-rimmed eyeglasses came out, they were a common style. Wearers of these glasses were often thought of as nerdy, studious, and conservative.

Like many styles of the past, horn-rims have seen surges in popularity. While sometimes considered unflattering, their perceived nerdiness has made them equally appealing. Since the '90s, notably as a look that defined alternative rocker Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, it gained popularity in young intellectual subcultures; sometimes referred to as hipsters.

[edit] Celebrities

Many celebrities through the decades have been seen wearing horn-rimmed glasses. Here is a time line of notable appearances:

1910s–1940s

• Harold Lloyd wore them in all of his movies, from 1917's Over the Fence to 1947's The Sin of Harold Diddlebock.

1950s

• Buddy Holly, was a popular singer and songwriter of rock and roll music, and is known for his thick horn-rimmed glasses.
• George Reeves' character Clark Kent in the original TV series Adventures of Superman wore horn-rims to conceal his Superman identity. Most later actors who played the role of Superman did the same afterwards.
• English comedian Eric Morecambe was famous for his horn-rimmed glasses, which he often used as a comedy prop.

1960s

• After buying contact lenses, American Senator Barry Goldwater continued wearing horn-rimmed eyeglasses without lenses because the public could not recognize him without the glasses.
• Michael Caine wore horn-rims both off and on-screen in such 60s classics as The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin.
• The Beatles' Paul McCartney was spotted wearing horn-rims on and off during the 1960s.

1970s

• Elvis Costello, a British musician, singer, and songwriter of the "pub rock" genre, was later known for punk rock and new wave music.

1980s

• Bill Gates wore the trend on the cover of the April 16, 1984 issue of Time magazine.
• Teddy Duchamp, a character in the 1986 film, Stand by Me wears horn-rims.

1990s

• Cartoonist Gary Larson illustrates characters wearing horn-rims in the San Francisco Chronicle comic strip "The Far Side".
• Drew Carey of The Drew Carey Show continues to wear horn-rims after having corrective laser eye surgery.
• Patrick Bateman, a main character and narrator of the Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, wore them. Oliver Peoples is the brand that is referenced.
• In the 1990s, many types of 1960s fashion trends reemerged, including bellbottom pants, brightly colored clothing, and platform shoes. With this, Mike Myers played Austin Powers in the Austin Powers series of films, wearing another popular 60s trend, the horn-rims. Michael Caine made an appearance in the third film, Goldmember wearing his iconic horn-rims and playing Austin's father Nigel Powers.

2000s

• Anne Hathaway's character Mia in the movie The Princess Diaries wore them before her makeover.
• Rivers Cuomo, front man of the rock band Weezer, is identified by his horn-rims.
• Tina Fey, who was a writer on Saturday Night Live, is now on the show 30 Rock.
• Actor Paul Marcarelli, the "Test Man" for Verizon Wireless commercials, is famous for the phrase, "Can you hear me now? Good."
• Jack Coleman's character Mr. Bennet is known on the show Heroes as "Horn-Rimmed Glasses" (even though his glasses aren't horn-rimmed; they're Browline Ronsir style).
• Adam Savage, of the Discovery Channel TV show Mythbusters, wears horn-rimmed glasses. He can be seen in one episode using a piece of gum and a stick to retrieve one of the temples that fell off into a hole.
• George Pettit, one of the three vocalists in the Canadian hardcore band, "Alexisonfire", wears horn-rimmed glasses whenever he's not on stage performing.

[edit] References

• horn-rimmed The Free Dictionary
• "Harold Lloyd: The Glasses" by Annette M. D'Agostino
• Eyeglass frame Enotes.com
• Timeless Eyeglasses AskMen.com