So everyone is wearing
"Thick (Black) Rimmed Glasses" these days. These are certainly the
ongoing fashion trend. These glasses give a "Geek Look". And being
"geek" is once again cool thanks to these glasses. Think of Satya
Nadella - apart from his bald head what comes to your mind first when you
remember him? Thick rimmed glasses! This is the revenge of the geeks.
I got my glasses when I
reached high school. Studying long hours in the night under lamps and lanterns
at home would naturally strain the eyes. But even without my brown carbon frame
glasses I would have a serious "studious" look. But in the 80s when
the air was pure and kids did not go to playschools, young folks seldom had
glasses; and hence my specs created a buzz. So once I heard a friend talking to
another - "I am also going to the Optical Shop tomorrow and I will also
get one such carbon frame made for me - but with normal glass since my eye sight
is alright". And guess what - in due course he indeed started wearing
glasses! So much for the fake studious "look"?
Except these insecure
kids who wanted to look geeky by wearing glasses, initially glasses were seen
as unwanted burden. Look at our virtual heroes - from Super Man to Iron Man to
Shaktiman to Rahul Gandhi - none of them wear any glasses at all, forget about
wearing geeky glasses. Think of Salman, Hrithik, Ranveer or Ranbir - no one
wears glasses. Hence the trend moved from carbon frame to slender silver
/golden /titanium frames to half-frames and then to the "frame-less".
The idea was to make the glasses subtle or unnoticeable. But then fashion
trends move on a circle. And my friend who donned fake geeky glasses would have
reached the corporate world and perhaps became insecure again and decided to do
something about it.
The idea of black/brown
thick rimmed glasses is to make those prominent and noticeable. These glasses
would be the first thing to make an impression once you look at a person. Hence
these glasses are also good for people with no natural facial feature being
better than these specs; unless if you are Satya Nadella who has got his
splendid shaven head. These thick glasses are also good for people of all types
of complexions - whether light, dark or 'pimpled'. No wonder the trend is
catching everyone like a flu!
The basic psychology
behind these glasses is still amusing. Everyone wearing such glasses does not
become geeky and intellectual just by the very act. But if wearing these gives
them the self confidence and comfort which they seek, then what is wrong in it?
Are not most other fashion trends from wearing high-heels to eye liners to
keeping beards and wearing male-bracelets and getting tattoos of lions and
tigers on our skin - all about trying to appear what we are not deep inside?
True intellectuals like
Salman Rushdie, Arun Jaitley or Urjit Patel still do not wear such glasses. But
then these are not men known for their fashion sense. And real fashion is not
about being honest; it is always about being differentiated and confusing.
I still have no plans
to wear these thick glasses. But not everyone is as self-content and
unfashionable like me. And hence we shall have more people wearing these
glasses in coming days, until one day when someone will recycle the trend of
half-frame and no-frame glasses again.
- Rahul N. Tiwary
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