[#Fashion] Thick Rimmed Geeky Glasses

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