Looking for the glasses that have revolutionized the eyewear industry? Then you do not have to go anywhere else looking for them. Only a few frames that stood the test of time and cat-eye glasses were among those. Yes, these glasses have been around for nearly a century and that is exactly what makes these glasses exactly different from the rest
Did you know which were the very first feminine glasses ever made? Yes, you are looking right at them. Yes, these glasses were specially designed to meet the fashion needs of a woman, to bring the styling needs right to the course.
So let’s dive into the history of cat-eye sunglasses and look at some super amazing twists and turns these glasses have gone through.
History of cat-eye glasses
Remember Altina Schinasi? The one who wanted to revolutionize the masculine-driven eyewear industry. All she wanted was a pair of glasses that would speak every woman’s style ever. The unisex options disappointed her when she could not find a pair of glasses that would fit her feminine choices.
Much inspired by the mask of Harlequin, she decided to get the glasses in the same shape as that of the mask. That led to the Harlequin glasses movement, later to be known as cat-eye glasses or sunglasses. Another issue that Schinasi faced was the rejection from the local opticians to accept the glasses as something super different.
She wanted an escape from the bookish and owlish look these glasses gave them and bring in something more stylish and glamorous. She found a perfect place where one of the boutiques took in her style and was later sold to many famous women.
The journey that was started as an attempt to get glasses that suit the women’s needs, which later on became a revolution, a fashion statement in itself. Since the 1930s there is no looking back, as these glasses became a thing to the women of the century
The glasses had high hinges on the top, making the lens of the glasses bend as per the hinge, creating an uplift look, with various designs on the uplifted corners. What has been merely just an escape from the owlish look turned swiftly into something super glamorous and super hard to resist pick of the time?
But what led to the recognition of these super sleek glasses.
To the Hollywood
Remember Marilyn Monroe wore these pretty cute glasses in her movies, since then there has been no turning back, these glasses went in through constant changes since the 1950s.
Not just Monroe, even Audrey Hepburn wore cat-eye sunglasses in one of her most popular movies as well Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The glasses gained popularity and so did the sunglasses.
To keep up with the times and all the changes were for good, the cat-eye fashion took some super dramatic changes in the 70s. Its round and larger look took in but the uplift remained the same.
From 1970 to the 2000s, an era of oversized frames, the glasses were extremely large shaped and the shape was even enough for the sunglasses needed as well. From late 1990 to the early 2000s we saw a complete shift, a shift that we call Y2K, a shift towards vibrant colors, a drastic change as they were more chunky, colorful, and in for the glamour world.
Post-2010, cat eyes became more geometrical in shape, they changed from oversized pretties to tiny and petite frames in the course of time. Inspired by the Matrix, the trend has been well donned by everyone and everywhere.
That was all about the tale of cat-eye glasses and their evolution they have gone under and that too in absolute style.
But were they just limited to the designer versions? Were they pocket-friendly for every woman population? Or were they just limited to the women population or did it change with the course of time?
Revolutionizing the eyewear industry
Cat-eye glasses frames paved their way with the help of the correct audience and their need to have something different from the monotony in their early stage. But were they looking for the correct audience? Yes, but this would not have been the same if one had this question a few years back. The authority or we could say the monopoly for designer glasses was much in the hands of a few brands, and they did sell the glasses at comparatively much higher prices, which became difficult for one to afford.
The easy internet access made the thing much easier for each and everyone, it gave a common platform for every brand, even the small brand to actually have ground to sell their products at an equal place. With the increased competition, these brands were forced to come up with a smart move.
By introducing pocket-friendly prices for the designer glasses and making them easily available to everyone. Their focus on maintaining the quality of the glasses was in no way compromised, they were top-notch in that field and even made them available quite easily. It gave them ultimate competition when it came to good quality at a reasonable price.
Availability of cat-eye
With the change in the fashion arena, the fashion gave the gender norms a big farewell and became fashion neutral, and cat-eye glasses were a pick that was much craved among both the genders.
Now, even in the fashion shows, we could witness many male models pairing cat-eye glasses fabulously with their outfits. Revolutionizing the eyewear industry and the introduction of the cat-eye could have not just influenced women but also men and that saved the fashion industry. Yes, these glasses are not just available in the classic cat-eye style, one can even buy glasses online. They now have these beauties in the round, square, rectangle, and even geometric shapes. One can actually get a hold of these glasses as per the face shape of the person.