I'm slowly going through the entire house, room by room and clearing out and reorganising. One of the things I found and put aside for recycling were several pairs of old, out of prescription glasses that I've never given a thought to since getting new pairs. What's interesting is that you can see how, over the last few years, I've slowly been gaining confidence in wearing styles I like. One can only hope that confidence will translate more to my clothing choices soon!
The first pair are from when I first lived in London, back in 2003, I believe I bought them after I returned from travelling. I've always liked the black framed look, but didn't have the courage to go all out. As always, I toed the line between discrete, conventional and what I liked in a style.
I obviously gained a little more confidence (and some anti-glare coating on the lenses), but I remember both this next pair and the previous pair took a lot for me to feel comfortable wearing. Still small, the frames are just that little bit thicker. We called this my librarian look and it probably dates from around 2005.
Larger again, I can't remember if I bought these next ones in Wales or England. I think these are post-2006 which means I bought them when I lived in Cardiff. My work at BBC Wales, on such a huge production - both in terms of size and fan base - really helped my confidence with my personal style. While I still wasn't comfortable addressing my clothes or hair, I made more of an effort when going out, started teaching myself different make-up techniques and got myself a bigger, thicker framed pair of (wonky!) glasses.
The last two pairs are my current glasses, both gifted as a Christmas present from my parents. My step-dad calls the last set my 1950s newsreader glasses, I think I love them the most. I've gone bigger and wider on the black frame size, as big as my face and chubby cheeks will allow. And I've gone for something unconventional and unfashionable for my second pair. I keep those ones for when I'm out and about in public, because now I'm proud to have a style that's unconventional and, at times, unfashionable. Plus, y'know, I think they look awesome.
What about you, do any of you have a clear (but mundane) record of your evolution of personal style?
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I loved seeing your glasses evolution. if only I had kept all mine I could share. I am still not brave enough to get interesting glasses or the ones I really like. I don't hold onto old clothes, otherwise that would show my style evolution
I love things like this. I don't think I have any old ones to hand to be able to show something like this :(
Does "chaos theory" counts as evolution? Or style, even. I like the librarian glasses. Personally, I tend to go for really really thin, light, titanium frames purely for practical reasons. I'm blind as a bat without my glasses, so the lens tend to weigh a bit more than normal even with the thinnest lens available. So thin frames are always a must for me.
The large plastic frames you've now have, they give me bad flashbacks to the late 80s/early 90s when I had a few very similar pairs (in red or similar colours) while in primary school.
Huh. I think I might have bolder taste as a child... :P
I love this!! I think the evolution of my glasses is pretty much identical to yours, I am sure they are all lurking somewhere too!
Like you I have gradually become braver in my choices, especially since buying them on-line; not having a sales assistant there to make me feel self-conscious has meant that I can choose the ones I really want rather than those I think I should! My newest pair are my favourite so far they are similar to your (4th pic) Christmas ones but tortoise shell effect, for the first time ever I can say I love my specs and am not embarrassed to be seen wearing them! :)
It's amazing how you've changed!
Looking through them, it looks like you've become more and more refined in what you now know you like, or rather what you know you don't like.
Go with it mate, looks like a nice road to be travelling on :-)
Caff x
penny for your thoughts ...
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