Why Fashion Is Throwing It Back to the '70s With Geek Chic Glasses

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then—for the many of us with imperfect vision—glasses are windows to our style. In terms of fashion, there’s no time like now to embrace the “four-eyes” look—and right now, the geekier the frames, the chicer. It girls from Kendall Jenner to Chiara Ferragni have taken up with vintage-inspired wire rim specs that enhance their overall style…and sight.

“I think with this social media generation, there is so much content being shared all the time that people want and need a variety of looks,” says Los Angeles-based eyewear designer Garrett Leight, whose Los Angeles-based glasses brand has been endorsed by Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and more. “Eyewear is just a fun accessory in general that makes everyone take a second look, because it’s usually the first thing you notice on a person. And with everyone’s short attention span these days, a second look has a lifetime of value.”

Emily Ratajkowski

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Metal aviators have become particularly popular on the fashion week circuit. In recent seasons, Insta-famous influencers like blogger Aimee Song and Korean model Irene Kim have traded out their contacts for a new pair of specs. Meanwhile, long-time aviator fans, including art world power player Lucy Chadwick (she’s been rocking a vintage pair for years) and Danish model of-the-moment Frederikke Sofie, have turned classic pilot’s glasses into a bona fide street style statement.

Granted, I’m a bit biased when it comes to this optical trend. I’ve been wearing gold aviators every day for the past year-and-a-half. I was initially drawn to aviators because I loved the flattering teardrop frames of my 1980s-era Ray-Bans (a treasured hand-me-down from my mother), and thought they brought a touch of ironic intelligence to every look. My Moscot glasses are truly my ultimate accessory, and continue to score me loads of compliments. “I was pretty surprised at how much people commented on my glasses and asked me where they were from,” said Nomia designer Yara Flinn, who picked up a pair of aviators from Warby Parker a few months back.

Gucci spring 2017

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No doubt, another subliminal inspiration for purchasing my glasses was the swift rise of Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele, who ushered in a new era of eccentricity with his colorful, individualistic collections—complete with seventies-inspired aviators perfectly offset the decadence of the clothing.

Indeed, Dan Bisson, the accessories editor at Trend forecasting agency WGSN, agree that Michele helped spark the shift towards nerdy, retro-influenced eyewear he’s documented in the streets, on the runways, and at major eyewear trade shows including SILMO in Paris. “The ‘70s look has been bubbling away for some time now, and I believe Gucci has influenced the ‘geek chic’ look with its aviators,” says Bisson, who added he’s been seeing more square aviators that update the traditional teardrop lenses. Another uptick Bisson’s noticed: Circular and oval-shaped wire frames that give off a modern John Lennon vibe.

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Aviator sunglasses were developed by Bausch & Lomb in 1936 to protect pilots’ eyes by shielding the entire eye from as much light as possible. They were standard issue for the military during World War II and became famous when American General Douglas MacArthur was photographed in a pair landing in the Philippines. Flash forward to thirty years later, when ‘70s icons like Gloria Steinem and Jean Shrimpton helped make aviators (both sunglasses and clear opticals) groovy the second time around.

Gloria Steinem

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Admittedly, I’ve begun to secretly fret about my beloved aviators becoming a bit too, well, mainstream. New York City’s L train is an ideal place for observing eyewear trends in the wild, and cool kids left and right seem to be flocking to nerdy wire specs that almost take on a post-normcore vibe. Even the guy I have a crush on started wearing a pair of aviators nearly identical to mine, and that is funny-slash-interesting to say the least.

So consider me officially in the market for a new, different pair of glasses—but I’ll still keep my aviators in heavy rotation, too, until they eventually rotate out of style. According to Bisson, the forecast for new eyewear trends is: Clear frames, contemporary cat-eye shapes, and round frames that appear to float on the face. That’s the beauty of developing an eyewear wardrobe that continually complements your personal style. One day down the road I’ll hopefully resurrect my Moscot frames, and they’ll be relevant all over again.

London's top fashionista shares her fashion tips: