When did wearing glasses become cool?

Because I'm glad they did.

When I was in Manhattan and shopping with my brother I came across a pair of red clear lens sunglasses.  I instantly fell in love with them.

This is me in those red glasses.  As you can see, I may love them but they don't like me back all that much.  They make me look evidently goofy but what I love about them is their colour, the hint of nerdiness that it injects into my projected personality and their element of laid back cool.  

Let's talk about people who wear glasses.  When I was growing up in rural Ireland, phrases like "four-eyes" and "goggly eyes" were abundant teases on the school yard.  For some reason it wasn't cool to have poor eyesight.  As I grew older, saw more of the world, met more people, I realised that glasses ARE cool.

Case in point, see the above.  Buddy Holly, Andy Warhol and John Lennon all needed glasses and I don't think anyone out there worth their grain of salt would dispute their coolness.  How about Sophia Loren? Brigitte Bardot?  ... Dame Edna?

All demure beautiful ladies who were not any less beautiful but actually channelled an intellectual sex minx look (please feel free to omit Dame Edna from this train of thought).  Glasses officially became nothing to be frowned upon or laughed at.   I've pretty much mentioned people in the past who give wearing glasses a boost up, but how about our current celebrities that channel "four-eyed" cool?

Kirsten Dunst, Alexa Chung and Leona Lewis are not the same genre of female style.  Yet they have that sense of cool when they were their specs.

The people that I have mentioned thus far have more than glasses in common.  These individuals are just that, they have the self confidence and a personal cool that radiates beyond the spectacles.  They are the same person with glasses on or off.  When my mother reached a certain age (and through genetics, my day will also come) she required glasses for reading.  She felt a sense of disappointment, age was finally an issue that she had to deal with.  For me, seeing my mother get glasses meant that she got to indulge in another accessory.  Glasses to suit her face and her personality.  These days I relish when I have a great outfit that I know will suit any of the pairs of glasses that I own.  There are even days that I want to wear my glasses and dress accordingly.  Sure, people who wear glasses wear them for sight and it is not even part of their wardrobe in a way but they should be.  They should be part of your style, your personality and your "cool".

West 129 was created to make wearing glasses fun and practical.  It dismisses the idea that spectacles are just for poor eyesight.  Think about it, glasses are worn on your face and so, should be spectacular.

West 129 Eyewear Accessories