'Eyeing' the nerd

Geek chic and retro dressing seems to be back in fashion with the big bold chic geeky frames of the '80s making a comeback in style.

Be it popstar Madonna and her daughter Lourdes' upcoming Macy's fashion line this August, or musicians Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z or actress Scarlett Johansson, a flashback to the '80s thick glasses apparently has not gone out of fashion.

"These frames are really cool and quirky. They are meant for people who like unconventional things. I would rate them 4 on the scale of 5," says Edward Larenpuia, fashion editor, Vogue, adding that people must experiment with their looks.

A variety of different designs like the Oxford chic round-rimmed frame, cat-eyed glasses, Mickey Mouse and Tom Ford frames, rounded and vintage wayfarers are broadly included under the tag of nerd glasses sported by those who want to make an unusual style statement.

Widely available— from grandfather's closets to custom-made designs in Italy— the geek glasses have gained immense popularity among designers and youngsters.

"These wayfarer glasses are my personal favourite. It is like re-living the golden punk era of the '70-'80s. The best part about them is that anyone can wear them," says Asit Manthwani, a student of National Institute of Fashion Technology.

Beachwear designer Narresh Kukreja dares to wear a unique custom-made geek frame that is square for the left eye and round for the right. "I got these specs two years back from Venice from the oldest designer in Italy. The lady showed me the collection of glasses and this one went with my sensibility."

The pair which he considers a valued possession cost him over Rs 15,000. "It is an investment for me since I have a vision problem. The design is patent, making me its only owner and also has a sense of humour to it," says Kukreja.

From Italy to India, the demand for these glasses is such that they are also being custom made in all colours and shapes in shops in Paharganj in the heart of Old Delhi.

"I bought my pair in purple from this little shop in Paharganj that specifically designs as per your desire. Though I haven't got any vision problem yet I like wearing these glasses because they are in fashion," says Angela Toppo, a student of Delhi University.

The trend surely has made its way in the Indian market and it is evident with a dedicated Facebook community "Sexy nerd glasses" with over 42,000 fans.

Lalit Kalra, director of the city's Dayal Opticals says, "This trend is now at its peak. These glasses are available in costly brands like Ray Ban, Promod, Tom Ford and also in non-brands that are affordable."

"People come to our store wanting to buy glasses similar to those worn by the celebrities. They usually don't know the name of the style but want to follow the personalities' style." he adds.

Bollywood celebrities, from Amitabh Bachchan sporting the Tom Ford glasses in Teen Patti to Ranbir Kapoor making it on the cover-page of Filmfare, nerd glasses are increasingly being tried by all.

"Right now, these glasses are in vogue. Such frames are being sported a lot lately by celebrities in India. Ray-Ban has many non-prescription and prescription frames in this category like original and square wayfarers, clubmasters, etc. The sales in the past few months of such frames have gone up," says spokesman of Luxottica group, Ray-Ban.

Also called by different names like 3D glasses, vintage wayfarers have a comic history. The glasses were brought to the mainstream in 1917 by American actor, Harold Lloyd, who used them for their dramatic nature adding visual comedy to his characters.

Several Hollywood characters have also made these famous frames work for them. Diana Rigg occasionally wore horn-rimmed glasses to read when she played sexy British agent Emma Peel in The Avengers and Mike Meyers' outlandishly popular Austin Powers brought horn-rimmed glasses into popular culture.


(PTI)