"OVERSIZED
FRAMES ARE NOT
FOR THE SHY OR
QUIET PERSONALITIES.
THEY SCREAM
CONFIDENCE.
THEY ARE GOING
TO BE NOTICED”
“Eyeglasses say a lot about a person's
personality. Oversized frames are not
for the shy or quiet personalities.
They scream confidence. They are
going to be noticed,” says Melanie
Cote, an optical dispensary manager
at a clinic in southern Ontario.
A lot of trend-watchers point to
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the
fashionable wife of John F. Kennedy
and America's First Lady from 1961 to
1963, as someone who popularized
oversized sunglasses in the 1970s.
Many people still shudder at the
thought of large prescription glasses,
which can stir up memories of those
clunky, awkward lenses from the
1970s. But both oversized sunglasses
and prescription lenses have come a
long way since then.
These days, celebrities like Madonna,
Robert Downey Jr., Johnny Depp,
Anne Hathaway, Justin Bieber and
Katy Perry can be spotted wearing
dramatic, bold, oversized corrective
lenses. Fashion icons are also fuelling
the red-hot trend.
“Larger frames are making a huge
comeback and it’s no surprise,” says
Jenny Tzelardonis, director of
communications and brand manager
at Ronor International Inc.
28 Optical Prism | September 2015
Humphrey's 582188 / Brendel 902164
“A larger lens is much more comfortable for extended wear offering a better
field of vision.
“Larger frames also allow people to
make a bold fashion statement which
is why you find some of the funkiest
styles in oversized eyewear. Personally,
we love the trend for the comfort and
the confidence boost they give.”
She said both men and women are
opting for larger-sized frames.
“Women are faster at picking up trends
which is why we have seen oversized
frames for ladies much sooner.
However, the comfort of a larger lens
is unbeatable, which is why men are
jumping onboard,” she said.
Ronor International eyewear division
includes many brands with oversized
options in men's, women's and unisex
styles. The King Size and Marc O'Polo
collections feature a variety of largesized frames for men, including a full
rim and semi-rimless pieces in
titanium, plastic and stainless steel.
The company's Brendel line has many
oversized options for women, including
several in colours as bold as their size.
The Germany-based Rodenstock
Company also has an extensive assortment of oversized corrective frames
and sunglasses in its portfolio. “Big
shades create a kind of Hollywood-style
in only one second,” says public
relations manager Eva-Maria Mueller.
While oversized frames are popular
with men and women of all ages, they
are especially popular among young
women with a high sense of fashion,
she said.
They are bold, beautiful, comfortable
and make a statement and, she said,
“with oversized sunnies, you don’t
need any makeup to hide tired eyes.”
More and more male models can be
seen on fashion runways wearing big
shades, she said. Rodenstock's Claudia
Schiffer, Bogner, Jil Sander and Porche