I was recently introduced to a set of vintage glasses that are originally from the mid-century. Each pair was neatly wrapped with prescription information and secured inside of its own case. Unfortunately there was one casualty – a pair of thick black frames that fell apart when I picked them up 😔. All the glasses were on their way out the door as a donation to the Salvation Army when I was lucky enough to snatch them up to photograph them for a blog post.
My very talented photographer was of great assistance with capturing the fine detail on the corner of cat eye frames.
Who doesn’t love cute eyeglasses? I think it’s obvious that when it comes to frames, the styles of the past are timeless and will likely live on forever (I hope). I am not a fan of all retro or vintage frames, particularly from the 70s or 80s, but I have always loved the cat eye.
Since it looks like lenses being used as optical aides dates back to 1268, I will focus more on the history of the cat eye shape of glasses. According to Zenni and Ed Sarna, the shape of the cat eye glasses came about when designer Altina Schinasi decided to create a shape with more flare, which would appeal to women particularly. Cat eye glasses became especially popular during the 1950s-60s. Personally, I feel this is a timeless shape that I will always want in my own frames. Just saying. : )Â
I don’t have much else in terms of story behind these adorable frames, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to share them! 🤓