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Getting glasses in 5th grade was my introduction to eyewear. What started out as a reluctant selection of ultra slim Y2K glasses in a then-popular shade of purple has evolved into a full-blown obsession with fun and funky glasses.
I have to admit, my vision is so bad that I can’t really wear prescription eyeglasses anymore, but contact lenses + quirky readers or avante garde sunglasses are my jam nowadays!
To me, eyewear is one of those accessories that feels timeless and investing in unique eyewear is a great way to express your personality in an outfit, while having something versatile and functional at the same time. It’s a way to take your style sensibility to the next level, like the garnish on a fabulous dessert! As I’ve gotten more and more comfortable with myself and my sense of style, I’ve honed in on what really brings me joy, and accessorizing a look to the nines makes me feel put together and powerful like nothing else.
So why am I telling you this? As someone who has spent most of my 20s (and before that) figuring out who I am and what I like, I’ve experimented with a ton of different aesthetics and styles. Now, at the age of 29, I’m finally coming into my own when it comes to style, and feeling secure in who I am and what I want to project out into the world. Glasses and eyewear have been one of my primary tools for expressing my style, and I’ve taken something I once hated and felt self-conscious about as a kid and turned it into a form of irreverence for fitting in. Glasses are an opportunity to turn obligation into art; as I approach the dreaded 30s, taking care of my vision is a looming reminder, but also an avenue for style.
Expressing yourself can take on a lot of different forms, but figuring out what works for your life and style is the first step. For me, glasses have been an element in my life already that I didn’t love growing up, and I wanted to change the narrative and make them something I liked to wear. I’ve tried trendy sunglasses and readers, blue light glasses and prescription glasses. It turns out that I don’t love a lot of trending sunglasses (most don’t work well with my face shape imo), and prescription glasses are just way too hard for me to wear. Blue light glasses didn’t really provide much noticeable benefit, but readers helped my headaches after long days in front of screens. Instead of trendy sunglasses, I started exploring vintage sunglasses and sunglasses from indie brands; I found that these provided more of the quirky feel that aligned with my style than trendy ones.
This experimenting narrowed it down to what works for me, and now I collect vintage eyewear, unique sunglasses, and fun readers. PS- I don’t hate glasses anymore because they’re now an opportunity for style expression!
The point is, if there is something that you have to wear (or should wear), it doesn’t have to be something drab just because it’s obligatory. Learning how to make the best of something and use it to make your style more personal to you can become a tool for self-acceptance, and the path to self-confidence. There are things that we can’t change about ourselves; these things aren’t inherently bad, they make you an individual. Being individual is powerful.
Someone who is happy with their unique self is untouchable. People can’t help but feel joy around someone like that. That’s what I’m aspiring too (even though I’m still not 100% there). That’s what expressing myself through eyewear has given me: a chance to love myself and show others that love.
They may call me a four-eyed fashionista, but it’s so much more to me.
Xx Tabi