Tara Hucksteps owns over 60 pairs of glasses.
"I wear different frames depending on where I'm going or what I'm doing," said the optician at the Charlottesville Eyewear Gallery on Barracks Road.
Sound a bit extravagant? Not for this season's newest accessory. Glasses have had a makeover, and men and women sport the latest frames with elegance and flare, incorporating them into their daily wardrobe.
Gone are the days when donning glasses was considered dorky. The optically-challenged no longer need to fear being called "four-eyes" or "nerd." In fact, we don't even refer to them as glasses anymore. Instead, they are called "eyewear," denoting their newfound status as a fashion accessory rather than a functional visual aid.
"Accessories define trends," said Mike Bergman, vice president for sales for Lantis Eyewear, a national eyewear producer. "Whether it's handbags, barrettes, scarves or tattoos, a season's hot accessory is going to determine what's 'in' and what's not. Eyeglass frames are now considered one of those accessories."
Like any good accessory, aesthetics are key. Whether the accessory serves a functional purpose is secondary to its visual effect. People with perfect vision have been known to wear glasses without prescription lenses because they're fashionable.
"You'd be surprised at how many people wear contact lenses to help their vision, and then wear glasses over them for the look," optician Huckstep said.
Not just any glasses, though, are able to make the grade in fashion. Frames with bold colors, oval or cat-eyed shapes, and heavy, clunky-looking plastics are dominating the style buzz these days, Bergman said.
"We look at Europe, what's selling there, and then incorporate those styles into our own line," he added.
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Plastic frames, especially, are making waves in the fashion industry as a retro alternative to typical metal or wire edging.
"Older people come in and say, 'Oh my gosh, this reminds me of my childhood'," Huckstep said. "The look is new, but it's not. It's just making a comeback."
With a little help from celebrities, designers have been able to produce and market a style "we never thought we'd be able to sell again," said Dave Samuels, New Jersey territory manager for Calvin Klein Eyewear.
"We've paid attention to designers - what styles they're placing on actors, actresses and TV stars like Drew Carey - the plastic frame look took off and all of a sudden everyone wants it," Samuels said. "A lot of the frames we wear now would not have been cool five or six years ago."
The old stereotype that glasses are for smart people may contribute to this trend: people want to look smarter, and the most visible way to portray an image of sophistication is through glasses.
"People take you more seriously as a student if you wear glasses," said first-year Graduate student Willis Jenkins, after ordering a caf
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