Why style glasses (and the posers who wear them) suck.

I try not to blog negatively. It isn’t the intention of this blog to be cynical or pessimistic. However, I have witnessed over the past few weeks something that I can remain silent about no more.
Style glasses. You know what I am talking about. You that wear them know who you are.

On the off chance that someone reading this hasn’t gotten the memo, it has become increasingly “fashionable” to wear glasses as an accessory even if you don’t require a prescription to correct your vision. This trend can be seen running rampant in the hipster community. You know, those kids who try REALLY HARD to make it look like they aren’t trying at all. If you’ve seen the atrocious sweaters, the porno stash, or the unkempt, birds-nest hairdo that takes an hour to do every morning, then chances are you’ve also seen the thick, round, plastic glasses. Well guess what; chances are excellent that those lenses are nothing more than clear plastic.

I am one of the unfortunate souls that has to rely on corrective lenses to see properly. And, since I cannot afford to get Lasik surgery, I am at the mercy of eyeglasses or contact lenses. Now I’m not inviting you to attend my pity party. All I am saying is I don’t enjoy having to put in and take out contact lenses every day. Nor do enjoy worrying about falling asleep in my glasses and waking up to a pair of crushed frames. Real glasses are expensive. So are eye exams, and most employers don’t offer vision insurance. Ask anyone who relies on corrective lenses to see. They will tell you the same thing. It is a huge pain in the ass. I find it a little sadistic that the people are gallivanting about, parading our own shortcomings in front of us. You don’t see me rolling around in a wheel chair because it’s in style. You wouldn’t wear a leg brace to make a fashion statement would you?

I had the displeasure of watching a young woman dressed to the nines in hipster garb take her style glasses off while posing for a picture. What kind of message does that send. Does she not want EVERYONE to know she is wearing them. Is she afraid of being tagged on facebook and being labeled as someone with poor vision… or worse yet a fake? Heaven forbid. It’s this type of mentality that ruins it for the rest of us.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not all bad. Fortunately for those of us with poor vision, the fashion industry has teamed up with optometry and you CAN look good in glasses. I know of a handsome young musician who is quite dashing behind a pair of snappy frames. Glasses can add a certain flair to your particular image or individual style. Shouldn’t glasses as an accessory be limited to those who need them? If we must be chained to them, we should be the only ones allowed to rock them shouldn’t we? I mean we already have trouble seeing. Give us a break. If you don’t need glasses, don’t wear them. Trust me, all those people that look at you in your style glasses say “those are so cool!” or “you look great in those!” are secretly judging you… and rightfully so.

That is all.
Joe D