When we first did a post on non-prescription glasses, we had no idea that they were such a controversial subject! While we think they’re a fun way to spruce up a boring outfit, we can also see where this trend would be frustration for girls who have to wear glasses for their eyesight. I can certainly relate — I have prescription glasses, and wearing contacts with clear frames feels a little strange.
Another point many CF readers brought up is that these glasses felt a little too “hipster/scene” for many of you. I’m sure we can all agree that when worn right, these can make you look chic and stylish, not like a poser that’s trying too hard. It’s a delicate balance, but we’re here to help you out.
Ready to take this week’s challenge? Read on!
Tips and Tricks for Pulling Off Faux Glasses
- Faux glasses come in handy when you’re feeling too lazy to put on makeup! The thick frames draw attention to your lovely eyes.
- Colored frames can toe the line of looking like you’re trying too hard. If you’re feeling bold, pair colored frames with a simple outfit and tons of confidence for the best look.
- You can pick these glasses up for under ten dollars at many places at the mall – Claire’s, Hot Topic, and Forever 21 are great places to start.
- You can pair these glasses with almost anything in your closet – that’s one of the great things about this trendy accessory.
CF Reader Looks
Here are some faux glasses looks sent in by CF readers like you. Wanna see your photo here? See the instructions below!
Luisa – Florida International University
“There are days that I just don’t feel like going through the hassle of wearing eye makeup, so I decided to try the faux glasses look! I was wearing a plain white tee and jeans. Since it’s summer and a pop of color never hurts, I completed the look with pink lips :)”
Ayuna and Violanta – Berea College
“Personally, I do not usually like to use faux glasses, simply because I do need prescribed ones and get sick and tired of wearing them all the time, and I do look too asian in the faux glasses, as people joke =) However it is fun to wear them, especially if you are with your bestie =)”
Nicole – Institute of Culinary Education
Rocked the Challenge? Send Us Your Pictures!
Did you wear a pair of non-prescription lenses this week? Want us to make you famous?
Take a few snapshots and send them to fashionchallenge AT collegefashion.net along with your name, school, the URL of your blog if you have one, a description of what you’re wearing, and any styling tips you might have to share. We’ll post your pictures here to inspire other CF readers.
What Do You Think?
How do you feel about non-prescription glasses? Has your opinion changed over the last few years? Do you have real glasses, and does that change the way you feel about them? Are you going to rock this week’s challenge? Leave a comment and let us know how you feel!
For those of us who really do need glasses (ha) I found some great reading sunglasses online and wanted to share since their hard to find! http://www.sunglasswarehouse.com/bifocal-reading-sunglasses.html
Can I send you guys a picture of me wearing my new perscription glasses?? They are oversized and purple Chanel frames with little bows on the sides. I think that it’s cooler than wearing fake glasses because I actually need these so I don’t walk into walls and stuff.
Have always disliked this trend and still do. Some people wear them to look more intellectual and it’s fine if it looks good on them, but those oversized ones just annoy me for some reason.
I want a pair of “hipster glasses.” I actually want them to look a little nerdy, and I would wear them with suspenders.
I will never understand this obsession with non-prescription glasses. For people who actually have to wear glasses, it’s insulting and trivializes the disability. You wouldn’t walk around with a cane because you think it looks cool, right? Wearing non=prescrip glasses is flaunting your ability.
In fact, most people who need vision help wear contacts because they don’t want to be seen as having a disability. It isn’t about looking sexy in glasses – this is a myth, with every other glasses cliche, created by people with perfect vision.
TLDR – if you don’t need glasses, don’t wear them. It’s very offensive to those of us who require vision correction to see the same things you do. And yes, it’s easy to tell whether they’re prescription or not – so easy.
I got some a few years ago but rarely wore them, because they felt way too hipster for me. I do agree that they would be a good way to distract from those no makeup days. I doubt I’ll be digging them out anytime soon though.
I personally can’t see most prescription glasses wearers being insulted by this trend. I highly
doubt anyone that wears fake glasses do so to mock those who need glasses to see and to flaunt their vision. It’s just a trend.
I’ve worn prescription glasses since I was 16 months old, and when I was 13 I got contacts. When we were ten, my best friend faked her eye exam because she wanted glasses.
I have to admit, I do feel a twinge of annoyance when I see people wearing non-prescription glasses as an accessory. Or maybe a twinge of jealously. I wish I got a choice. Instead, my choice is contacts or glasses.
But I get over it. I mean, I picked out an amazing pair of glasses so I would look good in them, so they would, essentially, work as an accessory. So I can’t really fault people for wearing them.
My take on it is that girls who wear fake glasses, such as I, are not doing it to make fun of anyone. We do it, because we simply like the look of glasses on ones face, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. I honestly wish I could have prescription glasses… So this is a way that I can make up for the coolness of real glasses. I think its a great trend, and I accept this challenge about 2 times per week. I think people should wear what they would like to wear, and let everyone know that we are definitely not making fun of anyone at all.
I understand that this is just a trend, and its “stylish,” but I wear glasses, and though I’m not necessarily offended by fake glasses, I am a little put off by it. I need my frames to see, and people who wear fake ones are almost flaunting that “yeah, I have great eyes, but I love these too much”. Most (but definitely not all-just the majority) of fake glasses are large, black, and square, playing into the “nerd” craze. I have a medical problem, and I use my glasses both as a fix for that issue and also as a way to indulge my individuality. I dislike that someone would wear frames “just to look nerdy” when I have to wear them “just” to see.
This post just reminds me an Ariel picture I found.
“DON’T CALL ME ARIEL. CALL ME HELVETICA.”
And just…too many people are wearing them, and they think they’re so cute when in fact, it just makes their face look so much rounder and not pretty. Too many people are doing it, really. Call ME hipster, but I’m just saying so many people are wearing these the wrong way, its just a turnoff for me.
I’ve worn glasses/contacts since I was in elementary school. I don’t find this trend offensive at all…the above comment about it being similar to walking around with a cane made me laugh…they make walking sticks for men strictly for fashion (although I personally never cared for them). Why can’t glasses be another accessory just like sunglasses? If it enhances your features and makes you feel good why not?
Wow some people are surprisingly so sensitive to this topic! I don’t see what the big deal is, and that is coming from someone who has glasses and will have glasses for the rest of her life (I’m in law school, and apparently the ‘standard’ as per my eye doctor is that my eyes are going to change every few months because of the amount of reading involved). If it looks good and you like it, do it! I don’t see the automatic assumption being true that people are making fun of people with glasses if they wear faux glasses…imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
I don’t see how people who don’t need glasses can walk around in fake ones all day. I don’t need to wear glasses and even sunglasses hurt my eyes.
A couple of years ago I went to purchase my glasses, there was a sale of three for one. I ended up getting a big pair, like the faux glasses you see around today. The man who sold them to me questioned my motives, but I told him it’s what I like. I wear them all the time, but I often get people asking if they are fake, when they are really prescription glasses. I’m just lucky though I have two other pairs of glasses, so I can change up my look whenever I want.
We tried it! And we think we failed…miserably. What do you think? http://thecollegejuice.com/2011/06/taking-the-challenge-fake-glasses/
I’ve always found this trend a bit bizarre, considering how I and many other were picked upon as kids for wearing glasses. I almost feel like people wearing faux glasses haven’t ‘earned the right’ to wear them.
But like Rin said above, maybe this is just a bit of jealousy that other people have the choice whereas I don’t get to take off my glasses/contacts just to change my look.
I personally hate this trend because I’ve been in prescription glasses since I was eleven and found it absolute hell. People automatically make negative judgements when you’re in glasses, and they hide your face so much- I could just never understand why people CHOSE to wear them? I guess my take on the topic is different since I struggled to pick a trendy, flattering pair from my local opticians!
Anyway, I get where people are coming from when they say they find it offensive, because I, too, sometimes get frustrated that others get that choice and don’t choose to display their naturally lovely faces and instead hide behind glasses that I felt so self-conscious wearing! Plus, I suffered for those glasses, and worked to make myself accept the kinda geek-chicnesss, so idk, it’s just hard for me to understand why its a trend
But at the end of the day, if others are making my glasses more popular, therefore making me less embarrassed about my shockingly bad eyesight… who am I to complain?
Why would anyone get offended by this trend? I wear prescription glasses (and can’t wear contacts), and I love them. Is it just offensive that someone might have better vision? Not everyone who wears glasses is blind without them.
Besides, if you know someone is wearing fake glasses you can feel superior knowing that you have real ones 🙂
I don’t understand why people who wear glasses are irritated with this trend. I’ve worn glasses since I was 10 and I love this idea! It makes having to wear glasses feel more like accessorizing than a burden, plus now there are so many more options for frames when I need to get a new prescription!!
As someone who is legally blind, I am not offended by this trend. I do find humor in the fact that the people I grew up with who made fun of me for wearing glasses now wear fake ones to look “cool”. In fact, I now have people who compliment my glasses, so I guess my cool factor has gone up a bit too. 🙂
I disagree: I think glasses only look nice if you wear dramatic, obvious makeup with them. Glasses inherently make your eyes look smaller imo (I have small eyes myself) so to compensate you should wear heavy makeup, in which case they make an attractive balance.
In addition, I think if you’re having a lazy day and don’t want to put on makeup, using glasses will make the overall “just got out of bed” effect even worse. Wearing glasses is one of the stereotypical lazy-day choices, so you need to make sure they look purposeful.
I also disagree that you can pair the glasses with almost everything. It wouldn’t go with a lot of styles imo.
Personally, I think glasses look nice on girls with really angular faces and big eyes. If you have a round face and small eyes, glasses just seem like you’re trying to be hipster.
But I have also heard that rectangular frames balance out a round face.
They can look cute on some people. Not really my thing though, I just find it a bit ridiculous to wear glasses when you don’t need them.
I wear prescription glasses since I’m 6, I think this new trend is cool, it takes the glasses as an accessory! Nice!
I’ve worn glasses since third grade, and I don’t find this trend insulting. At least, not now. I was a little surprised by it at first, since the same girls who used to make fun of my glasses in grade school are now wearing them around campus. But I figure it’s kind of flattering. I guess us half-blind people are just naturally on-trend with this one.
What really does annoy me though, is people who wear fake glasses and claim they’re real. I’ve known more than one person to do this.
Like many others who’ve commented, I am also legally blind, but not offended by this trend. I think it’s a little odd, considering that I only wear my glasses on lazy days/days where my allergies are acting up and I can’t wear my contacts. I think it’s because although I always get cute glasses (I have a purple-brownish pair of Guess frames), I just don’t like the look of them on my face. Probably because I’ve been wearing them since third grade, and I always associate them with the horrifying glasses-and-braces combo I dealt with for years. I guess as a glasses/contacts wearer I’m a bit flattered by this trend.
As a “real glasses” wearer the only time I’ve really ever been offended was when people started asking/acting like mine were non-prescription. That actually really did kind of piss me off.
On a lighter note, if you can rock them I guess go for it but ask yourself why? to just get attention, to pretend to be ‘someone’ else? Figure out how to work them into your own style if you so choose to wear them. 🙂
@Jess
Glasses are not a trend for people who need to wear them for the rest of their lives.
I wore faux glasses once for a random photoshoot with a friend. I called them “hipster glasses.” I had fun wearing them actually, but I’m really not a fan of them. 🙂
I should wear glasses, honestly. My vision is terrible, but nonetheless I refuse to. 😛
Although my vision is far from perfect, I think these fake glasses is fine. It’s any other fad. Perfectly fine with me.However, the oversized frames are rather annoying. It simply shows insecurity, in my eyes.
However, wearing a pair that simply encentuates your face or eyes, or just for fun or whatever, is fine.
Just…the…huge frames….they look awful.
When you must use them, they look nice. But otherwise? No.
How does one earn the right to wear an accessory? No one chose to have poor or good vision.
All I’m saying is it’s a trend. Some will love it. Some will hate it. It’s nothing to be offended by.
People are way too sensitive!! It’s just another accessory, definitely not offensive!
I wear glasses and I’m not offended at all by this trend, IMHO.
I only know one person who wears non-prescrip glasses, and he actually pulls them off well. He has a really good sense of style, so they just go with his personality and look.
I wear these squary-looking prescription glasses, very similar to the recent teenage trend. I’ve had two people asking me if they were real glasses already. It’s so annoying.
I don’t particularly like the trend, but I don’t think it’s ‘flaunting your ability’. That’s like saying bracelets are insulting to people who happen to be missing an arm.
Bailey (comment 5), to answer your cane question. Snoop dogg uses a cane and he thinks it looks cool. So, you might want to use a different example. Just a thought.
Wear ’em all you want as long as they look good on you – that’s the whole point anyway, right? Though please make sure there are actual lens on them – prescription or not. Seriously, people, LENS!
I haven’t seen a post – as much as I tried to google.. about the different types of shoes. Much like your nail polish types article.. I would love to see an article that describes each shoe type and what occasion they’d be good for- what I mean by type is t-strap, peep toe, slides, etc. 😀 Thank you!
I think these can look super cool! And I wear contacts and think it’s awesome that glasses and frames are being considered stylish and fashionable! I don’t like wearing glasses usually because I can see so much better with contacts, and I think I would totally wear them with contacts and not feel weird about it. awesome!
I think that what’s annoying about this trend is that fake “glasses” don’t serve any use. With most clothing, it’s at least somewhat about utility – fake glasses just make it seem like you’re spending way too much time on your appearance