Remember that old pair of glasses your mom or your grandparents used to wear? They looked like cat eyes and you might of thought they were so nerdy. Well those horn-rimmed glasses are making a comeback. These old-school glasses have been around for quite some time, more than a century actually. These glasses became really popular in the 1940s. Superstars like Harold Lloyd and Buddy Holly brought these unique frames to the public eye and they style blew up. A famous duo that shot these frames to the top was the Blues Brothers. How could you forget those sunglasses? Everyone wanted to be “cool” like those two.

The name “horn-rimmed” glasses came from what the frames were made from horn and tortoise shell. Back in the days of Buddy Holly, these frames would have cost a fortune and having a pair proved wealth and social status. When the 1980s came around (along with Top Gun), horn-rimmed glasses disappeared and aviators became the new fashion statement to make with sunglasses. While horn-rimmed glasses were still somewhat in style for eyeglasses, they were not as big as they used to be.

When we come up to the early 90s, horn-rimmed frames started to come back around. Alternative culture fashion picked up on these frames. Punk, indie, emo, hipster and goth really brought these glasses back up to the surface and because these horn-rimmed frames looked “nerdy”, they were often worn by characters on shows and movies to amp up that “nerd” appeal.

What is great is that now-a-days, you can find these glasses on anyone and everyone. From Johnny Depp on the red carpet, to your neighbor down the street. When these glasses began being made in America, they became more affordable for everyone because they were being made out of plastic and special dye, which gave them that authentic look. Regardless of what they are made out of, these glasses are still fun and classy and are meant for just about everyone to wear. You can wear these glasses with your suit and tie, workout clothes, dresses or jeans and a t-shirt. Horn-rimmed glasses add a fresh look to anyone’s attire so don’t be scared of them, embrace them and know that you are not wearing just a trend, you are wearing a classic style.

Who needs three and four pairs of glasses? I suppose you might but if you can spare to not have a couple then you could try and help out someone that has poor vision too but cannot afford frames or lenses.

Something that we take for granted, others could only dream of. Having a new pair of glasses is like buying a car for some people in different countries. In other countries, some people would have to work for three months before they would be able to afford a new pair of basic, ordinary glasses. Glasses get tossed out for all sorts of reasons, out of fashion, old prescriptions, or sometimes we just lose them and have to get a new pair. Instead of throwing out those old spectacles, look up an organization of your choice on the internet that salvages old glasses and send your pair to them, You have no idea how much you are helping someone who cannot see, simply because they cannot afford to.

Did you know that Americans throw away more than four million pairs of eyeglasses every year? By donating your glasses you could be salvaging someone’s job. Perhaps that person cannot be a seamstress because they cannot afford glasses to see. Or perhaps a student is doing poorly in school because he cannot see the chalkboard due to poor vision.  There are so many circumstances that we don’t think about. By donating your old frames or lenses you could actually be changing someone’s life, just like that.

Donate your old sunglasses too. Sunglasses are a luxury to most people, so you can only imagine that if someone cannot afford eyeglasses they certainly cannot afford sunglasses. People would appreciate anything and if there are any frames that you can spare, you would be surprised what a world of difference and change you are giving someone less fortunate. We are all from different backgrounds and headed in different directions but everyone has the right to see where they are going.

Visit any of our Valuvision locations today to donate your old glasses to Operation Baja Vision.