June 2017

Fashion update
Be gone oh stereotype that only nerds wear
glasses. Today, glasses are the ultimate
fashion statement allowing visionchallenged
people to embrace their specs rather
than hide them away and pretend they can see
just fine without them.
And it’s not just us spec-wearers who believe
that. A recent study in the Netherlands found
that compared with 20 years ago, the number
of people who thought wearing glasses was a
handicap fell from a third to just 3%.
Why the dramatic shift? There are a number of
possible reasons, all scientifically backed up (if
you find the right set of statistics):
Glasses wearers are smarter…
In 2014, as a part of the Gutenberg Health
Study, German researchers conducted the
country’s first population-based sight study.
They examined more than 4,600 Germans aged
between 35 and 74 with myopia and found
that 53% of college graduates had myopia,
whereas only 24% of college dropouts did.
Thus, the researchers extrapolated, people who
wear glasses are more likely to have a higher
education level than the rest of the population.
Glasses wearers themselves also think they
perform better when wearing their specs. US
psychologists Jonathan Kellerman and Ian
Laird tested a self-perception theory by getting
participants to perform a series of intelligence
tests with and without glasses. They found
that when wearing glasses, people believed
they performed better on tests of intelligence
than when they weren’t wearing glasses. These
respondents also said they believed they were
more scholarly and competent when wearing
glasses.
So are spec wearers smarter? Glasses wearers
would love to say “yes”, but perhaps we need a
bit more data before we can truly conclude that!
Glasses increase job search success…
A study by the British College of Optometrists
(BCO) looked at the perceptions people have
about spectacle wearers. More than 42% of
respondents said spec wearers looked more
intelligent,
while a third
said they
were more
professional.
Another
study by
Vienna
University
researchers
found people
wearing
glasses were
rated as more
successful
and more
trustworthy
than those
who don’t.
So wearing
glasses to a job interview certainly appears
to have merit as the interviewer, your next
potential boss, may see you as less likely to
cause problems, which is a great incentive to
hire you.
The idea is certainly gaining traction as a
further result from the BCO survey shows, with
nearly 40% of non-glasses wearing respondents
saying they would don a pair of glasses to a job
interview to increase their chances of landing it!
Glasses make you sexy…
Style-Eyes
A UK-based optometry company took to the
streets to survey the public on their views
about people who wear glasses versus those
who don’t. Researchers showed people photos
of five different models – one with them
wearing their glasses and one without – and
asked respondents to rate each photo on how
attractive, intelligent, trustworthy, employable
and sexy they were.
BY RENEE LUNDER*
Ryan Gosling and Anne Hathaway showing how sexy glasses can be
Astonishingly, 100% of the glasses-wearing
models were considered more attractive,
employable, trustworthy, intelligent and sexier
than those without specs. The glasses-wearing
male models particularly came out on top, with
women saying they found them to be 60% more
sexy than their naked-faced counterparts!
What stereotype?
Really busting old stereotypes, however, is a
study by the Centre for Eye Research Australia
(CERA) which looked at whether myopic people
have distinctive personality traits. Researchers
recruited a group of 633 myopic twins and 278
myopic people from a range of backgrounds.
Each participant completed a psychological
questionnaire about their personality traits,
evaluating five key personality characteristics –
extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness,
open-mindedness and neuroticism.
The results? Glasses wearers were not
introverted, more
conscientious or
passive, but they
were more likely
to be open and
agreeable.
No mention
was made about
the variances
in neuroticism,
however, so
perhaps it’s safe
to say we’re all
just as crazy as
one another –
whether we wear
glasses or not!
Plus, from this
set of studies, it
doesn’t appear to
matter if glasses
wearers are
actually smarter
than their nonspec
wearing
counterparts
as the general population certainly seems to
view them as smarter, more trustworthy, more
employable and even (shock, horror) sexier than
those without. And that’s got to be big win for
the spec-wearing community! ▀
*Renee Lunder is an Australian
freelance journalist and proud
specs wearer. “They are as
much a part of me as my
limbs! My children have only
ever known me with them. I
wouldn’t be ‘mum’ without
them!”
Face à Face
Face à face pays tribute to the 100-year celebration of
the Dutch abstract art movement, De Stijl, by putting
a spin on the movement’s modernist ideas. De Stijl,
most famously captured in a series of paintings by Piet
Mondrian, sought to create harmony using graphic
lines and vibrant colour-blocking. Face à Face’s Stijl 1
and Stijl 2 frames, featured here, with their popping
primary colours and graphic lines are a true tribute to
the De Stilj movement. Distributed by MSO.
MCM
German brand MCM (Modern Creation München)
has released a new collection of eyewear and
sunglasses. Inspired by and for the urban nomad,
the round MCM2642 frame featured here is joined
with a distinct, high metal bridge, available in three
colours with a marble effect; Havana, Havana Blue
(featured here) and Havana Violet. Distributed by
General Optical.
Mykita
Mykita’s new collection Studio 5, offers light and
thin metal frames available in four different shapes
and seven pastel colours. The frames are formed
from thin stainless steel sheets covered with a
thick powder-coating and acetate temples. The
champagne gold Studio 5.2 frame featured here
also comes in granite grey, silver and pale blue.
Distributed by Eyestyle Asia.
Barkers Eyewear
Stars and their eyes …
Rosanne Barr
A classic shape with a modern design twist,
Barkers model B112 comes in a transparent
“crystal clear” finish displaying the metal temple
inlay and the workings of the hinges. Barkers says
the clear finish brings out the wearer’s natural
skin tone and character. Also available in black
and Havana colours. Distributed by Euro Optics.
Superflex Kids
Superflex Kids has launched a retro-themed ‘Back
to School’ collection featuring popular acetates and
colourful metals. Designed with active kids in mind,
all Superflex Kids’ models come with spring hinges for
increased flexibility and durability. The vintage round-eye
shape of SFK-179 is one of 2017’s biggest eyewear trends, said
the company. The bright, vivid confetti-inspired temple pattern gives this
classic shape a fun, modern twist. Listed as a girl’s model, we believe this
one would suit boys as well. Also available in purple fuchsia blue, brown
taupe and burgundy pink. Distributed by Dynamic Eyewear.
Kaos
Kaos’ new collection pops with colour and offers both
squared and rounded shapes. The acetate alternates with
metal and all models feature bright colour
contrasts. The KK398 acetate classic
round model featured here is available
in four different colour combinations
and has a little distinguishing feature
in the form of a metal ball in contrasting colours set
between acetate plates on the temples. Distributed by BTP
International Designz.
Comedienne and actress Rosanne Barr, 63, is best known for her larger than life ‘mom’ character
in eponymous TV series Rosanne. She hit the news again in 2014 after losing an estimated
200lbs (about 90kg). But in April 2015 she was once again in the papers – announcing this time
that she had the unusual double whammy of both macular degeneration (MD) and glaucoma.
“My vision is closing in now,” she
told The Daily Beast, explaining how
both will eventually cause blindness,
but her MD was progressing more
rapidly. “It’s something weird. But
there are other weird things. But that
one (vision loss) is harsh, ’cause I read
a lot, and then I thought, ‘Well, I guess
I could hire somebody to read for me
and read to me’.”
Barr also admits she’s a fan of
marijuana claiming it’s excellent for
“releasing us from mind control…” and
“good medicine” for glaucoma.
“I just try and enjoy vision as much as
possible – y’know, living it up,” added
the star. ▀
24 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS June 2017