Glasses... Hot, or Not?

Hey Everyone,

A conversation with some fellow CC'ers had me thinking about my lifelong arch nemesis - wearing a pair of glasses.

Now first let me say that like many things in life, I have absolutely NOTHING against glasses in general and love them ON OTHER PEOPLE, but for me personally, I've fought against wearing glasses all my life, and unfortunately, lost the battle.

The main issues I have with glasses are that:

1. Due to various (but correctable) optical challenges, my prescription is always unbearably heavy, even though I pay extra to have them ground down to be supposedly as thin as possible. Glasses, to me personally, are an uncomfortable burden.

2. Unfortunately, my contact-wearing days are long gone, and I'm terrified of any permanent procedures like Lasik (plus, I was told I'd probably have to wear reading glasses anyway, so why even bother.)

3. I am a child of the 80's, and back then, wearing glasses was NOT considered cool at all. Most of us grew up on teen romances in which some nerdy girl who disappeared into the background is transformed into a 10+ swan, and what's the first thing they always do?

They take away those "horrible, nerdy, uncool" glasses - and put her in a pair of contacts. Can anyone think of even one "ugly duckling to swan" story in which a girl is still allowed to wear glasses? But what about people who can't or don't want to wear contacts?

And if I really break it down.. I was afraid that if I had to wear glasses all the time, people would see me as this boring, introverted girl who mostly reads in her spare time. In other words, I was afraid - that they were going to see the REAL me.

However, one of the modern trends I've been very happy to "see" (bad pun intended), is that glasses have become not only acceptable, but are now even seen as a bit of a statement and cool fashion accessory. Even though I still wouldn't wear them if I had a choice, I know I'm a lot less self-conscious of them than when I was a kid.

And I sure hope there are a lot fewer kids out there who feel like they have to pretend they don't need glasses just because they're afraid they'll be made fun of.

How about the rest of you?

* Do you wear glasses? Do you like wearing them, or no? Why or why not?

* Would you/do you choose not wear glasses if you are able, and why?

* How do you feel about other people who wear glasses - do you find them to be an attractive feature? Why or why not, or does it just depend (if so what does it depend on?)

I personally love it when a person's glasses make a statement about the person's style or personality. I love it when a person isn't afraid to wear something totally quirky, but yet you know they're being their authentic self.

How about you?

Something else I forgot to mention that didn't help was the infamous quote by Dorothy Parker: "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses."

As a single, you're not exactly thrilled to hear about yet one more characteristic you can't help that will make you even less attractive to the opposite gender.

And when the Voice of Insecurity comes a-knocking, something like wearing glasses can wind up being just another thing on your list as to why you apparently haven't attracted "The One."

Whoever Dorothy Parker is, she doesn't know what she is talking about because girls with glasses are HOT - it's a proven fact.

I don’t know, I’ve never had glasses. When I was young I thought the smart people had glasses. I was kind of sub average and secretly I was hoping that I could get myself a prescription in order to get some more brain power😜😁.

I was relieved when my daughter started using glasses, because then she wouldn’t be able to do all the crazy stuff her mother had been doing for a living😁.

I have seen the avatar where you are wearing glasses, and you are a beautiful lady with or without glasses.

I wear glasses, and you can see them in my avatar. I don't like wearing glasses, but I need them for driving.
Yep, Susanna is right.

Hot! Glasses are HOT!!!!!!

This. I have always found women with glasses hot. Unless they are some of those old grandma frames.

I have always worn glasses since junior high. I should have worn them when I was younger, too. I messed up my vision a bit from squinting to see before getting my first pair.

I always think I look nerdy with glasses on, and wish I could wear contacts. I have tried putting them in during fittings and can't seem to do it. I am also really squeamish about getting stuff near my eyes. My brother and his first wife got Lasik. But the experience of the surgery and the first month or so after don't sound very fun. So I am probably stuck with glasses.

I grew up in a similar period and glasses were always nerdy. I do see some guys out there that can pull off glasses without looking nerdy, but most of them are ex NFL players.

I have a new problem now that I am in my 40s where I need to start using progressive lenses at some point. I was too stubborn to get them this time because that would be admitting I am getting old or something. So, I end up having to take my glasses off to read, or I need lots of light. Bleh. Oh, and I added the blue blocker, or whatever it is called. Blue light is starting to make me get headaches the last year or so. My lenses don't look yellow, but everything has a slight tint. it has been great. I was feeling too nauseous to work a lot of the time before I got this. I have a 30" monitor at work. (I also started setting everything to a warm color setting to help.)

Yes I agree with some others. Women with glasses are hot!

Not saying that those who don't wear glasses can't be hot, but you know................

I don't recall not wearing glasses, though I know I didn't prior to grade 7. I tried contacts briefly; they weren't for me (at the time).

In my humble opinion, a decent pair of spectacle frames can enhance a woman's face, while the wrong pair can be a detriment. It's kind of like clothing: you need it, but you're just going to look better in some outfits than in others.

I mean I feel like if guys think glasses are are turn off, they probably wouldn't say so for fear of being attacked by every single female who wears glasses

I had to get a new pair of glasses to improve my distance vision in order to pass the vision test at the DMV. It says on my license that I am suppose to wear corrective lenses when I am driving but I keep them in the case inside my glove department. They did dramatically improve my distance vision but the thing is, they are transition bifocals but I really can't read with them. Not to worry though, I have a pair of reading glasses too.

I did pass the test by the way at the DMV. The thing is, I had to bring a signed form from my optometrist that my vision was corrected by the prescription. The doctor wrote a recommendation that my vision be checked by the DMV on a annual basis. That presented a major hassle as I really did not relish the thought of yearly visits to the DMV to get my drivers licensed renewed. The clerk at the DMV just gave the form a quick casual look, missed seeing the checked box about testing every 12 months and promptly issued me an 8 year license because I am considered a safe driver. It expires on my birthday in 2027. I will then be 72 years old, God willing of course.

My eyes are light sensitive, which is why my glasses are tinted. I'm good at breaking them, which is why they look like sunglasses(strongly made).

i started wearing glasses in the 5th grade. i got my first pair of contacts in 10th grade. i went back to glasses as an adult simply cuz i got lazy lol. but i LOVE wearing glasses. i like the way they make me look.

hubby wears glasses, but he's hot with or without them

Glasses are glasses. I gotta have a pair to be able to see anything clearly. They are tools to be used when needed. The presence or absence of them does not make somebody cool or uncool.

*shrug

But I'm a nerd so I don't know much about cool. The preceding is just what I think about the topic.

I only wear glasses so...

people won't recognize me.

.

They worked for Wonder Woman

Tried to convince my 10 yr old who LOVES WW of that so she'd wear hers. It worked for about 2 days. Anyone got suggestions to get a kid to wear them (she needs them mostly for reading)

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the awesome discussion and kinds words! It's interesting to hear other people's (bespectacled) experiences.

Something I'm wondering about all of you who wear glasses--do you find that they hold you back in any way? Because that's truly the part I hate.

For instance, I'm a bit of an amusement park freak. Back in the day, I went on a water slide that was so high, climbing the stairs just to get to the top almost gives you a nosebleed. I wore contacts back then, and happily went on all the most exciting rides without a second thought.

These days, I always have to plan around my glasses and it's really a pain in the butt. I truly can't see without them, not even to make it to front of the line, so I always have to worry about how I'm going to carry a case, and haven't found one I'd trust on water rides (I don't care if they get wet--but if they get smashed, I would literally be up a creek.)

I also had a possible opportunity to snorkel this summer, which is something I've always wanted to do, but I realized I would have to get specifically-made goggles, even just to take swimming lessons. The highest prescription I could find was -8.0, and mine is considerably higher than that (along with a few other factors the generic ones wouldn't cover.)

I've also wanted to possibly get into canoeing, but seeing as I somehow fell into the water on a high school trip (I don't even remember how it happened), now I would have to worry about losing my glasses if that happened again.

Henceforth, I can't participate in any activity involving water until I buy a pair of prescription goggles, and I hate that limitation.

It wouldn't be so bad if I fit into the neat little mold of those "buy one pair, get one pair" ads you always see on television, but my lenses are so specialized that the cheaper frames aren't strong enough to hold them.

Does anyone else find that wearing glasses/contacts holds you back? If so, how do you work around it?