Whether they’re on your glasses or your sunglasses, the ornate chain that your grandmother wore to keep her glasses from falling off are officially back. Or, at the very least, they’re available if you think they’re cool. We’ve been seeing sunglasses straps (aka glasses chains, face lanyards – whatever you want to call them) all over eccentric fashion lovers, and that means that it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be seeing them in stores everywhere from Nordstrom to Claire’s.
Source: @lovehanti
While Australian Vogue proclaimed glasses chains as officially “back” in August of last year, the uptake of the trend stateside has been predictably inhibited. For older Millennials and Xennials, glasses chains coincided with the peak age for childhood embarrassment. They were used to depict the elderly and extremely uncool, so accepting them comes with a touch of conflict. Obviously, they look awesome, and paired with fresh faces and interesting aesthetics, it’s clear that glasses chains are completely welcome in the fashion world. Some of us might just have to grapple with some great aunt baggage before we get there.
The interesting thing about these grandma-glam accessories is that they never really seem to go fully out of style. They’re too functional! They make too much sense! Glasses chains seem to be on a 30-year popularity cycle that stems all the way back to the the 1860s and 1890s, during the Victorian era. We saw them pop up again in the 1920s, then they became iconic in the 1950s, re-emerged as granny staples in the 1980s, and what do you know… in the 2010s, they’re back.
Source: Alessandra Rich FW18
Whether you wear prescription glasses or have an addiction to Gucci sunglasses, you understand how comforting it is to know your glasses are always nearby. Combining the idea of vintage-inspired jewelry with this new era of out’n’proud geek culture is a perfect pairing for the man-repelling generation that doesn’t give a fuck about formalities. Throwing an ornate or simple corn or chain onto your glasses is an affordable and high-style way to level-up your accessories.
Glasses Chains: Etsy Picks
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Glasses Chains: Amazon Picks
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At Amazon, you can snag 4% cash back with Ebates!
Glasses Chains: All of the Gaudy, Extra Good Good
Glasses chains aren’t for everyone, but among those who love them, there are a special group of people who want to bring out their Palm Beach 1989 soul through the loudest, most obnoxiously fashionable chains for their sunglasses and spectacles. These are for you.
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Best Tutorials for DIY Glasses Chains
Obviously, this fashion accessory is one of the easiest DIYs on the planet. That being said, there are still plenty of ways to mess it up! Luckily, we have YouTube to rescue us from potential failure. These DIY creators and crafters have the key to creating the coolest DIY chains for your sunglasses or glasses!
Header photo: CRES. E. DIM SS17, Backstage Runway Show for MUTZINE