Juliette 198 - 200

It has been mentioned before that Zenni produces some really amazing glasses that give one the impression of a time machine. Here Juliette shows us another wonderful example, acquired in 2012. When my partner Nel saw these new glasses, her first reaction was one of disbelief: "They look exactly like the glasses I had in the mid 1970's. Are you absolutely sure that these are not vintage?". A few months later, Nel and I did a photo shoot and needless to say, these giant glasses were among the first she posed in. Nel was absolutely right. This is the style of the mid 1970's when giant glasses were quite fashionable. Before the love summer of 1967, all glasses frames were small and compact. Inspired by the flower power scene, designers started to experiment with larger frames. It gradually became a trend and this culminated in 1975 when frames were so large that they had to be fitted with shop windows. There were no high index lenses in those days so ladies with higher prescriptions were sporting glasses with very thick lenses. Complaints were scarce as everyone was in the same boat. Many ladies chose these giant glasses as a fashion statement. I will never forget a young secretary at the university of Amsterdam. She was red haired, high myopic (well over minus ten) and her giant glasses really beat all the records. The lenses were over half an inch thick but she made a clear, self confident statement when I paid her a compliment. She smiled, saying "Thank you, that is sweet. They are heavy but I love this style. No more contact lenses for me".
These giant Zenni glasses are fitted with standard 1.57 lenses, minus eight. They were featured to great effect in my photo shoot with star model Sohaila from Dublin. She reacted on my first casting call and requested that I'd select big, chunky frames for her: "The bigger and chunkier, the better!". Sohaila was amazed when she saw my selection: "These are great, where did you get them? I have been searching this style for ages but there is no optician in Ireland that has them".
These beautiful portraits of lovely Juliette are a another testimony of the glorious style that was seen in the streets during the mid 1970's. A few years ago, the black hipster glasses replaced the retro style that had brought us two decades of discrete monotony. Sigh of relief.... It is to be hoped that opticians will offer us more variations in the large frames, just like they did during the 1970's and 1980's.