Sandra 084

Rimless glasses were popular in the 1940's and 1950's but then disappeared from the streets. However, they made a bit of a come back in the late 1970's. Of course, the lenses were twice as big as in the early years - really like shop windows.
The 1970's were a glorious decade for glasses design. Part of it had to do with the general atmosphere of the time. The 1960's were a decade of revolution in society and this was followed by a decade in which the fruits of the revolution were celebrated in a rather cheerful way. Many people had more money in their pockets than before. New technology played a role as well and technology in general was appreciated as long as it was used for peaceful applications.
The eyewear industry profited from the invention of new frame materials. But the key factor behind the revolutionary development in frame design of the 1970's was invisible. The arrival of the contact lens in the final years of the 1960's provided shortsighted and longsighted ladies with an alternative for glasses. The first generation of contact lenses was not half as comfortable as they are now, but the main thing is that they were there. The first notable change was that extremely strong glasses soon became a rarity in the streets. I remember clearly that the general expectation was that contact lenses would take over almost completely and glasses would soon become a thing of the past. Fortunately, this did not happen. Instead, glasses became a positive choice, a fashion statement rather than a medical necessity. This in turn meant that frame designers were given the liberty to experiment freely with shapes, sizes, colors etc. The designers did their job so well that glasses became more popular than they were before the arrival of contact lenses. The 1970's and 1980's are still regarded by many, including myself, the heyday of eyewear design. This sunny portrait of lovely Sandra in giant rimless glasses well captures the happy atmosphere of the 1970's. Great!