Fashion Glasses Are Set To Become 2024’s Accessory Of Choice

Is the reign of contact lenses over? While that might be an exaggeration, it can still be said that eyeglasses have been shifting in popularity for a while now.

Celebs are opting for frames instead of contacts, and It Girls are treating glasses like a fashion accessory. Gone are the days when glasses were considered unfashionable or nerdlike– scratch that, maybe the more nerdy, the better. Once considered purely functional, it may come as a surprise that glasses are among the first fashion trends of 2024.

The trend’s foundations have 2023 to thank. Consider Miu Miu’s FW23 runway where mini cardigans and the house’s oval glasses were all the rage, spotted on the likes of Emma Chamberlain, Emma Corrin and Mia Goth. At the very end of last year, TikTok microtrends mirroring the style started to emerge, solidifying the look with hashtags like #officesiren and #librariancore.

The eyewear trend has found its audience, and we can’t get enough of it.

Is it weird to wear glasses as a fashion accessory? TikTok will tell you no. The hashtag #officesiren on Tiktok had 7.2 million views at the time of writing this article, and it doesn’t seem to be losing traction.

Videos are full of stylists, style gurus and self-proclaimed fashion lovers explaining the Y2K-inspired trend. Points of reference? Jessica Alba’s slender frames in Fantastic Four, Gisele Bundchen’s micro-role in The Devil Wears Prada, and general mid-2000s style nostalgia inspired by what you might have thought business casual looked like if you were growing up in that era.

So what kind of fashionable eyeglasses should you wear to follow the Office Siren trend? Slender, minimalist rectangular frames with gentle curves. Colors? Nothing too showy or bold, you’re safe with black, brown and neutral-toned acetate frames.

Instagram feeds are following suit. Bella Hadid recently posted a carousel of her in a tight-fitting buttondown with matching rectangular aviators. Model Devon Lee Carlson went full office siren chic before it was a thing at Saint Laurent’s show last September, where the dress code was undeniably ‘80s power dressing.

Towards the end of 2023, fashion houses also hinted at the return of Business Chic: Carlson partnered with Burberry for a series of pictures where she modeled the brand’s Angelica cat-eye frames, while Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajowski were the faces of Versace eyewear last year.

Eyeglasses are already emerging as the central focus in brands’ SS24 campaigns. Most recently, labels like Garrett Leight, Jacques Marie Mage and Mr. Leight have brought attention to the beauty of the spectacle, focusing on vintage-slanted shapes and introducing new colorways.

Cutler and Gross, another independent eyewear house, also continues to focus on glasses with every season. Whereas it's easy to forget how eyeglass design can be interesting, the British brand always reminds wearers about the craft behind eyeglasses.

The eyewear house’s recent inspirations come from the slender frames worn by Andy Warhol in the ‘60s and ‘70s, showcasing that even new collections can be inspired by one iconic man and his equally iconic frame.

This month’s award shows were also a great springboard for the trend. Ali Wong wore her bold metal frames to the 2024 Golden Globes; while Wong wears prescription glasses after she had a scary incident with contact lenses, her frames have become synonymous with her style, complementing her look even in more formal events.

Other notable stars were also pro-frame during award season. Pedro Pascal wore a custom pair of Oliver Peoples’s Sixties sunglasses which he transformed into eyeglasses, while Robert Downey Jr. wore the brand’s Kasdan frames, opting to make them eyeglasses by customizing them with flattering violet-tinted lenses.

If you decide to wear glasses as a fashion accessory, you can still customize them to protect your eyes with added filters and lens coatings. If you work with a lot of screens or are on your phone a lot, consider adding a blue light filter. Instead, if you’re under a lot of artificial light whether at work or elsewhere, think about adding an anti-reflective coating which will help reduce unwanted reflection from external surfaces. Both help reduce eye strain and keep your vision clear.

At Mia Burton, you can customize the lenses of any eyeglass frame with your choice of coating. 

As the office siren trend and celebrities have shown us, eyeglasses can be styled just like any fashion accessory. Consider matching your frames with your bag or shoes, which is why neutral-toned frames are a good place to start.

When it comes to silhouette, it's more about personal taste. Think also about your face shape, and materials. Do you prefer acetate frames or more slender, metal ones? For extra elevation, consider more luxury options with frames made from titanium, horn and wood.

Trying on frames will also help you carve out your style if you’re new to wearing glasses. Filter frames with our Virtual Try On to consider what a frame looks like first, and use our eyeglasses size guide to understand your perfect fit.

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