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#IAM: Eyewear to bring out the inner 'I'
The hashtag I AM has been trending for the last couple of years and not without reason. Everyone is realising that their individuality is their identity and the desire to showcase this is coming out in the open. Slowly but surely
WIth reference to the ‘#I AM phenomenon’, it’s very obvious that the first accessory that’s visible when you see someone is their eyewear. And what better way to shout out #IAM than let your eyewear say it for you?
Eyewear selection is not only about face shape and size - it’s also about who the wearer is. Eyewear selection is not as simple as picking up whatever the hottest star of the moment is wearing. In fact, blindly copying the trend or a film star is foolish – it adds nothing to the personality or the looks of the wearer. But, why so?
Well, the answer is simple. It’s all a matter of personality and the way one perceives oneself. After all, we’ve said this before, and say it again – eyewear is not just functional, it’s a fashion accessory that can really change the look and even transform the personality completely. But just why does personality become such an important criterion for eyewear selection? Though face shape still remains the primary criterion for eyewear selection, personality plays an increasingly crucial role too. Through the history of eyewear, it is obvious that some frame shapes got closely associated with certain celebrities. Since the celebrity herself or himself was deemed to be a particular personality type – classy, bohemian, over-the-top and so on, the frame shapes popularised by those celebrities become representative of that personality type.
Celebrity, Eyewear and personality types
So, if John Lennon wears yellow lenses in round shaped frames then his personality type – hippie, avant-garde gets associated with that particular style. Marilyn Monroe’s cat eye frames were perfect for her round face shape and with the plastic frames in white added sex appeal to her ordinary looks, all the while hinting at the right touch of frailty that made men want to protect her. The late Michael Jackson preferred blue lenses, with silver frames in the Aviator shape – again, they suited his face and added the right touch of bling to his pop star image. George Michael was very partial to wraparound dark lenses with silver frames – a dark, mysterious character who keeps his distance from the riff-raff. Jacqueline Kennedy’s persona radiated class and sophistication, and Jackie O’s quickly became a symbol of her personality.
Coming to the latest rock stars in the business – Billie Eilish, Rihanna, Beyonce are all partial towards the big frame sizes, preferably with some embellishments – rock star chic all the way.
No cat eyes or thin rims or plain frames for them – they all project a strong yet feminine persona, certainly not the delicate dahlings. Zendaya on the other hand prefers Aviators – they support her classy and cool look and the 'intelligent actress with a mind of her own' image. Zayn Malik - previously of the band One Direction - wears round, sleek shades with lens colours ranging from light azure to pink and light green – it just shouts out that he is a serious rocker with a penchant for profound lyrics. On the sporting side, David Beckham is partial towards a square, bold style with thick frames and lenses in brown or blue. Lewis Hamilton has sunglasses in a range of styles and lens colours including brown, blue and red and frame colours either in black or silver – an indication of his high speed, classy lifestyle.
Personifying eyewear
Brands also have a personality of their own – Roberto Cavalli is bling all the way, Oakley is sporty, Calvin Klein is simplicity personified, Cartier is quiet, expensive sophistication, Tiffany is old-world charm, Christian Dior is feminine chic, Chopard is regal... to name a few brands that have become symbolic of people who want to project a certain style.
With all that background, it does become difficult deciding what brand and eyewear style would work best for a particular personality type. Here’s an easy to follow, comprehensive list of what’s right for each personality type.
The #I AM a celebrity
This personality type is likely to opt for whatever their favourite Hollywood stars are wearing. Oversized or wrap-around frames, gradient lenses, bold colours, plenty of embellishments – that’s their style, not too subtle. And their brands would be Bulgari or D&G or Cavalli.
The #I AM a connoisseur
The connoisseur is one who has a very subtle, individual style. These personality types will coolly spend a good amount of money on a pair of sunglasses – as long as they are the classiest pair around from high-end luxury brands. The look would be classic gold or silver frames, light coloured lenses and smaller, rounded square or rectangular shapes with tiny embellishments. The brands? Nothing less than Cartier, Chopard and Tiffany.
The #I AM a friend and family person:
These are people who would love to be stylish, but never at the expense of their families. Their brush with fashion and trends would be limited to wistfully gazing at the beautiful models peeping out from the glossies.
Cost is important and they are most likely to opt for classic shapes – Aviators or Jackie O’s, that never seem to go out of style. They will be stringent with selecting their eyewear – nothing blingy for them. For them the best brands would be Ray Ban, Calvin Klein and Dior.
The #I AM adventurous
This type is hard to spot, primarily because they are generally off on an adventure or playing some extreme sport. They love the outdoors and their idea of a fun holiday is white water rafting, rock climbing, scuba diving and so on. Their eyewear has to be rugged, functional and stylish too – a tall order indeed. Lens colours would be as per their current hot favourite sport – swimming or mountain climbing or skiing...
Wraparounds with plastic frames to match their gear would be just the style for them. They would have plenty to choose from brands like Oakley, Ferrari, Nike and Adidas.
The #I AM always on the move:
These ones are eclectic. They love books, movies, sports, dancing and poetry.... the list goes on. Not one to limit their choice of what to do with their time, they enjoy everything that life offers.
They need eyewear to complement all the shades of their personality and can wear whatever suits them and the current activity that they are enjoying. Most brands have something to offer this personality type. No surprise this, given their penchant for new experiences!
There’s no escaping the fact that eyewear is an important extension of the personality. A majority of people are increasingly relying on chic eyewear that suits their style and persona as a sure-fire way to get the kind of attention they desire! Eyewear as an aid to make
a personal statement?
Sure! We like... we like!
