Article: The History of Cat Eye Glasses: From Vintage to Modern
The History of Cat Eye Glasses: From Vintage to Modern
The cat eye frame is distinctly American and one of the most iconic symbols of femininity in fashion. Its origins are appropriately steeped in Venice, the home of the original eyeglass, and the shape taken from the whimsy and mystery of the Venetian theatre.
The history of the cat eye frame and its emergence as an enduring symbol of defiance, femininity, and glamour make it one of the most fascinating frames one could own.
Theatrics and High Society: The Timely Rise of the Harlequin Frame
An artist, sculptor, and window dresser, Altina Schinasi was inspired by Venetian Carnival masks and created the Harlequin frame in New York City. Her interpretation of the eyeglass was a response to the bleak landscape of unisex and round options available in most optician windows. The name was inspired by the classical character from the Italian Commedia dell’Arte.
Altina Schinasi replicating Venetian arts in eyeglasses is especially poignant considering the first eyeglasses were developed in Venice, Italy during the 13th century. Unlike frames made for reading scriptures or for monks, these frames are upswept at the sides and are also universally flattering to the face.
Unfortunately, her genius was not met with mainstream adoption. Manufacturers were uninterested in her designs. Schinasi instead found a collaborator in the boutique Lugene to manufacture them. One of the first pairs was bought by Vogue and Vanity Fair writer / socialite Clare Boothe Luce, raising the profile of the new style further.
By 1939, Altina was hailed by Vogue and Time Magazine for revolutionizing women’s eyewear and received an American Design Award.
Let’s take a deeper look at the adoption and reinvention of the cat eye frame from vintage to modern.
Defiance, Function, and Femininity: The Symbolism of the Cat Eye Frame Over the Decades
The high-fashion Harlequin frame, once avant-garde and elite, was made accessible to the masses by fashion designer Claire McCardell. American Optical released a lower-cost version of the style in 1952, the first eyewear line by a fashion designer.
The sociopolitical climate was ripe for the style. During wartime, women were needed in the workforce and they also needed optical solutions. The cat eye frame style was not only feminine and distinctly made for women, but became a symbol of equality in defiance of formerly male-dominated work spaces. In many ways, the cat eye was also the right frame for the right time. This symbolism may be indicative of how these frames flourished where others failed.
1950s-1960s: Cat Eye Glasses as Post-War Fashion
In the 1950’s, the cat eye frame and its symbolism of equality aligned with the post-war fashion and civil rights boom. At this time, we also witnessed the cat eye appear on more and more major cinema stars including Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelley.
In this era, we also witnessed the frame being embellished with rhinestones, set in different molds, and serving much more than function by becoming a fashion piece.
1970s-1990s: Alt Artists and the Fringe Set
It is arguable whether the round eye of the 1960s, the aviator of the 1970s, and whatever happened in the 1980s, not an era known for timeless style, ever captured the public's attention or made a political statement like the cat eye frame.
The 1970s and 1980s witnessed booms, recessions, and changes in public sentiment with the Vietnam War and the Cold War. No frame truly defined the period and the cat eye frame receded from popular view until the 1990s.
Artists have customarily been on the fringe, intentionally exploring fashion choices and artistic mediums. In the 1980s and 1990s, we saw a retro resurgence of the cat eye in singers such as Lisa Loeb, who later started her own lens line, and with fashion icons and actresses like Parker Posey and Chloe Sevigny. These wearers were undoubtedly aware of the frame’s rich history and likely donned the frame as a vintage fashion nod.
The Reinvention of Cat Eye Frames in the 2000s
The cat eye frame, it seems, has nine lives and will always make a comeback when retro and alternative fashion trends are revived. Designers in the 2000s like Alexander McQueen, Miu Miu, Tom Ford, and Prada brought new interpretations with acetate frames, futuristic shapes, and out-of-this-world colors.
This millennium’s new influencers, reality TV stars, and celebrities have chosen this playful frame due to its undeniable flare and femininity. A few of this era’s Cat Eye frame connoisseurs include Charli XCX, Paris Hilton, Kaia Gerber, and the entire Kardashian clan.
The Future of Cat Eye Glasses
The cat eye frame endures as a symbol of feminism and defiance, remaining at the height of fashion for nearly a century. We have reinventions and adaptations by top designers in frames from the most luxurious, like Celine, Tom Ford, and Cartier, to the much more affordable drug store variety.
Instead of remaining frozen in time, we can expect both vintage and modern interpretations of cat eye glasses to continue being one of the most enduring and iconic frame styles for decades to come.
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