Since I was diagnosed with hyperopia at the age of 14, I have tried many styles of glasses. Now, almost 12 years later, I can finally say I have a favorite thing - browline glasses. The brow frame has a unique design and intricate details that really stand out. Browline glasses accentuate the features of my oval face in the best way possible. The bold and chunky top frame of the browline glasses combined with the unobtrusive bottom frame provides ample opportunity for self-expression. However, in addition to the extraordinary style sensitivity of browline glasses, their history is also worth talking about!

Browline glasses: from the 1940s to the 2020s

The browline frame was originally designed by Jack Rohrback, then vice president of Shuron Ltd., in 1947. After that, browline frames became popular in the 1950s, accounting for half of eyewear sales in that decade. In the 1960s, brow lines declined in popularity, but they became more widely available in shapes, sizes, and colors. For example, "plastic browline lines" that are transparent at the bottom and solid at the top have appeared on the market.

The rise of the hippie subculture in the 1970s led to a rapid decline in the popularity of browline glasses, which were seen as conservative. Then, in the 1980s, browline sunglasses appeared, making these classic sunglasses popular again. Hollywood actor Bruce Willis wore a pair of colored browline frames in the TV series Moonlight, which led to the popularity of browline sunglasses.

But in the late 1980s, browline glasses became more and more associated with conformist culture, and over the course of two decades, they gradually disappeared. Finally, in the 2010s, the hit TV series Mad Men revived the brow frame, especially the tortoiseshell silhouette. Fast forward to 2023, and browline glasses have entered the mainstream imagination and are beloved by the fashion forward.

I brought the latest pair of browline glasses from Specscat. I bought myself a pair of classic tortoiseshell designs with thick upper edges. To be honest, I love brow frames and highly recommend you try these timeless glasses too!