specs appeal: the glamour of the geek

I'm trying to think of the first style icon who started wearing big old fashioned nerdy spectacles like these.

Does anyone know? I'm thinking Alexa Chung.. when I google her, it seems she's now selling a line of them? Is that possible? Or is someone trying to cash in on Alexa Chung Geek style? All I know is, I'm finding articles like 'geek up your glam: it's cool to wear glasses' but where did it start? And who started it?

And at what point did girls who didn't even NEED glasses start wearing them?


Speaking as someone who's been wearing contacts most of my adult life - the last pair of prescription eyeglasses I bought was in 1997, when we moved to London - I've always been wired to love sunglasses - I'll wear them on a rainy day, I love sunglasses - but I've always believed that regular glasses aren't for me.

And then I started seeing these really beautiful, stylish women wearing them, and I still felt.. here's the thing. How can I say this. These kind of 'geek glasses' bring anyone's beauty quota down a notch. Sorry, they just do.

So it means you have to be extra pretty to start with.

But when a girl representing Specsavers contacted me to ask if I wanted to get a free eye exam, be gifted a pair of glasses, and talk honestly about my experience, the first thought that popped into my head was, wow, I can get me some geek glasses!


So after a lot of to-ing and fro-ing with the plans, (best not to dwell on that), I popped on over to the Specsavers branch on 149 Queensway, where, despite not having been properly briefed by the girl at the social media agency, they fit me in for an eye exam on the spot, with the sweetest girl named Sidra.

And that was a lovely experience. She was kind, professional, and the exam didn't hurt a bit.

Meanwhile my husband had parked the car, and as he said after, was so impressed: Javed, the manager, had, for the first time, brought his four kids into the branch for a little while. Without their mum. Four kids, and as my husband said, you'd not have known they were there. I was photographing them - not for this blog, but for the family's private use - and they were just delightful. On a cold, dark day, this was such a breath of sunshine.


Then on my second trip, to choose the frames (all part of the mix up with the social media company) - Sidra and Javed had managed to get in every style I had asked for. I mean, I was looking at the geekiest options I could find from Armani, Missoni, Gok Wan (I had a great experience with him and Specsavers: see 'the gok and eye'), Jasper Conran, Karen Millen.. they'd got them all in for me.

But for some reason, when I arrived, I pulled out two styles from Tommy Hilfiger. I hadn't seen those styles online. And this is the part that impressed me the most: Sidra was straight up with me. It was like what you'd most want from a best friend, shopping together. I'd try on a pair and she'd be like, 'no.' But the two Tommys.. we both kept going back to them. I liked them the best on me, and so did she. They're not totally black: they're actually a very dark tortoise, which I love. I just love them.

So I got a pair for distance - I'm nearsighted - and a pair for reading, while I'm wearing my contacts. And you know what? It's like with wearing my husband's old navy knitted bobble hat: there's something very empowering about walking around with these glasses. I can't explain: I just feel like.. it's like I don't wear makeup most of the time. And I walk around in flats. There's something quite courageous about not trying too hard. Does that make ANY SENSE?

Or maybe it's simply that it's a trend. And I'm a trend follower, on the Geek Glasses Train.

Either way, I'm very glad I went to Specsavers.

With all my thanks to the lovely, lovely staff at the Specsavers Queensway Branch, especially Hammayon Javed, the nicest manager (and, clearly, a great dad), and Sidra. She's the kind of girl you'd want as a friend: wise and kind, but also honest. In the best possible way.

top to toe tommy, more or less

The day before we got the news about Alexander McQueen, I was right by his shop (& home) on a dark cold day. I'd gone to Dover Street Market but felt like I was coming down with something.



So when I wandered to their sweet top floor cafe, & ordered a lovely pot of fresh ginger root tea with lemon and honey (my favourite home remedy). I was surrounded by jaded fashionistas who lunch, absorbed in an Elle magazine, when Fiona & her friend bounded in & sat across from me (it's a small place & was pretty full), then they put all these big bags under the table & she cheerfully said 'Oh just kick them away.' Just very warm, yet English polite: I love that combination. When a table opened up they moved, & I returned to my own little world.



Fast forward a half an hour or so, I'd met & photographed Hitomi, and was just shooting these red chairs, when who should dash past me but Fiona & her friend.



I'm running after them & when I finally catch up & ask to shoot them, Fiona says 'You look really familiar'. 'I know, I was just at Dover Street Market.' 'No, you look REALLY familiar.' We did that a few times until everyone was finally on the same page.



Fiona couldn't believe I'd want to shoot her. It's not like it's not high concept fashion, it's a very simple, classic casual look, but I like her style. Or more to the point: I like her spirit. She works @ Tommy Hilfiger, lucky girl (I love his stuff), and most of what she's wearing is Tommy: coat, bag, jeans.. everything but the soft kitten-grey cashmere-looking cap & scarf, I believe. And I love the little details, like her gorgeous gold necklace.



Also love this bag. And the gorgeous beige suede boots are Pierre Hardy, last season. We haven't been seeing much of blue jeans in London this winter (not since the short shorts of last summer: mostly over black tights, as it was a bit of a washout, weather wise). But, last week, after seeing Fiona, I actually started wearing blue jeans again. She influenced my style this week.

Now I can't wait for spring: I want to wear white tees, faded jeans, go barefoot in grass.. I just love the combination of pale pink/nude/white/grey, with blue jeans the colour of sky. Oh! How funny. I just went to look online to see what he's up to, jeans wise, and for the UK, sure 'nuff, it's all the palette I so crave: beige, & a bit of faded blue & lots o' white. Cute little video. Chinos in beige, or, this season's magic word: Nudes, nudes, nudes.

It's funny: it seems in the USA, blue denim jeans are still hot, but I wonder if that changes from region to region. What's the deal, denim-wise, in your part of the world?