Hipster Glasses

We’ve all seen them, the big black frames, with the white tape perched precariously on the bridge of an intellectual student: nerd glasses. In the past, these nerdy glasses were associated with suspenders, pulling up a pair of awkwardly uncomfortable-looking pants, knee high socks, and clashingly colored attire, topped off with a bow tie. But lately, these iconic frames developed into a new symbol for the “hipster.” Big nerdy glasses are now cool, but how exactly did this happen?

As children, having a big pair of glasses was absolutely embarrassing. It was assumed that the bigger your glasses, the nerdier you were. Most children dreaded the idea of having glasses and worried that the frames would engulf their face. Middle school aged children begged their parents for contacts. But in high school, glasses with big frames seemed to make a comeback. People who don’t even need glasses get their own faux pair to fit in with the rest of the growing crowd, joining the popularity of the trend. But how did this happen?

Well, we simply take a pair of “nerd glasses’ and shed the white tape in the center, above the bridge of the nose, and bam! The socially out casted nerd becomes a hipster. What exactly is a hipster? Dictionar.com defines a hipster as “a person, especially during the 1950s, characterized by a particularly strong sense of alienation from most established social activities and relationships.” But Urban Dictionary begs to differ, defining hipster as “One who possesses tastes, social attitudes, and opinions deemed cool by the cool.” So why do we have such contrasting classifications?

Through the “hipster revolution,” the “nerd” has not become “cool.” Hipsters believe in the same things that the youth of America value; change, peace, and revolution. To call someone a “nerd” is practically an affectionate way of addressing them. I call my friends “nerds” and they call me one as well, but it is not to degrade each other. But also, one must take note, though we are “nerdy” that does not make us hipsters. I wear glasses, but not hipster glasses. Hipster glasses redefine what is nerdy, turning the common stereotype into something “deemed cool by the cool.” Therefore, being a nerd loses all negative connotations. Hipster glasses redefine the idea of what is nerdy, establishing the term “nerd” with a more positive image.

People who don’t even wear glasses are now purchasing their own “hipster glasses,” jumping on the bandwagon of “cool.” Stores like Hot Topic now sell them in a rainbow assortment of colors and patterns, as well. The fact that they are being sold at Hot Topic really shows how nerd glasses have reinstated themselves as far from being nerdy into a “hot topic” or in this case, “cool topic.” The colors allow the consumer to customize their own pair of “hipster” glasses with their own color and pattern, establishing their self-expression and unique individuality. The shape and style of the frames stays the same, and the classic black still remains the most popular, but he amount of popularity has definitely grown.

#socialcommentary #popculture #hipster #hipsterglasses #fashion