From those big tortoiseshell frames worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, to Maverick’s classic aviators in Top Gun, the world of film has always relied on amazing eyewear to give its characters that extra bit of… er… character.
With that in mind, we thought we’d pick out a few of our favourite glasses-wearers from the silver screen…
The Thing
First up we’ve got MacReady from John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi gore-athon, The Thing. Although he’s sometimes hard to spot amongst all the melting plastic and gnashing teeth, Kurt Russell’s character is probably the coolest thing about the film—helped no doubt by those massive shades.
Proof, if it was ever needed, that sunglasses aren’t just for when you’re living it up on a secluded Mediterranean beach; they’re also for those days when you’re wandering around dilapidated research bases trying to avoid the attention of a parasitic extra-terrestrial life-form.
For that time-honoured, Antarctic alien invasion look, we’d go for the Taos by Jacques Marie Mage.
Cowboy hat sold separately.
Thelma and Louise
And now for something a bit more uplifting… Thelma and Louise. Alright, this film is hardly uplifting, but at least there’s no ugly aliens in it. Released in 1991, Thelma and Louise tells the story of two unlikely fugitives on the run from the law and the men in their lives.
The soundtrack is brilliant, Harvey Keitel is in it, and Louise wears some cracking tortoiseshell sunnies. What more could you want?
A happy ending might have been nice…
If we were heading out on the open road in a ’66 Ford Thunderbird, we’d make sure we were wearing a pair of Garrett Leight Mildred.
American Psycho
Next up we’ve got Patrick Bateman in the film adaption of Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel, American Psycho. Christian Bale’s psychotic investment banker may not be the nicest chap around, but you’ve got to hand it to him… he does know a good pair of glasses when he sees ‘em.
Not only does he wear an ace pair of Wayfarers, but those rounded frames he’s got on whilst he’s fawning over raised lettering and watermarks in the business card scene are particularly sharp. If they were a business card, they’d be Paul Allen’s…
If you plan on booking a table at Dorsia, we’d recommend grabbing yourself the Garrett Leight Hampton in Dark Tortoise
Leon: The Professional
And now we’ve got Jean Reno in Leon (or Leon: The Professional, to give it its full name). Directed by French mad-man Luc Besson, this film tells the tale of a hit-man’s unlikely friendship with a young Natalie Portman, against the classic backdrop of New York City in the summertime.
We haven’t seen it on television in a while, and it seems like it’s sort of been forgotten a bit, but it’s most definitely worth watching… not least for those perfectly round sunglasses the main man wears whilst whiling away his time watering plants and dispatching Gary Oldman’s goons.
For that Leon look, try the Garrett Leight Lovers.
Annie Hall
And last but by no means least, we’ve got Woody Allen as Alvy Singer in Annie Hall. No list of bespectacled film-stars would be complete without a nod to everyone’s favourite neurotic New Yorker, and whilst there are nearly fifty Woody Allen films we could choose from here, this is the one everyone remembers.
There’s funny bits, there’s poignant bits, there’s a weird cameo from Christopher Walken as Diane Keaton’s slightly unhinged brother… and of course, there’s those trademark chunky glasses.
The Garrett Leight Bentley in Black is perfect for wearing whilst discussing Freud and the poetry of Sylvia Plath.
That concludes our foray into the world of frames in films. Whether you decide to channel a quirky Napoleon Dynamite vibe or the more classic Malcolm X look, try turning to the silver screen for inspiration.
Fin.
