Featured image: This Thing of Ours
Hot on the tail of our recent Manchester City Guide, where Seen founder Tareq picked out his favourite spots around our hometown—from grabbing a cup of joe at Grapefruit Coffee to racking up the Mastercard at This Thing of Ours—here are a few tips on what we’d wear around here. This isn’t a definitive list by any means, this is just a quick little run-down of a few frames we think suit our city. Here you go…
The Jacques Marie Mage Supersonic Sun
Up first, a tribute to two brothers from Burnage courtesy of Jacques Marie Mage. We’re aware this one might sound a little ‘on the nose’—but because these Oasis-inspired frames are from the mind of Jerome Mage, they’re a refreshingly under-the-radar homage that don’t shout about it too much. As you can see, these aren’t your fancy dress round-rimmed Lennon specs, but rather a really high class nod to the chunky wayfarers Liam and Noel both sported during their mid-90s peak. Whether you’re into Britpop or not, these are just a really nice pair of shades.
Up next, let’s grab something colourful from Jean Philippe Joly. These work on two levels. First, they fit nicely with Manchester’s reputation as a bold creative powerhouse, and secondly, that super-punchy hue might help add a bit of colour to our signature drab weather. We know by this point it’s a cliche to talk about both Manchester’s artistic contributions and its less than ideal weather, but both are true.
If you’re after something similar, but different, the Jean Phillipe’s Compisiteur or Chanteur frames tick a similar technicolor box.
The Cutler and Gross 1390 Round
It’s not all pubs, clubs and bellyaches in Manchester, and as Tareq pointed out, Manchester also has some world class libraries, from the neo-Gothic John Rylands library to Grade II listed Central Library and beyond. And that’s before we mention all the independent book and magazine shops that have cropped up in the last few years. So for those looking for that intellectual bookworm flavour, the Cutler and Gross 1390 are just right—even if you don’t know your Steinbeck from your R.L Stein.
On a similar tip, Cutler and Gross are dab hands at what we’d call ‘bookish frames’—with the 1396 and GR01 frames also most certainly fitting the bill here.
The Garrett Leight Webster Sun
Contrary to popular belief (and our comment about the weather above), the sun does occasionally come out in Manchester—and when it does everyone makes the most of it by downing tools and flocking outside to the many parks (and beer gardens) that can be found in the city—whether that’s Platt Fields or Fletcher Moss in the south, Heaton Park in the north, or somewhere more central like the newly opened Mayfield Park. That’s where something like the Webster or the Cyprus sunglasses from California’s Garrett Leight come in mighty handy—you might only get to truly appreciate them under full blazing sunshine for approximately eleven days a year, but what a great eleven days they’ll be.
Are you impressed we got this far without mentioning the football? We’ll make no comment on teams here, but we will say that the Kuboraum K3s are available in both blue and red. Pick your side, or why not be diplomatic and grab both? Everyone’s a winner…
