As fashion trends look to the past for inspiration and the 70s make a comeback in mainstream fashion, so to has the classic aviator glasses. The New York Times in 2017 said that the timeless frames had become ‘new again’ as the oversized glasses experienced a resurgence in popularity after being spotted on celebrities like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. The 70s have experienced a resurgence in everything from footwear, to handbags, to beauty and eyewear. The rise of social media and a desire to have a different style from mainstream fashion has led hoards of fashionistas to look to the 70s for inspiration.
Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele is largely accredited for returning mainstream fashion to the ‘70s era with his recent fashion week collections all featuring the hallmark design motifs of the decade. The popularity and resurgence of the Gucci brand under his tenure have led to other fashion houses and brand looking back to ‘70s for inspiration for their current collections.
One of the fashion items that are synonymous with the 1970s is the aviator glasses. The style was worn by everyone from political activist and writer Gloria Steinem to Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury. The aviator glasses crossed genres and style aesthetics to become one of the most popular styles of glasses for both men and women. If you’re searching for a minimalistic 70s worthy pair of aviator glasses, then the curated collection at Blikvision is your first stop for the classic pilot inspired glasses.
The ‘70s fashion era gave birth to what is commonly known as ‘geek fashion’, with oversized sunglasses and an aesthetic that meshed together both style and comfort for the first time. One of the easiest ways to add a touch of ‘geek chic’ to any outfit is a pair of aviator glasses. The style combines both the rockstar chic of Freddie Mercury and the fierce intellectual brains of Gloria Steinem to create a ‘geek chic’ look.
What began as a standard issued pair of military aviator glasses, made famous when photographed on General Douglas MacArthur when he arrived in the Philippines during World War 2, evolved to become a ‘70s fashion staple. The metal frames and the ability to change out the lenses for different colour gradients and tints made them the perfect match both as optical glasses and sunglasses for the free-spirited ‘70s fashionista. A quick look on social media proves how popular the classic style is with today’s fashion thinkers, with the #aviators hashtag on Instagram boosting over 1.5 million photographs from around the world. With films like Bohemian Rhapsody and tv shows dedicated to the ‘70s women’s liberation movement, it’s no surprise that 1970s fashion, in general, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. As thrifting has become a more popular way of updating your wardrobe, today’s fashionistas are more likely than ever to look to former celebrities and icons for inspiration than ever before.
Aviator glasses have always been a classic style, but much like the 1970s, they are experiencing a major resurgence as the ‘new again’ must-have glasses of the season.