Yes, retro-leaning eyewear is great. Aviator-style frames with optical lenses still do it for us. Antiquity-inducing Tortoiseshell glasses will always get us hot under our wide-collar shirt. And who isn’t bowled over by psychedelic round-framed sunnies? But what if you want something a little more now? Something that can still evoke the sense of style of the classics, but that does it with a gentle splash of modernism. Well, maybe it’s time you took a look at clear framed eyewear.
See-through, opaque, and colour-tinged translucent frames are all well and truly in the midsts of a moment at the moment, and we couldn’t be happier about it. If you’ve missed them in the selfies of Instagram’s elite, then you’ve probably caught them bringing extra class to a tux on the red carpet. The part geek-chic, part fashionista-fabulous frames are pretty much everywhere at the minute and we think that’s pretty rad.
Get a load of these Garrett Leight Clune Sun frames in tasty clear Nude
To celebrate clear frame glasses, we thought we’d have a peruse of some of our favourites from the Seen collection. From the sun-soaked beauties of Garrett Leight to the sturdy steeze of Jacques Marie Mage, if you’re unsure why we’re so into see-through frames, allow us to make ourselves… clear.
Garrett Leight - Clune in Nude
If you’re anywhere near as into independent eyewear as us, then you probably already know Venice Beach’s wunder-kid, Garrett Leight. As well as bringing the heat with now-classic frames like the Wilson and Brooks, he’s also one of the main proponents of tasty clear acetate glasses. These large Clune frames in Nude just about sum-up what we love about clear frames. A larger, rounded P3 frame, they’re made with a cellulose acetate in a clear Nude colourway that’ll keep you looking about as cool as a clear-bespectacled cucumber.
Garrett Leight - Ocean Sun in Champagne with Navy Lens
One of Garrett Leight's classic designs, the Ocean, has never looked finer than in this oceanic colourway. Lightly tinged Champagne acetate frames are married with navy lenses to make a summer eyewear choice that's as easy as smashing a bottle of Veuve Clicquot against the hull of the SS Good Times.
Garrett Leight X Ulla Johnson - Imogen in Nude
Few collaborations have ever ignited so much excitement at Seen HQ as Garrett Leight’s recent coming together with boho-chic designer, Ulla Johnson. Launching in spring 2018, the duo’s debut collection featured a handful of perfectly put together feminine frames in a selection of tastefully playful colourways. Not least out of the lot were these Imogen frames, a female-friendly 70s-style square. A masterful combo of berry gradient lenses and chunky clear acetate, we think they might have been a highlight amongst highlights in the two designers' collaboration.
Mr Leight - Runyon SL in Lomita
When we heard Garrett Leight was starting a new brand with his Dad, Oliver Peoples’ founder, Larry Leight, we knew something special was about to go down. Named Mr Leight, the sophisticated new brand’s first collection was luxurious yet lowkey. Coming somewhere near the top of the bunch, were these stupendous Runyon SL frames in the Lomita colourway. Finished in an ice cool clear acetate which subtly shows off the sturdy titanium core underneath, they also feature CR-39 lenses that are tinted with a 24 karat rose gold mirror coatings. To get your hands on these in-store only beauties, you'll have to come and visit us at Seen - here's where to find us.
Have those clear frames whet your appetite? Worry not, we have plenty more where they came from. Take a look below or check out the full collection, here.
