By: Yusra Shaikh

We need to agree that glasses aren’t just used when prescribed or when someone has a vision disability. Eyeglasses are now more than an accessory; it has become a fashion statement. The browline eyeglasses are a perfect example of an evergreen style statement that has gained popularity over the years.

Browline glasses are so-called because the design of the frames are styled in such a manner that the upper part holding the lenses resembles the eyebrows framing the eyes. This draws attention to the wearer’s natural brow line. The top part is made of thick acetate plastic with a thin wireframe wrapping the bottom of the lenses.

The glasses were first manufactured in 1947 by Jack Rohrbach, then vice president of Shuron Ltd., an eyewear company. It was first sold under the “Ronsir” brand. Originally, the customers were able to completely customize the glasses as the frames were made out of interchangeable bridges and eye wires. This allowed the wearers to express and flaunt their individuality by having to choose their own size, fit and choice of colour for the glasses.

It was in the 1950s and the early 1960s that this design gained popularity, especially in the US. Browline eyewear frames became acclaimed and gathered so many admirers that they accounted for half of all eyeglasses sold and worn in the 1950s. This style soon boomed, and the designs were copied and customized by many eyewear makers. To compete in the competitive market, companies started making their own versions of browline eyewear. Art-Craft Optical created a men’s and a women’s version, naming them “Clubman” and “Leading Lady”, respectively. It is when Ray-Ban created their version and named it Browline, which made it the patent name for the eyewear sorority.

This style reached its peak in the 1960s when celebrities like Colonel Sanders and Vince Lombardi, and political figures like Lyndon B. Johnson and Malcolm X, were pictured wearing these glasses. Browlines continued to rule the eyewear world, but like every design, it too saw a bend in its upward sloping curve.

It was not until the 1980s when Bruce Willis wore a pair of Shuron Ronsirs with tinted lenses on the series Moonlight, which lead to the surge in the demand of the browline style. When Ray-Ban, who dominated the sunglasses market, noticed the increase in demand for the brow line, they introduced the Clubmaster, a traditional browline frame with sunglass lenses. This lead to Clubmaster becoming the third best-selling sunglass style of the 1980s. But in the 1990s, the browline style received a backlash, where people referred to the style as very “nerdy”, “geeky”, and “elderly”.

The 2000s was when it gained popularity yet again. Many actors in television series like Mad Men, Heroes, American Horror Story and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation started wearing this style, which again led to the increase in its demand.

Yes, the Browline faced many ups and downs but has really stood the test of time. It has emerged out to be one of the most classiest and the most coolest style available for the sea of eyewear styles.