John Lennon Styled Eyeglasses

John Lennon Glasses

John Lennon is on the list of history's most famous and influential people. He had a classic style of wearing glasses that were perfectly round and had a golden frame. His style was so popularized that the specific type of glasses is now commonly known as 'Lennon glasses.'

What Type Of Glasses did John Lennon Wear?

He used to wear different types of glasses, but the most commonly known among them were the ones that were perfectly round Windsor glasses. In his early days, John Lennon used to wear contact lenses, but he didn't like them much. Lennon wore thick Buddy Holly-styled horn-rimmed glasses until 1966, which was the time when he started his career as an actor in the film, 'How I Won the War.

Windsor Styled Eyeglasses

Windsor glasses are the eyeglasses frames John was chiefly famous for. These traditional glasses are wire-rimmed and circular; they have a saddle bridge and round lenses, commonly known as a W bridge. This W bridge fits perfectly on the nose without nose pads. Know that nose pads were not invented until the 1920s, whereas since 1880, Windsor glasses have been commonly worn by many people.

There is another type with temples that wrap around the ears; they are designed to keep them from slipping away, often known as tea shades or round granny glasses.

John Lennon originally got these frames from the National Health Care System. He purchased and collected most of his round glasses frames from the flea market after becoming famous.

P3 Panto Styled Eyeglasses

John Lennon also wore glasses made out of plastic, especially the P3 Panto-style eyeglasses. These glasses were pretty famous during World War II but went out of fashion during the mid-1970s. John's style was most relevant to antique and vintage wear, instead of the latest styled eyeglasses frames. Living in this era, you can still get the Panto Styled Optical at a reasonable price.

Why Did John Lennon Wear Round Eyeglasses?

John was cast as a British soldier in a film named, 'How I Won the War’ during World War II. As a costume for a soldier in his film, he was provided with round framed glasses to style the perfect look of a soldier. In the film, his character, Gripweed, had to wear round framed glasses, which eventually became his signature look in the later years of his life. One of John Lennon's real eyeglasses frames was sold for about $200,000. You may as well find the same Round Metal-framed Eyeglasses at very reasonable prices from Pret A Visor.

Did John Lennon Really Need to Wear Glasses?

John Lennon had an issue with his eyesight, and he was extremely short-sighted. The sunglasses he used to wear were passed through a focimeter. A focimeter, also known as a lensmeter, is a machine that calculates the prescription within a given pair of frames. John Lennon's prescription in his right eye read -8.25, while the left eye was -7.50; this prescription is considered extremely high. John Lennon was probably not being able to see without his glasses beyond a few feet.

The Size of John Lennon’s Glasses

The Windsor frame size worn by John Lennon has remained a subject of serious debate for so long. Generally, the Windsor frame had a lens diameter of 40mm. Whereas, it seems through a closer analysis that John Lennon’s Round glasses were around 36-38mm, maximum. This is estimated with the space the glasses had taken up on John Lennon's face, as seen in his images available online. The other eyeglasses frames worn by John Lennon, like the Ovid shape, were nearly 44mm wider. At the same time, the plastic frames were closer to about 48mm.

What Was the Color of John Lennon’s Glasses?

John Lennon mostly used to wear gold glasses. He also wore silver glasses, as you may see in the music video of Penny lane. Some of his pictures also feature him wearing yellow plastic glasses. John Lennon used to wear different shades of tinted lenses ranging from orange, green and yellow to even light blue in color.

John Lennon’s Vintage Frames

John Lennon wore different styles of sunglasses with various tinted lenses. These kinds of Vintage Frames were also used as safety glasses. They have a round rim and are made up of metal. These frames were made in huge quantities by the military. They paved their paths into the commercial market from the extra sales of the military.

The glasses this icon, Penny Lane John Lennon, wore in the music video is a beautiful set of Green Japanese flip-up eyeglasses. These eyeglasses were made in Japan and were pretty funky. It can be said that these frames are not strong enough to grip and take hold of prescription lenses yet they looked pretty on him.

In 2019, John Lennon’s pair of eyeglasses earned up to USD 183,999 in an auction. Those were actually eyeglasses styled in an Oval Windsor. They had common skull temples negating the cable temples that are mostly found in the genuine type of Windsor eyeglasses. They were framed with thicker temples that were not in fashion or of common use until the 1960s. Want to style John Lennon inspired look? you can get these Thick Framed Eyeglassesat a much reasonable price from Pret A Voir.

Conclusion

Till today, John Lennon is considered one of the most highly noticeable personalities. His glasses style is still liked by many people, even his iconic round-framed glasses are named after him. John Lennon was really an eyeglasses icon and a memorable music artist from one of the most stunning music bands, inspiring a large number of people from his era to this.

You can easily get these round framed metal glasses, Windsor glasses, and thick framed glasses in the best quality and reasonable price from Pret A Voir. Just visit their website, order your favorite glasses from there and style a stunning John Lennon inspired look. You will surely enjoy an amazing shopping experience!

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Anthony Lee

freelance writer

Written by: Anthony Lee
Anthony Lee is a freelance writer who works as a sales clerk in an eyewear boutique, and her seven years of experience allows her to select the right eyewear for her customers at a glance. Knowing the whole process of eyewear production, she also has a unique perspective on eyewear fashion. She is passionate about fashion accessories and life. She likes to match a variety of eyewear with various styles of clothing.