daianna's blog

Eyewear that cover both direct and indirect visual areas are called wraparound glasses. Most wraparound glasses have a clear viewing area for both the direct line of vision and the peripheral line of vision to both sides of eyes. Wraparound glasses have been available since the 20th century, for the sake of both practicality and fashion.

In terms of fashion, wraparound glasses began to hit the public during the early 1960's in the United States. Before then, wraparound glasses were thought as more of a practical accessory than a fashion statement. The change of public attitude towards wraparound glasses was made by Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady of the nation at that time, who initiated to wear them in public. After that, young people began to spread this fashion by wearing wraparound glasses on the beach and by the pool.

In some professions, wraparound glasses are used to protect the eyes without limiting the visual field. Often, when there is a need to limit the amount of exposure of the eyes to either natural or artificial light, wraparound glasses are preferred. They are also effective in minimizing the chance of dirt and other fine particles from getting into the eyes, because this is the purpose of the basic design of wraparound glasses — the framing that fits snugly around the area immediately above and below the eyes.

Some wraparound glasses are employed to wear over an existing set of corrective lenses. During the 1990's, these huge-sized versions were very popular as they were cheap in price and came in a wide range of colors. For most of those who wore prescription glasses, these colorful wraparound glasses made it possible to own several different pairs of varying colors, and got rid of the need to buy an expensive pair of prescription sunglasses. The huge-sized design was also preferred by many people who did not require corrective lenses, and have remained on the market well into the new century.