These Kiel Mead 'Freck Specs' are doubly geeky--and perhaps that's why I love them. The tortoiseshell frames scream high school librarian, but their dotted lenses signal a freckled redhead. In elementary school, a kid might have been teased for having red hair, freckles and glasses. As an adult, however, such childhood nostalgia becomes charming rather than embarrassing.
Implications - The rise of social media and Internet startups, and the concurrent return of geek culture, has made geeks cool in mainstream culture. Fashion and accessories that were once shunned, such as thick-rimmed glasses, plaid and oversized digital watches, are now must-have items. Products that combine several formerly undesirable traits, such as glasses dotted with freckles, push this boundary even further.
What's Driving This Trend
- Geek Chic Glasses
- Combining formerly undesirable traits in fashion products has become popular.
- Nostalgic Fashion
- Products that playfully reference past cultural images have gained acceptance.
- Social Media Fashion
- The rise of social media has influenced the rise of new cultural fashion trends.
Who This Affects Most
- Eyewear Industry
- There is a potential opportunity to create more playful, nostalgic, and socially conscious designs for eyewear.
- Fashion Industry
- Incorporating formerly undesirable traits and cultural references in fashion is a strategy for creating popular designs.
- Social Media Industry
- Social media platforms can promote and influence new cultural fashion trends.
