to glasses, or not to glasses

There is no more misconstrued of an accessory than a pair of glasses. Geeky, dorky, four-eyes… who wants to be the nerd on the floor!? (Okay sometimes that’s cool, but you know what I mean). I, however, believe that glasses can be a powerful weapon – for GOOD and for EVIL. Which means girls, we must tread carefully*. The right pair of glasses can add edge to your look, with that “I’m on my way to a very important meeting” vibe. Yes, I’m wearing my glasses today and that means I don’t have time to f*ck around. I personally use this tactic when I know I’ll be the youngest in the room and need to make the impression that I’m mature beyond my years. What is more important than what others perceive of you? As a girl under 30 in finance, I’ve learned that quickly. When I walk into that meeting I want my confidence and competence to shine through, not my age! And throwing on a pair of glasses is not cheating. If anything, it just means that I picked up these glasses spending late nights studying for my MBA**, early mornings preparing in the office, and I mean BUSINESS. Try it out, trust me.

On a completely different note, glasses can be a way to express yourself in that corporate sea of black and white. Funky shapes and colors (tortoiseshell is a personal fave)  can add serious style to an otherwise unexciting look. Warby Parker is an awesome company that has glasses in every style, shape and color – check it out. Sometimes, I feel the most “me” in my glasses (all one, two, okay three pairs of them!) So ladies, don’t be ashamed when you don those spectacles. Take glory in those bad eyes your mamma gave you. Just please, please, harness the powers that be!!

* If you are wearing glasses due to lack of sleep for a multitude of reasons (late night at work, after-work drinks gone awry, fight with the boyfriend, make-up with the boyfriend; or okay, maybe season three of House of Cards just came out on Netflix), please be wary of the power at your disposal. For example, even though I am an enormous proponent of dry shampoo, maybe take a real shower (with water… and soap…) on the morning of a “tired glasses day”. You won’t regret it. And if for some reason this isn’t possible, please remove your glasses before having contact with any mirrors and trust your office buddies when they say you look fineee…

** I don’t have an MBA. Likewise, who said you need a prescription to get glasses?