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Vintage Eyeglasses Vintage eyeglasses describe a range of eyeglasses from the 1990's back to the 1800s and sometimes even earlier....continue
This page includes a wide variety of eyewear styles, such as prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and prescription sunglasses in different shapes like rectangular, aviator, cat-eye, and oversized. Each style is available in multiple colors and materials, and many can be customized with your prescription lenses.
Each product listing includes sizing details such as lens width, bridge width, and temple length. Compare these measurements to a pair you already own, or follow our size guide to find frames that fit comfortably based on your measurements. Knowing exact sizes reduces the need for returns and increases purchase confidence.
Yes — many frames on this page can be fitted with your prescription lenses. After selecting a frame, enter your prescription details during checkout or upload them using the site’s interface. If you’re unsure about your prescription, our support team can guide you through the process.
Eyeglasses.com sources all products directly from authorized brand partners, ensuring that every pair has genuine materials, craftsmanship, and included guarantees. This protects you from counterfeit products and ensures warranty support through the retailer.
All eyewear purchases come with our satisfaction guarantee, clear return and exchange policy, and coverage for manufacturing defects. Full policy details are provided on the Returns & Exchanges page, helping you shop with confidence.
Use a microfiber cloth and gentle eyewear cleaner to clean your lenses. Avoid harsh chemicals and rough paper products that can scratch lenses. Store frames in their protective case when not in use and avoid leaving them in hot cars or exposed sunlight.
Our trained opticians and customer support team can help you choose the right style and assist with prescription or fitting questions. Contact us via phone, chat, or email for personalized guidance tailored to your needs.
All frames are designed to be adjusted to your face. If your frames don't fit, you could try visiting a local optical store to ask for an adjustment. We guarantee your satisfaction. If you still don't like your glasses, you can return them for a full refund.
Vintage eyeglasses describe a range of eyeglasses from the 1990's back to the 1800s and sometimes even earlier. We have collected new, unused frames that we have procured straight from manufacturer vaults in Italy, Germany, and France, into our Dolomiti Vintage collection. “Vintage style” glasses are made today, but mimic elements from past periods. Are you looking for actual vintage glasses, or are you looking for “vintage style” glasses? This page features actual vintage glasses which are mostly new and unused glasses from the 1960's to the 1990's, and we also have some that are “antique eyeglasses” which are old eyeglasses and sometimes are unused and sometimes are gently used.
Vintage style glasses are known as “Retro Glasses” and we have another full section for retro eyeglasses. Vintage style retro eyeglasses are very popular today and have many of the elements of classic eyeglasses frames styles, shapes, materials and colors.
Original vintage prescription glasses frames are the inspiration for the retro eye glasses characters wear on television shows such as Mad Men which in turn has inspired numerous eyewear manufacturers to create similar classic frame styles. Some of the manufacturer’s that were popular during the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s are still designing eyewear. You can probably find authentic Ray-Ban Clubmaster vintage eyeglass frames and at the same time buy a retro Ray-Ban version as well.
Vintage eyeglass frames are often confused with retro glasses, which describes modern prescription glasses made with a vintage style. Although “vintage” and “retro” sound similar and are two descriptive labels for styles and objects such as eyewear, clothing, and cars, they are very different in their actual meanings. Vintage eyeglasses and vintage sunglasses were actually manufactured in the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Vintage eyeglass frames are regarded as original and authentic. Retro glasses are recently manufactured with a mixture of design elements that draw on the past, but using current modern technology and components. Both retro and vintage eyewear can be fitted with prescription lenses. 
If you are looking for truly vintage glasses, we have created the Timeless Eyewear brand, where we have handpicked the best quality, vintage frames that we have found around the world. These vintage eyeglasses are the “real thing” manufactured by such well-known eyewear companies, (some who still exist today) such as Shuron, Frame France, ArtCraft, Marine, Imperial, Liberty, Fosta-Grantly, Selecta, Tura, and Ray Ban. Most vintage glasses that are sold at these vintage glasses specialty sites offer the frames without lenses. You can then send the vintage glasses frames to Eyeglasses.com and we will fit the lens to the frames.
For some folks the idea of wearing vintage eyeglasses in a singular brown tonal rim cat eye frames by Swank, Frame France is the cat’s meow! If rhinestones are your passion, and you have found a pair of woman's round Tura vintage eye glasses frames from the 50s or 60s that are encircled with beautiful clear and dark rhinestones, send us your vintage frames and we will add the lenses. The unique frame shapes such as the browline or cat’s eye, and colors of many vintage glasses create memorable fashion statements. In many cases vintage glasses are the finishing accessorized touch that completes a vintage fashion ensemble.
One popular style of vintage eyeglasses is the cat eye frame, which has a pointed upward shape at the outer corners of the frames. Cat eye frames were popular in the 1950s and 1960s and are often associated with a retro or vintage look. Today, the new glasses are often made in the cat eye style by most of the top fashion brands.
One of the earliest methods for reading involves lenses that are used occasionally for reading, and are not meant to be worn all the time. The monocle is a single lens that is held in the eye socket. The lorgnette is held by one hand over the eye. The pince nez, a french term meaning "pinch nose", grabs onto the nose bridge by some kind of spring construction.
The most popular shape for vintage eyewear is definitely the round shape, dating back to the 1600s, and then becoming the most common shape starting in the 1800s through mid-1900s. Vintage style eyewear for us, was simply "eyeglasses" in the old days, as that was the only shape that was made. Nowadays, vintage style retro glasses often have round lenses or almost round lenses.
If it is an old frame, it probably has metal nose pads because old glasses did use plastic. Sometimes the nosepads will be made of cork.
Vintage eyeglasses are mostly commonly made in metals, mostly because other materials did not appear in the eyewear industry until the 1960s. Vintage eyeglasses are made from a variety of materials, including metal, plastic, and acetate. Most commonly you will find them in gold. Sometimes it is gold plate, but more often in 12k gold fill or 14k gold fill.
Metal frames are typically made from gold, silver, or other metals and are known for their durability and flexibility. Plastic frames are made from a variety of materials, including acetate and polycarbonate, and are known for their lightweight and flexible nature. Acetate frames are made from a type of plastic derived from cellulose and are known for their high-quality and durability.
We always check every old glasses item for hinge quality, scratch density, colour, spectacle sturdiness and other aspects of the eyeglass frame to make sure it will last. However, we do not guarantee the frames against breakage because by nature, they are delicate.
They can be found in different styles, including full-rim frames, which have a solid rim around the entire lens, and half-rim frames, which have a rim around only the top or bottom half of the lens. Full-rim frames were popular in the 1950s and 1960s, while half-rim frames became more popular in the 1970s and 1980s.
Vintage aviator sunglasses were very popular from the 50’s through the 80’s from such manufacturers as Charmant, Ray Ban, or Safilo. Originally worn by pilots in the US air force, vintage aviator eyeglasses have a unique tear-drop shape. Although they were popular in the 60’s- the 80’s, Top Gun in 1986 did more for making aviator glasses popular to a wider audience than any other movie of that era. You can still find vintage glasses in the aviator style today, but it’s probably easier to find on Eyeglasses.com modern day versions. Just type in aviator in our search bar and you will find hundreds of them in both regular lenses and as sunglasses.
You will find many low quality frame companies like Warby Parker that will copy antique sunglass designs and call them a proprietary or “new” eyeglass style. You will not find true vintage glasses there or in a place like Pearle Vision either because they do not want to be bothered with repair inquiries.
The history of vintage eyeglasses dates back to the 13th century, when they were first invented in Italy. At the time, eyeglass lenses were made of crystal or glass and were held in place by a handle. These early eyeglasses were used to correct vision and were only worn by wealthy individuals who could afford them and were usually made of metal with some kind of gold fill. Over time, eyeglasses became more affordable and widely available, and different styles and types were developed to meet the needs and preferences of different people. Today, eyeglasses are an essential part of daily life for many people around the world and are available in a wide range of styles and materials to suit different tastes and budgets.
You can shop for a pair of vintage glasses for men or women in many places, like antique shops, flea markets, and online. However, vintage prescription glasses frames can be very delicate, and it is hard to find the exactly the style you want in a frame that does not have a lot of wear and tear. There are plenty of timeless, classic frames out there that are too low quality. We select only the best pairs, usually with gold fill, and have curated them for you in our Timeless Eyewear collection. We pick the best eyeglass styles, classic designs for women and men, many of which are made in 12k gold or more valuable gold mixtures.
Your eye health is paramount, and you should not be using vintage glasses unless it contributes to better vision. Italian lenses, tinted eyeglasses, a special offer, rapid delivery, and contact lenses are not available.
Author of this article:
Mark Agnew
CEO of Eyeglasses.com, which he founded in 1999. For over twenty years, he has educated consumers, improved their vision choices, and reduced costs in eyewear. Mark authored The Eyeglasses Buying Guide, the most comprehensive and best-selling glasses buying guide in the world.
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