There was a time when eyewear was designed to be more than just an afterthought hanging on your face. Frames from the 40’s 50’s all the way to the 80’s have a character and presence and yes, a level of materials and build quality you rarely see in today’s current offerings. Want to make a bold statement and up your eyewear game? Vintage is where you should be looking.
The Framer
Cedric Cheng walks into the café for our meeting in his trademark double breasted suit. I don’t think I’ve ever met him where he’s not impeccably tailored. He has a tasteful timepiece on his wrist, meticulously selected tie, socks that complement his pocket square and of course, amazing glasses. I would expect nothing less. The man clearly enjoys the accoutrements of the well-dressed gent, but boy is he serious about his glasses. Vintage eyewear is his great passion. The way he communicates the finer points of the look, the feel and the history behind each vintage pair he hunts down clearly shows this is more than just a casual hobby.
For the past 15 years, Cedric has turned his obsession into a passion that provides thru Studio Rotherwood his business that caters to afficionados of vintage eyewear like himself. As I found out, it’s a very slippery slope and an endless rabbit hole once Cedric begins to bring you into the world of Vintage. It was a most enlightening chat that “framed” the subject perfectly and left me seeing much more clearly what the attraction is.
Why Vintage?
Often you meet a well-put together person and can’t quite figure out why their look is working. As Cedric points out, assuming they’re wearing glasses, it’s usually well-chosen frames that have spoken volumes even before you’ve exchanged pleasantries. There’s just something about the sense of design and aesthetics of the era that makes frames from the 40’s, 50’s and onwards to the 1980’s quite unique. Vintage (and faithful re-issues) carry a unique flavor that’s hard to put your finger on. Apart from the look is the less disposable nature of frames from these eras. It’s no accident that many of the glasses that date back 60 or 70 years ago are perfectly usable to this day. They were, quite simply made to last. The old adage that says “They don’t make ‘em like they used to” has never been more true when it comes to vintage eyewear. One of the best reasons to consider vintage is the luxurious quality of materials and the more careful manufacturing techniques, with the best examples often actually hand-crafted rather than machine made. In terms of materials, think of real polished horn, pre-CITES tortoise shell, high-quality Italian acetates, gold-filled metal frames (as opposed to today’s microns thin gold plating), robust hinges and glass lenses from an era where quality took precedence over profit margins. Glasses we’re not the disposable accessories they often are today. They were made with great care and made to last and indeed last they did, that’s why we have the luxury of enjoying them today through purveyors like Cedric.
The Framer’s Choice
As a self-confessed film and music fan growing up, Cedric was always clued-in on culture and how iconic eyewear from these fields shape our own stylistic expressions whether were conscious of it or not. Certain looks from certain definitive eras carry a style statement. And this is where he usually starts with client’s looking to find something that suits them. He wants to know your use case, what your wardrobe looks like and who your style icons are. His catalogue is broad and deep, covering many different genres and eras.
Into Americana? Cedric points to a few classic post war Raybans from his catalogue many of which date back to the 1940’s and 50’s are as serviceable as they originally were 70 years ago. A more recent choice? Risky Business left many of us with a yearning for the iconic B&L Wayfarers. Hardly challenging to provide for Cedric, many have come and gone thru his collection. Perhaps you’re more into the jazz era, there are certainly choices here too from Courtlands to Shurons . Film fan? Cedric has shades that are as iconic as the stars who wore them. Steve Mcqueens Persols, Peter Fonda’s easy rider OlympianI DLXs. Or maybe music’s more your inspo? Roy Orbison’s and Buddy Holly’s Mexican-made FAOASAs can also be had. But even more interesting than the dizzying catalogue is the backstory and encyclopedic facts that Cedric has as stock knowledge on any of these frames. Ask a question about and he most likely has the answer.
And neither is the catalogue static. There are always new finds, grails to chase or contemporary offerings from boutique craftsmen that meet Studio Rotherwood’s exacting standards for taste and quality, to choose from…and there’s so much to choose from.
Deciding on which vintage frame to go with is the hard part but opting for vintage over modern takes is an easy choice to make. Choose vintage cause it has romance to it. Stand out and be film in a digital world, be Vinyl against an algorhythmic playlist, be precious when everything else is disposable. As Cedric points out, they’re always unique and always come with a colorful history. A great pair of glasses create a distinct look and “brand” for you. They quite literally “frame” your face and are the focal point when you communicate directly to another person. They send a clear message about who you are and what you’re expressing with your choice of glasses.
If you’re particular about the suit you wear, care about the pen you write with or what your choice of timepiece says about you perhaps it’s time to pay a little more attention to the first and last thing that makes an impression about you, and that should be a great pair of glasses.