Every once and a while a person comes along who transcends time, culture, and style to become something larger than life. When that happens it seems that all aspects of their lives become iconic, everything from their quotes to their fashion is celebrated world-wide for decades on end. Many of these people are but distant memories, remembered only in the words they wrote and the photographs that were taken of them. It is often hard to picture any of these men without first thinking of the spectacles that adorned their noses, and God forbid they ever wore contact lenses Fake Ray Ban Sunglasses, which is why they belong on the list of the top five specs icons.
Gandhi
The humble hero of the Indian uprising against colonialism, Mohandas K. Gandhi's eyewear perfectly reflected how he lived in every way. Stripped down to the bare essentials, his glasses were as minimalist as his life. Nearly every grainy black and white image captured of him includes three things: a smile Fake Oakley Sunglasses, homespun clothing, and his wonderfully round, fragile looking glasses.
Elton John
A man with as big a personality as Sir Elton John could only be expected to have a pair of glasses to complement it. In what could be considered the opposite of Gandhi, John has worn hundreds, if not thousands, of different pairs of glasses and all of them have been incredibly over the top. Even a simple pair of sunglasses is often busting with a loud turquoise or passionate purple colour to reflect his personality. Everything from feathers to windshield wipers have adorned his eyes, and his flamboyant style will be remembered throughout the ages.
Malcolm X
The vocal American leader of the militant wing of the 1960s civil rights movement, Malcolm X was often pictured deep in contemplation wearing a crisp suit and sharp pair of glasses. Considered the heartbeat of a population of African Americans yearning for a powerful voice in society, X had both a fiery side and a contemplative side, reflected perfectly by his glasses which were very bold and thick on top while the bottom of the frames were more understated and studious.
John Lennon
With frames that are closer to Gandhi's than Elton John's Cheap Ray Ban, Lennon's glasses are a good complement to his colourful personality that could be incredibly shy and timid one minute and bursting with energy the next. Sometimes sunglasses, sometimes regular, it is almost impossible to think of Lennon without picturing the round frames he wore to perfection.
Woody Allen
Allen's spectacles are a bit on the nerdy side, much like him. A man who has been around the Hollywood scene seemingly forever, Allen has been photographed and filmed in his iconic frames more times than the internet can properly keep up with. With the quintessential New York personality, his frames scream of a man who wants to make a bold statement out of all of his little quirks.
Honourable Mentions:
Buddy Holly - Easily number six on this list, if only it were expanded by one more person, this '50s American heartthrob would be on it.
Gok Wan - The fact that he is really only famous in the UK, and the fact that he is a relatively new face are two of the big factors keeping him off of this list, but it is almost impossible to think about him without also thinking of his bold glasses.
Penelope Byrd is a freelance copywriter based in the UK. She specialises in medical journalism, in particular eye care.
In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz, and it was here that he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who was arranging the film's musical score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall. In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operationsJones and Jackson produced Off the Wall together. Songwriters included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit
In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Album for Children. That year Jackson issued his second Epic album, Thriller. The album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks and 37 of those weeks at peak position. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." Thriller was certified for 28 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. It is cited as the best-selling album of all time, worldwide sales between 47 million and 109 million copies.