As I was recently watching the world’s women’s curling championships, I was struck by the number of participants who were wearing the latest fashion in eyeglasses – spectacles with extremely wide arms and transparent rims. In many cases, they made a probably-attractive wearer look very severe.
I know they’re the latest fashion because I just purchased some new glasses and the optometrist was pushing hard for me to get that latest look. You can call me an old fogey, but while this style may be the latest thing, I think they’re often unattractive. And I also believe they aren’t as functional as narrow-armed glasses because the wide arms block your peripheral vision.
When you think of it, why would eyewear even have a “latest fashion?” Surely there are specific styles that work best with the shape of your face – and that has nothing to do with the latest fashion. And from a functionality standpoint, glasses that completely block your peripheral vision certainly won’t help your driving record.
The fashion phenomenon is common in sport as well as in eyewear, and often to the detriment of athletes. Running shoes are the best example. In order to stimulate sales, running shoe companies change their models every year or two. That way, their products always have the “latest features” that make their predecessor obsolete. The unfortunate result is that athletes, whose old shoes were ideal, must now wear new-and-improved models that neither feel nor work as well as the old model.
In sport, as in eyewear, following the latest fashion often benefits nobody but the manufacturers.
Dick Moss, Editor,
PE Update.com
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[tags]sport equipment,sport fashion,running shoes,running shoe models[/tags]
