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Nov
7
Company Profile: Burberry – the Ultimate Fashion Accessory
Filed Under Sunglasses History, Sunglasses Trivia | Leave a Comment
High-fashion does not come quickly, and this is surely the case with Burberry, whose original creator, Thomas Burberry, opened his first shop in 1856, a full 152 years ago, in England. Thomas earnestly sought to provide high-quality fashion wear for outdoor sporting activities like hunting and fishing, and in this attempt invented the fabric gabardine, which was not only waterproof, but also rip-proof and breathable. In the early 1890s the shop expanded thanks to a string of content customers, and in its new location thrived in outdoor wear sales and also a new style of trench coat which was later worn by British officers in Africa.
This militaristic, rugged, outdoors theme was solidified in the early 1900s with the appearance of the knight logo on Burberry merchandise, an early form of branding. By 1914 (World War I) the British army had adopted the Burberry coat, and had the designer add military specifications. The plaid lining Burberry trench coats are known for was added by 1920—and a style that has survived to this day was born out of a nasty era of war. See image of an early Burberry design British trench coat.
In addition to being one of the most well recognized British fashion designs, the trench coat has surpassed its branding and has become associated with the British themselves, and activities which have a special place in both British history and British lore. Fishing, hunting and equestrian sports are especially ‘British’ in their classy and sophisticated appeal, and clad in Burberry trenches and plaid hats, one can proceed in these endeavours in the same style and grace as the British of 100 years ago—with minor modern tweaks, of course.
Of notably fame, explorer Earnest Shackleton (in image left), who first braved and explored the South Pole, was outfitted by Burberry. In an ongoing effort to encourage exploration and creativity, Burberry has opened a foundation aimed at assisting young, creative youths in cities where Burberry employees live.
Today Burberry has adapted with the times, and has made their fashion label as modern as Gucci and Prada with the edition of accessory lines, including a very fashionable and well-received eyewear collection that has both stylish and modern designs as well as traditional, outdoorsmen classics. The company’s advertising campaign is unique in that it adheres to traditional colour schemes and photo content, but has adapted in using modern modelling poses and styles—a delightful contrast of the old and new that epitomizes the brand’s essence.
Throughout the years this British design label has been both an inspiring innovator and a reminder of times past. Buerberry has a long history of fashion successes and creations that rival the largest of design houses. From exploration gear to military uniforms to high-fashion accessories, this is a brand that has stood the test of time and emerged in the 21st century a classy and responsible label.
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Jun
20
The Invention Of Eyeglasses
Filed Under Sunglasses History, Sunglasses Trivia, Eyewear Knowledge | 1 Comment
The story of the lens extends far back into human history and crosses not only continents, but also vastly different cultures. From Italy to Germany, France and the US, the history of eyeglasses is a tale of the frustrated vision-impaired searching for alternatives to a blurry existence.
The exact date and inventor of eyeglasses is unknown. Indeed, historians assume that while development was occurring in the Western world in optometry, similar developments were occurring in parts of the East. We have little record (at least in English) of the Eastern timeline of eyeglasses development, and hence, this discussion focuses on the Western invention and development of glasses.
Around 20AD the Roman philosopher Seneca used a glass globe filled with water as a reading aid, apparently suffering from farsightedness. His invention was improved upon by the development in the year 1000AD of reading stones made of solid, polished glass, essentially a magnifying glass used for reading. These were set into bone or soft metals and hand-held only when reading or examining objects close-up.
The thirteenth century Italian monk Salvino D’Armate, despite the lack of visual and textual references, is widely believed to be the inventor of modern eyeglasses. These were essentially magnifying glasses in various shapes depending on the severity of one’s eye ailment. It is presumed that he used the thickness of blown glass at different intervals in one glass object as a means of finding the right thickness for each person based on the degeneration of their eyes.
In 1306 an Italian monk delivered a sermon that was copied into text. In the sermon he made mention of the fact that it had only been twenty years since the invention of spectacles. From this first written record historians surmise that it may well have been D’Armate who made (or at least refined and then popularized) the modern reading glasses design, complete with convex and concave lenses.
Despite all of these advancements, it was not until Johannes Kepler released research on optics and astronomy that the eye was properly mapped, thus explaining earlier successful attempts with concave and convex lenses for the correction of vision problems.
Nearsightedness, until the fifteenth century, had seen little progress. Pope Leo X, however, writes that he acquired and wore eyeglasses when hunting to increase long distance vision. We can safely assume that distance glasses had been around for roughly forty to fifty years prior to the pope’s nonchalant mention of his set of glasses.
By the mid-sixteenth century eyeglasses tied to your cranium were being replaced by spectacles resting on the bridge of your nose and tied loosely behind your ears. In the next hundred years they evolved into the metal frames we know today. It was at this phase in the development of eyeglasses that Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals in l784 to ease the transition for those who would otherwise have to switch between near and far sighted correctional lenses.
Following these well-paced developments, the field of optometry (the study of eyes) was advanced by Moritz Von Rohr, who invented the first aspheric lenses. Meaning, he made it possible to have thinner lenses, and to decrease the distortion of the eye others see when looking at a person wearing glasses.
Shortly after the Von Rohr additions, scientists began searching for ways not only to correct vision, but to enhance aesthetics. Thus emerged the contact lens, and not long after that—laser eye surgery.
Thus, from before the time of Christ to present day, the development of eyeglasses—a necessity for some—has improved at a continuous and steady pace. One can only imagine the next phase in development!
Jun
20
The History Of Sunglasses
Filed Under Sunglasses History, Sunglasses Trivia | 1 Comment
The exact origin of sunglasses is unclear, as precise records related to inventions were uncommon in earlier times. Several theories about their beginnings exist, and are as follows:
Chinese Magistrates. Some claim the origin of sunglasses was in China, where magistrates would wear smoky quartz lenses to hide the expressions in their eyes and maintain the appearance of neutrality. Though no documentation exists to verify this story, it is not unlikely as the Chinese were the inventors of many items still commonly in use. The quartz was said to be refined and made clear through polishing, it was then attached through fire (welding) to a holding rod. The quartz could be held at short intervals under a thick brush fire to gather a thin layer of smoke, thus tinting the lens. The magistrate could hold the smoky quartz pieces up to his eyes with the rod and thus hide his expressions during trials.
Spectator Sports. The Roman Emperor Nero was said to have watched gladiator fights with emeralds, though scientifically this could not have given poor Nero much assistance as the Emerald would not have worked as a vision tool, but more as a series of mirrors. Still, it could have been used for Nero to watch several aspects of the battle simultaneously, essentially giving him the ability to look two places at once (though green-tinted and at a distance).
Artic Survival. Another suggestion for the origin of sunglasses comes from the Natives of Northern Canada and Alaska. Trackers would wear bark fragments over their eyes, tied in place with a band around their forehead and secured with sap below the eye on the cheek-bones. The thin strips of tree bark would essential block some of the light, decreasing the amount entering and damaging the eye. They used these makeshift shades to block the blinding rays of light that were reflected off the snow, even from directly underfoot.
Basic artic survival tips in outdoor magazines and survival guides claim that protecting yourself from the sun is of the utmost importance. Many artic hikers and adventurers suffer serious eye damage from the sun’s rays reflected off snow. The cold distracts the mind from the sun, which is associated with heat, and many forget to shield themselves. Light reflected into the eyes can be severely damaging, and will not only cause severe vision blurring, but could eventually lead to blindness. It is also physically and mentally exhausting to absorb too much sun through the eyes, causing one to be drowsy and helpless—feelings not wholly helpful in a survival situation. Modern artic sunglasses come with thick leather blinders on the sides to further decrease the amount of reflected light absorbed by the eye.
Medical Roots. Darkened lenses were prescribed in Europe for patients suffering from various diseases including syphilis, though they were of little actual medical assistance. Rather than tying a bandage around the eyes of a blind man or woman, European doctors began to offer black metal sunglasses (though no light came through at all) to the blind to make others aware of their condition without alienating them or singling them out by having them walk around with an uncomfortable and attention-grabbing head bandage.
Modern America. Early silent film actors would often wear tinted or darkened sunglasses on camera to block the blinding arc lights aimed at them. It developed into a style related to the glamour of Hollywood which has persisted even today.
Innovations. In 1936 Edwin H began experimenting with polarization and made the first polarized lenses. Basically, transparent materials reflect light that is partly or fully polarized when reflected indirectly, polarized lenses allow the material’s reflective light to dissipate on contact. Since the polarization of sunglasses many small additions have been made, including the addition of titanium frames, foldable frames, frames with cameras (as in True Lies) and even mirror frames that employ similar technology to two-way glass.
There you have it folks, a rough and tumble history of sunglasses from their purported smoky origins to the invention of sunglasses that bend in half without breaking and contain small cameras and viewing screens.