Get Your Funk On: Funky Eyeglasses for Everyone
January 9, 2025 • 10:44 AM
Funky eyeglasses are back. Even better news, they now come in a wide range of designs. So, if you’re considering something adventurous for your next pair of glasses, there’s no shortage of funky options. Simply pick a pair that works for you.
Let’s investigate what funky eyeglasses are exactly, then look at some different funky styles you might want to consider. We’ll also suggest where to get your next pair of funky glasses that suits your needs and your sense of style.
What Is Funk?
The word “funk” refers to a music genre that originated in the 1960s and was popular through the ‘70s into the ’80s. Funk music is an earthy mixture of jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, and bebop styles — to name a few — with an underlying rhythmic bass line that makes you want to dance.
Funk, sometimes referred to as “happy music,” emerged near the end of the Civil Rights Movement and exploded in the 1970s. As a style created by and for the African-American community, funk attempted to capture the complex feelings that came with the transition from segregation to a more integrated America.
Initially popularized by James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone, the genre was later adopted into the musical styles of artists from many categories, including Miles Davis, Kool and the Gang, Marvin Gaye, Chaka Khan, the Temptations, Prince, and even Michael Jackson. Nowadays, you’ll still find funky inspiration in genres like hip-hop and techno dance music.
The feel-good lyrics in many funk songs — phrases like “give up the funk” and “dance all night” — encourage the listener to let go of their baggage and escape into an irresistibly groovy world.
What Is Funk Fashion?
Funk fashion celebrated freedom of dress in both clothes and eyewear. You could go understated or over the top, and whether what you wore matched or didn’t wasn’t an issue — as long as it expressed your style.
With a strong emphasis on individuality and self-expression, funk fashion was far from subtle. If you’re looking to put together a funk ensemble to match your new, funky frames, you’ll have to go big or go home. Look for statement necklaces, headbands, and bright earrings to accessorize your look.
Another staple of funk fashion was shoes. This was the era of impossibly high platforms and knee-high boots. In terms of clothes, vibrant colors and eye-catching patterns were the name of the game.
Along with color, funk fashion was also characterized by its distinct combination of textures, often incorporating satin, velvet, sequins, and other fun fabrics into outfits. This brought a sense of playfulness and elegance to everyday dressing.
What Are Funky Eyeglasses?
Staying true to that ethos are funky eyeglasses. Funk can be expressed in the shape, colors, design, and unique styling detail of your glasses frames, or the color of your lenses.
Many funky styles are unisex and suit all genders, so don’t feel limited. Funk is all about freedom. In fact, one of the most revolutionary things about the funk movement was how it challenged the accepted gender norms of the time. You’d often see men in full glam and heels and women in suits — that’s part of what made it such a liberating form of self-expression.
Funky Glasses for You
Aviators, Ray-Bans, and Oakleys, step aside. For funky inspiration, let’s explore different types of funky eyewear that will get you excited about wearing glasses.
FunkyRetro Round Glasses
By their very nature, funky eyeglasses are retro. They may be updated for modern times, but their vintage spirit lives on.
Round is the most retro you can get, as the first pair of glasses — way back in the 13th century — were round. Round glasses came back into style in a big way in the 1960s due to the influence of celebrities like John Lennon, and they’re still best sellers today.
They especially suit more angular face shapes as they balance out strong lines. If you’re looking for a pair of round, funky glasses, you might want to find a pair with colorful or rimless lenses. Any style that seems out of the ordinary will point you toward funk fashion.
Try one of these funky round glasses styles: The Twain, The Reese, The Soto, or The Otis.
Funky Shapes Like Cat-Eye Frames
Hearts, stars, and funky fruit shapes aside, cat-eye glasses are perhaps one of the most interesting adult frame shapes around. With their upturned corners, they hark back to the 1920s but came to fame in the ‘50s and ‘60s, when Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn wore them on screen. They’re still beloved by celebrities today, from Scarlett Johansson to Rihanna.
Cat-eye frames flatter many different face shapes, so don’t be afraid to try a pair. For even more funk, go oversized for a celebrity-in-disguise look. Given that funky dressing is all about pushing boundaries, consider a cat eye with a dramatic point or one that comes in a multi-color pattern. Pair your cat-eye frames with a retro, funky hair-do, and get ready to dance the night away.
Give one of these cat-eye styles a go: The Wanda, or The Ella.
Sunglasses With Funky Colored Lenses
Sure, brown-tinted lenses go with anything — but is that what you’re going for in your sunglasses?
Stand out from the crowd by sporting a fun lens color that may or may not match your outfit. What’s important is, does it make you feel good? The big benefit of opting for an especially funky pair of sunglasses is that they can become your go-to accessibility accessory without having to be matched to your outfit.
How about one of these funky tinted styles?:
- The Ella in Blue Tortoise with Blue Reflective Lenses
- The Soto in Tortoise with Green Reflective Lenses
- The Casper with an Orange Reflective Sun Top
Eyeglasses With Funky Top Frames
Add a layer of funky style to your glasses with Pair Eyewear’s unique Top Frames. Top Frames are 2 millimeters thick so they weigh very little. They attach magnetically to your chosen Base Frame, completely changing your look in an instant.
Protect your Top Frame choices for the day with a Top Frame Case, which fits easily into your purse. You won’t even notice they’re there — but they’re on hand when you need them.
Top Frames allow you to funk-ify any outfit, as they make it easy to customize your Base Frames to match your clothes and accessories. This ability to custom-tailor your look to your mood is a way to continue the funk movement into the 21st century.
Funky Eyeglasses With Both Form and Function
Although some funky frames are purely fashion glasses with no prescription, many funky glasses are functional, too.
If your eye doctor has recommended prescription lenses, order your funky eyeglasses with single-vision or bifocal lenses — or their latest evolution, progressive lenses. And if you have presbyopia and are struggling to read anything close to you, funkyreading glasses are the answer.
For even more functionality with your funk, try blue light glasses to protect your sleep if you spend a lot of time online, especially at night. Or, if you move indoors and outdoors all day, opt for light-responsive lenses that darken in the sunlight and then lighten again when indoors.
Where to Get Your Funky Glasses
Whether you’re looking for non-prescription or prescription glasses, search online at Pair Eyewear. Our selection of full-rim glasses with funky frames includes retro round glasses as well as cat-eyes. And if you’re looking for sunglasses with fun-colored lenses, we’ve got you covered there, too. Best of all, our range of funky Top Frames can’t be beat.
Our funky eyeglass frames are made of tough cellulose acetate, with select designs featuring a stylish mix of acetate and metal temples for an extra elevated look. Our standard lenses are made from scratch- and impact-resistant polycarbonate. They’ll last you a while, and all it takes is a switch of Top Frames to have a new look.
As a bonus, all Pair glasses come with an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare so you can see clearly no matter where you are.
The Pair Eyewear website guides you through choosing your Base Frame (use our Frame Size Guide and Virtual Try-On feature to help). Then select your lens type, any add-ons, and your Top Frames. If you have a coupon, go ahead and enter it at checkout.
We accept HSA and FSA cards, and most companies that offer out-of-network vision insurance will reimburse you for Pair Eyewear prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses.
If you’re not completely satisfied with your purchase when it arrives at your door, our return policy allows you to exchange your glasses or return them for a refund within 30 days.
We’re pretty sure you’ll be happy, though — most everyone is.
Funky Eyeglasses Are Cool and Hot — All at the Same Time
Funky eyeglasses date back to the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ’80s and are named for the rhythmic dance music and accompanying fashion style known as funk. It was a time when freedom of expression and style reigned supreme, reflected in the fashion and eyewear of the era.
Choose from funky glasses like retro round frames, interesting shapes like cat-eye glasses, and colored lenses. Or add your own funk with your choice of versatile Top Frames. You can get it all online at Pair Eyewear, starting from just $60.
Find your funk at Pair Eyewear today. Who knew glasses could make you want to get up and dance?
Sources:
History of Funk | Carnegie Hall
James Brown - Songs, Albums & Movie | Biography.com