The Rise of Cat-Eye Glasses

Cat-eye glasses were popular among women in the ’50s and ’60s and are often associated with the Beehive hairstyle and other looks of the period. They preceded the large bug-eye glasses of the following decades. An early precursor of the cat-eye eyeglass shape was American Optical’s Ful-Vue product from 1931. Then came the Harlequin glasses.

Although made popular during the ‘50s, the new trendy frame was invented by Altina Schinasi Miranda in the late ‘30s, making for the first feminine eyewear. Due to the switch to a new, highly scalable material, cat-eye glasses started appearing in many shapes and styles and were worn by stars like Grace Kelly.