How to Find the Right Size Shopping for Vintage Eyewear

Over the years, the average size of eyeglasses has fluctuated with style and period. If you have a "medium" fitting modern frame, it may be a very different size than a "medium" fit in another style or one from another time. In general, frames have gotten progressively larger as time went on. For a century or better, 40mm wide lenses were the standard adult size. Lens width is the primary way glasses are measured. The invention of nose pads in the 1920's moved the lens further from the face, allowing larger lenses to be made. In the '60's, pilot frames for men and the big goggle "Jackie O" look for women were produced in the largest sizes ever to gain popularity. Today's (boring) standard little rectangles are much smaller than that, but still larger than early 20th century frames.

To find a good fit in the style you are looking for, use the chart below. The range of sizes for each style is shaded, with the medium or most popular sizes being in darker colors. Most likely, a proper proportional fit will be smaller than whatever you wear as "normal" in today's styles. If you think you are a small fit, find the style and look for sizes on the left side. You get the idea.

This chart will also let you see in advance the size difference between your new vintage or antique frames and what you are wearing now.

	Lens Width in mm ->	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54	56	58	60	62	64
	19th Century Metal Frames This includes most frames made in the 1800's, and covers oval and rectangular shapes as well as rimless frames
	Pince-Nez & Oxfords These spectacle types were variously popular from the mid-1800's to about 1935. They include finger-piece and hoop spring pince-nez, as well as folding Oxfords.
	Round Metal Windsor Frames AKA Harry Potter, John Lennon, Ghandi glasses. Popular from the 1860's to the 1930's, Windsors are perfectly round metal frames with a saddle bridge (no nose pads).
	Harold Lloyd Large Round Plastic These frames were popular from 1920 to the 1930's. Similar to Windsors, but worn a little larger. This style flitted in and out of popularity in later years too.
	Ful-Vue Frames Introduced in 1930, and popular through the 1960's, you can recognize these frames by the higher point where the temple (arm) attaches to the frame front. See a History of Ful-Vue here.
	Cat Eyes & Women 1940-1965 This includes the cateyes of the 1950's, but also applies to women's frames in general during this period, roughly WWII to Viet Nam.
	Mens Thick Plastic 1945 - 1970 This is the nerd, geek, rocket scientist, Buddy Holly look, unmistakeably mid-century America, and is strongly identified with "the 50's look". Many later examples were made as safety frames.
	Browline G-Man Ronsir Combination Frames Invented in 1947, this style swept the country, and during the 1950's it influenced at least half the eyewear sold.
	Pilot & Aviator Frames + Mens Navigator Styles Starting as a mens style around WWII and morphing to unisex in the 1970's, Older examples are likely to be in the lower end of the range. '70's and 80's styles, like those from Porsche Design will be at the larger end. Often made as sunglasses, like the RayBan Large Metal.
	Classic "P3" Metal Yuppie, Hippie, Preppie Frames '70's, '80's The P3 is a semi-round shape that was originally a military specification. Metal frames in this shape were made in Ful-Vue frames (see Ful-Vue above), but were wildly popular in the 1970's and 1980's
	Womens Large Frames - '60's Jackie O. to '80's These were worn larger than any womens style before or since. These same styles are copied today for the big sunglass styles you see on celebrities (and everyone else). This group includes big plastic as well as large metals. This size grouping also includes big colorful plastic "Opticolors" frames
	Mens Large Metal & Plastic '70's & '80's This group is the traditional or mainstream styling of the '70's & '80's for men. Big, often rectangular frames in plastic or metal.

©