A century of frames, faces, and the stories behind the styles that defined their eras...
At Murphys the Opticians, we’ve spent generations watching eyewear evolve from a strictly medical object into one of the most personal style choices a person makes. Here’s a walk through the decades that shaped the frames we wear today — and the houses carrying that lineage forward.
The Timeline
1920s — The pince-nez and round wire era
Eyeglasses were still firmly medical. Thin round wire frames and the pince-nez — perched on the nose, no arms — defined the look of doctors, professors, and intellectuals. Signatures: round wire, pince-nez.
1940s — Browlines and the rise of acetate
Acetate made frames bolder and cheaper. The browline — thick on top, wire on the bottom — became the defining shape of the decade. Function was beginning to flirt with fashion. Signatures: browline, acetate.
1960s — Big, bold, and unapologetic
The counterculture arrived in eyewear. Oversized round frames, tinted lenses, and the first true fashion collaborations. Audrey Hepburn’s slim cat-eyes. John Lennon’s wire rounds. Eyewear became identity. Signatures: cat-eye, oversized, tinted lenses.
1980s — Aviators, wayfarers, and excess
Ray-Ban became a cultural institution. Aviators dominated film. The Wayfarer — once discontinued — was resurrected by product placement in Risky Business and became the best-selling frame of the decade. Signatures: aviator, wayfarer.
2000s — Rimless, titanium, and the invisible frame
Tech aesthetics invaded eyewear. Rimless and semi-rimless frames, lightweight titanium, and muted palettes. Steve Jobs made round wire cool again. Less became more. Signatures: rimless, titanium.
Now — Everything, everywhere, all at once
No single silhouette dominates. Retro references sit alongside clean Scandinavian minimalism and bold sculptural acetate. The best frames today are deeply considered — and that’s exactly where independent boutiques thrive. Signatures: retro revival, sculptural acetate, Nordic minimal.
The Murphys Edit
Each house we carry maps back to one of these eras — chosen, not stocked.
- Anne et Valentin — Echoes the 1960s. Sculptural shapes from Toulouse, worn with confidence.
- Theo Eyewear — Echoes the 1940s. Bold acetate that honours the browline era with a modern twist.
- Ørgreen Optics — Echoes the 2000s. Lightweight titanium with the Nordic minimalism of a new era.
- Garrett Leight — Echoes the 1980s. California cool with heritage silhouettes done effortlessly well.
- SALT. Optics — Echoes the 1950s and 60s. California-made frames built on craftsmanship, natural materials, and timeless silhouettes — quietly confident, never loud.
- L.G.R. Eyewear — Echoes the 1960s aviator era. Handmade in Italy with roots in 1970s Asmara, Eritrea — golden-age glamour reissued with original tooling.
Come and try them on. Book a frame consultation at Murphys the Opticians, Main Street, Wexford.