166.5 million US adults wear prescription eyewear. The number almost doubles when you factor in the number of adults who need glasses and either don’t have access or can’t seem to find their match made in eyewear heaven. For Black and Brown prescription eyewear users, their perfect match goes beyond style. FIt is where things tend to go awry, and entire demographics of underserved eyewear users feel no other choice but to settle for ill fitting eyewear.

A lot goes into choosing the perfect frames. The golden question, “how does it feel?” is almost hypnotic—hearing it so many times from your optician. How does it feel? Is it too tight against your temples? Is it sliding down your face? For Black and Brown folks, the answer might often be yes.

If you’ve ever tried on a cute pair of glasses and had to sadly pass on them because of fit, let me offer some solace. Most eyewear isn’t designed for ethnic features! Standard eyewear caters to those with high nose bridges and shorter temple lengths. Does that mean you should settle for “less-than-perfect” frames? Some industry disruptors say heck no, and are doing the necessary work to upset the standard.

The History of Eyewear Design

The human eye is no stranger to refractive errors. Whether a slight astigmatism or myopia caused by age, human biology makes us susceptible to all kinds of errors with our eyesight. The inventions from eyewears’ forefathers made these errors bearable, but historically had one demographic in mind: White men.

It is unclear the exact invention date of prescription eyewear, but the spectacle has been historically placed around the 13th century. In J. William Rosenthal’s 1994 book, Spectacles and Other Vision Aids, he details that the first design originated in Italy. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the lenses were most likely made from crystals like quartz, and due to their curved surface, they had the ability to magnify objects.

A Pair of 18th Century Martins Margins Steel Spectacles

The invention of the printing press in the 1400’s revolutionized the world of printed material and tested the general public’s ideas of general good sight. In turn, catalyzing the need for spectacles. With industry disrupting designs taking place every century, it was not until the early 1700s when London optician and salesman, Benjamin Martin convinced the London elite to wear his invention, Martin Margins (mid 1750s). The spectacles were some of the first to include a rim around the corrective lenses in a frame to avoid eye strain and excessive light to the eye. These glasses were widely popular until the early 1800s, and were even worn in America.

In 1784, American inventor, Benjamin Franklin, invented the bifocal, containing an upper half for reading and lower half for distance. By the mid 1800’s steel wire was used for thinner frames and over the ear temples. Then came the modern aesthetics we enjoy today—well, some of us.

The journey of glasses far proceeds us, but that doesn’t mean more revolutions can’t take place to ensure that more eyewear users feel included.

Design Flaws Disproportionately Affect Black and Brown Eyewear Users

Centuries of innovation and aesthetics revolutionized the eyewear space, but continued to overlook Black and Brown users in their design processes. Constantly pushing up sliding glasses or suffering from tight temples should not be normalized, regardless of how stylish your frames might be. Eyewear is more than an indicator of style. It is a medical necessity, and no one should have to settle when they invest their time and money into ensuring they have equal access to eyecare. So why do we settle?

In our quest for answers, we interviewed over 100 Black and Brown eyewear users around the country and more than 70% of users detailed issues with the fit of their glasses. That number should alarm you.

Sifting through pages of testimonials we found the same issues reported: they don't fit their faces. “They slide off every second”,” They’ve always been tight around my head so I just bent them out a little bit”. The experiences we heard were unfortunate, but not surprising. One man interviewed briefly in New York City said, “I’ve been wearing glasses for 40 years, and have stuck to the same simple style. Sure, they slide off my face and are tight around my ears, but they’re a necessity.”

It’s stories like Vance’s that make us wonder: What is being done to include Black and Brown prescription eyewear users in this space? Especially in the design process.

Black Eyewear Companies That Are Putting Outdated Design in Hindsight

Vance is not alone. We heard countless stories of Black and Brown users settling for ill fitting frames, or opting out of wearing prescription eyewear altogether. Frustrated with constant slippage or tight frames, they’ve just given up–we call this “fit fatigue”.

Co-founders of ĖNDIRĖ Eyewear, Tolu Ojo and myself, Tyler Pharr, know fit fatigue all too well. Both wearing glasses for over 15 years, we’ve suffered the realities of being an afterthought in the eyewear design process. We found the search for the perfect frame almost impossible–but rather than settle, we wanted to make a difference in the industry and create a solution for Black and Brown eyewear users.

For over 2 years, we have been working tirelessly to interview those who have suffered fit fatigue. To date, we have begun curating our community of former “fit fatiguers”, and begun designing eyewear that fits our beautiful ethnic features. The days of your glasses sliding will soon be long gone. To follow our journey, give us a follow on Instagram and Substack at ĖNDIRĖ Eyewear, and be sure to share this article. Spreading the mission of inclusion in eyewear design is the ultimate goal!

In the meantime, check out these other Black owned eyewear brands doing the work to make sure Black and Brown eyewear users are a forethought in their design process.