Their distinctive turtle pattern with mottled yellow, honey, and brown shell spots closely resembles the appearance of certain tortoises. You will recognize this style of glasses by their attractive spotted appearance. Compared to basic black or any other solid color frames, tortoiseshell frames are much softer on the face and can enhance and complement skin tone.
A little real tortoise-shell glass history
One fact about round tortoiseshell glasses that will keep you up at night: They used to be made with real tortoiseshell. Right. Tortoiseshell patterns found in vintage glasses and vintage jewelry or accessories are made from real hawthorn tortoiseshell shells.
This is sad and shocking, but it was also before we were so acutely aware of our impact on other creatures. Don't worry, making glasses and other items out of real turtle shells would be considered highly unethical today.
Real round tortoiseshell glasses are a unique product of the 1950s vintage style, but unethical animal-made versions first appeared on the eyewear market in the early 1900s.
Thanks to the world-famous Ray-Ban pilots, the tortoiseshell glasses craze took off in the 1950s. The use of real turtles for accessories was banned in 1970.
What are modern round tortoiseshell glasses made of?
We've come a long way, baby. Modern technological advances in the plastics manufacturing industry have made it possible to obtain the appearance of a turtle shell from man-made materials. This means you can go without wearing round tortoiseshell glasses and not worry about hurting a person.
The most common material used to make the coveted tortoiseshell pattern is acetate. This means you can rest easy knowing that no turtle was harmed while making your beloved glasses!
Are tortoiseshell frames back in fashion?
For years, black was the hottest color for round tortoiseshell glasses, but tortoiseshell has replaced it. The fashionistas at Vint&York can safely tell you that tortoiseshells are the new black. Celebrities are even jumping on the bandwagon. Check out Anne Hathaway - the nerdy, stylish Oscar winner who wears vintage and Vint&York Fly Boy tortoise-shell frames while in New York.