Framed.

by

(This is but a small sampling. I am, indeed, an addict.)

Ok, People.

I start this post by longing to make a comparison I know will date me, and one I used to make repeatedly back in the day.

Back in the day when it still dated me—-just not as much.

To know me.

To *really* know me.

Is to realize I aspire to be Elton John.

(if you’re young and befuddled please to see the caption under the photo above)

It’s addiction so raging and pricey I pretty much recognized I was allowed no other.

Fancy shoes? Nah.  I’m happy with Payless or the Mart of the Wall.

Beautiful baubles? Chances are the bling you covet is a CZ.

Costly couture? Im all Tarjay all the way.

You get the idea.

Im happily frugal until it comes to glasses.

For me frames do far more than house my lenses: they  are an extension of myself.

Ive begin to realize recently the pair I don on any given day gives clues to the people Im with about my identity (identity du jour? I suspect it’s that depending on if Im in a business meeting or a tutu-gathering).

The pair I don on any given day indicates how I wish to be perceived (serious? silly? frivolous? frumpy?).

The pair I don on any given day can even foreshadow the day’s plans (playground PLAYOUT time? Im on the rimless specs for sure!  TV interview? Ive gots on the serious librarian specs!).

Ive begun to realize recently the 2 minutes I spend each morning yanking a pair of glasses from the jumbled mess of my drawer my expensive, well-lit, velvet lined display case reveals that days answer to a question Ive been struggling to answer:

Who am I?

At least for that day.

Which leads me to ask you—ala this post in a way—what are your glasses?

What item do you don (or use) on a daily basis which helps define you—both for  yourself and for others you encounter?

Be it handbags, shoes, ties or bandannas please to hit us all up in the comments below.

 

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Comments

  2. Interesting question!!

    I have to wear suits to work so I would say my jewelry?

    I need to think about this one.

  3. I have felt so undefined recently if that makes sense.

    I switched jobs and broke up with my boyfriend and feel like I need something to define me.

    HELP 🙂

  4. I wish I had the same upbeat relationship with glasses! A four-eyed geek from an early age, I’ve never found a pair that suited me. Contacts were a great solution, but now I’ve got middle-aged eyes and can’t see for sh*t without a pair of drugstore readers.

    But with your inspiration, perhaps it’s time to try shopping for glasses again.

    Meantime, I guess my t-shirts are my daily identity shifter. Hmm, wonder why so many feature either coffee places or pizza?

  5. I love your glasses Miz and completely got the reference.

    I don’t have anything that lets people know who I am and what Tina believes in.

    My earrings?

    I need something.

  8. Good question. When I am at the office it is definitely my scarves!

    Hippy funky and conservative depending on my meeting schedule.

  10. I have one pair of regular glasses and one pair of subscription glasses, so it’s definitely not that! I’d say its my outfit–today its my fave Athleta dress that looks smart but is comfy and fun–perfect for my lunch meeting. 🙂

  11. Interesting perSPECtive 🙂

    Here it is the ensemble that indicates who I am.

    Fun post!

  12. I totally need new glasses! I strangely avoid mine at all costs (and go with contacts on the regular). Mine are all bent and scratched up (mostly because I wear them only around bed time, fall asleep with them on my face and then Frank usually ends up sitting on them at some point at night). I would say my shoes usually say a lot about my mood. I don’t have a lot of shoes or nice shoes…but they type I’m wearing definitely says a lot!

  13. Ah Carla. Seeing that I have like 3 outfits total that I rotate & I got the eye surgery done years & years ago so I don’t wear glasses and my feet only handle Hoka & sneaker shoes.. I know, I am a mess or as one of my granddaughter’s said about my hair – Nana, your hair it a hot mess – ;-).. anyway, I would have to say my face – what expressions it hits that day will tell you who I am that day…. I wish I had more! 😉

    Love the glasses!

  15. I really do this, too.

    I have about a dozen yoga mats and switch them depending on my mood, too!!

  17. Unifrom for work. Nail polish for me. Summer Yellow for good days. Bright red for cold, cold winter days. Lavendar today 😉

  18. I’m totally stumped on this one. No surprise as I buy my “dress” work shoes from Crocs, wear only a touch of mascara and only on work days, pull out to wear whatever is wrinkled the least in my closet, have a bag from LL Bean I’ve used as a purse for 4 years, and the only jewelry I wear is my wedding ring and my Timex Ironman watch every day even to the office and it is purple and never matches with anything. Maybe my lip wear? If it is just a normal day I wear my Burt’s Bees toffee lip shimmer, I’m feeling saucy I wear lip gloss. LOL how about all that for my fancy meter? Am I frumpy?

  19. I really, really had to think about this. I guess it would be hair and makeup. Whether it’s flat ironed hair and makeup out the wazoo, or a pony tail and just mascara and lip gloss (it’s never, the no make-up 😉

  21. You know the easy answer for me here would be headbands. I’ve got… a kazillion of ’em. BUT, since they’re mainly workout attire, it’s all about the kicks for me. I don’t have a lot of shoes, but I’m VERY particular about the ones I buy. Sambas for lounging, 3-4 pair of K-Swiss for various occasions (VERY WHITE), Eccos for grown up stuff. And the white sneakers I seriously whiten once every week or two.

    I also remember quite a while ago you were talking about your lack of fashion sense and then I saw a closeup of you on video and thought to myself “that eyewear does not say ‘lack of fashion sense!'” You got style locked down in the frames department 🙂

  22. (thank you) and see Ryan? I. Judge. I was certain yud say headbands. It does go to show that BRAND and SELF aren’t always the same.

  23. Mine is what I thought yours would be MizFit!

    I’m a trainer and its all about the bandannas and bondi bands!

  25. I love this! I used to have a signature “color” – I was orange – no, not THAT orange. I’ve sort of grown out of that phase. But I love it that you love glasses! Very cool!

  27. I SO remember seeing Elton John on one of those variety shows ion TV when I was a kid (mid 70s) and he changed outfits and GLASSES so many times!!

    But you know what?? I have no idea what my “thing” is…except maybe it’s black tops with white bottoms?? At least it’s been that lately. There’s a pair of white pants I covet and they’re $300…not sure I want to spend that but at the same time I so do!

  28. So fun!!
    I love seeing other people’s answers.

    Mine is a little known one since I work in a super conservative industry with not much room for expression.

    Pedicures in outrageous colors and styles!

  29. So what does it say about me that I have no “item.” Either I am just to lazy and don’t care enough about my appearance and message (not a great thing) or I am comfortable enough with myself that it doesn’t matter anymore (which is a much more positive spin). Once upon a time it was earrings. I used to carefully choose them to match my outfit or mood. Now I go weeks without putting them on. Boy, I sure got lazy somewhere along the way!

  30. Jewelry. Doesn’t even have to be expensive but even if I go to the gym without studs and a small necklace I feel naked.

  31. Holy crap, I’m insanely jealous of your glasses! I love glasses! But they are an expensive addiction, which means I don’t have a collection. 🙁

    My ‘glasses’ are my clothes in general. I have an insanely huge and varied wardrobe, and every day I can decide if I want to be sassy librarian, emo teen wannabe, or boring laze-about in ragged jeans and a plain v-neck tee. (That one’s usually not a matter of choice so much as extremely limited dressing-time.)

  33. If I were rich, I’d have a bunch of different glasses – I do love how you can change you look with them. You’ve definitely got some fun and funky frames!!

    For me, what sets my tone is jewelry – some days it’s playful and colorful, some days it’s more classic. Some days I’m not wearing any – that’s when I’m just staying home. 🙂

  35. Interesting – I”m the same way with my glasses. It has been quite strange indeed to find my eyes have improved as of this year and I don’t really need them anymore, except in the lab. It’s like part of “me” is missing sometimes. I’m moving my habit over to sunglasses…:)

  37. I love this!

    It is definitely flip flops for me. I have plain sparkley platform super-platformed 😉 cheap expensive….

  38. I think it must be shoes. Because I feel weird lately – our now-8-month-old-puppy ate a ton of my shoes including:

    *my best thick-soled, collegiate-logoed flip flops
    *the best black pumps ever designed
    *their brown cousins
    *my cute think-soled brown flip flops with the pretty flowers design on the bottom
    *my fantastic, flirty, five-dollar white sandals
    *other shoes that I did not give a flip (or a flop) about

    Every morning I have a hard time getting dressed because I start with the shoes and work up, and I am woefully lacking in the shoes that have inspired me for the last few years.

  39. I’d say my whole ensemble. Some days I’m ponytailed and in jeans, sandals, a witty t-shirt and hoodie, small hoops, light lipstick, and beaded necklace. Some days, I’m jacket, tank, skirt, heels (ok wedges, I can’t do REAL heels), pendant, bigger hoops, and dark lipstick.

    I only have 1 pair of glasses, I switch them out with contacts depending on what’s up that day (gym workouts, movie, going out? contacts. Outside workouts where I can wear my prescription sunglasses or mostly a lounge day? No contacts, glasses all the way). I love your collection though!

  40. I don’t have a “thing”, but I love yours.

    I don’t think I could afford yours LOL

  42. It is the whole thing for me. I’m a creative dresser 😉 (some might call it costume’y).

  43. My hair? Probably? I’ve been thinking about this one all morning and still can’t come up with anything. I think it’s because I typically don’t like myself all that much (I know, I know, working on it) and therefore change almost everything about me on a regular basis. My wedding ring is pretty much the only thing I always wear…

  44. Counting the crazy-glued glasses that I keep in the cra for emergencies (yep, glued right in te middle likea nerd), I have my fancy Gucci glasses. Husband forced me to buy fancy because I was depriving myself of EVERYTHING at the time. But glasses aren’t really my big thing. I love shoes… but too bad my Flintstone feet rarely feel comfortable in all the ones I wanna buy. #boo

  45. Have you heard of ZenniOptical.com? While not designer-quality frames, you can still find nice-looking glasses for really cheap. I got prescription sunglasses for $30 shipped a couple years ago … and I selected one of their more-expensive frame options!

    Yes, I know, I’m not helping …

  47. Oddly enough i have nothing i don daily, however, my hair determines my mood or rather reflects my mood..if I’m carefree just chillin for the day my hair is down, if I’m busy or active then hairs in ponytail, that’s pretty much only thing for me…

    Love your frames, I have ONE pair and love them…versus line from versace but you’ll only find me wearing them at home since I love my contacts!

  48. I think my thing might be red lipstick….love it….I also like nice glasses. I don’t wear mine daily b/c I’m nearsighted…I think that’s what I am. (Does that mean I can’t see far away?) I’m been wanting a pair of Oliver Peoples glasses for well over a year now. Soon I’m going to bite the bullet and just get a pair. For everything else I’m good with thrifting.

  49. I’m the same way with glasses. I usually stock up when there are sales. The store I used to use went out of business and I got three frames for like $10 and it was the cheapest yet coolest pairs I have. I love glasses!

  50. Even though no one sees I’d have to say my undwear vary depending on my mood. If I want to be sexy a thong and pushup with deep V clevage. If I want to look stylish that would again be thong or seemless one witht he really supportive bra that keeps the girls at just the right level. If I just want to be relaxed it’ll be the bikini cuts and the bra that is just slightly too big. If I’ve feeling frumpy or not in the mood to care. It’ll be the granny pantys and whatever bra i had on the day before. 🙂

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