Hugh Jackman has some new frames, and it's maybe the best bit of PR that glasses have had in a minute. Once a marker in movies that someone was a locker-eating nerd, specs are also simultaneously elegant, and academic, and intellectual. And now, they're also inherently movie star. Because Jackman has joined the likes of Jon Hamm and Pedro Pascal in electing for very '70s aviator glasses.
In New York City, The Greatest Showman actor was spotted at the final night of the Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age show at Studio 54. He chatted with a few fans, signed a few autographs, and did general movie star things. Because he's a nice guy like that. But the most movie star things were the frames. And, all of a sudden, every single person who once talked smack on glasses now wants a pair (even if they don't need a pair).
A nod to the kinda shades that are worn by pilots, Jackman's aviators are crafted from acetate and finished with a glossy effect throughout. Unlike the faux frames of cringe Tumblr days past, these are a lot daintier and subtler. It's super versatile, and it's a style that you can wear with everything from suits to sweats. And in the Australian actor's case, a black tee, a brown varsity jacket, and a sick baseball cap.
But, other than the fact that they look damn good, there's an even deeper reason why Hollywood is so obsessed with this particular style. Gloria Steinem, the American journalist and social-political activist who led second-wave feminism in the ‘60s wore a very similar pair. Noam Chomsky, who’s famous for criticising U.S. foreign policy and capitalism, had them too. While we probably don't even realise it, not only have these intellectuals inspired how we think and how we live, they've also influenced how we dress as well. Even during the Vanity Fair Oscars party earlier this month, everyone from Dominic Sessa to Glen Powell was spotted in 'em.
So, if you want to look like Hugh Jackman but the weights are too heavy and the beard is too itchy and you can't grow an extra seven inches overnight, get yourself a fast-track pass and buy some aviator frames.