Don't make a spectacle of yourself

By any means necessary.

This Jean-Paul Sartre phrase, taken from his Dirty Hands play, was thrust into popular culture when Malcolm X thundered it in a speech he gave exactly 50 years ago.

It became more than just a historical footnote of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s America, shaping and defining the philosophy of Malcolm’s abrasive, anti turn-the-other-cheek way of thinking.

Its delivery was made in the characteristic thrilling African-American preaching cadence, with a deadset and glaring eyes behind a pair of well-crafted glasses with distinctive frames.

These glasses became part of Malcom and the browline frames have since informed facial fashion.

FASHION HOUSE

Luxury fashion houses like Ralph Lauren, Prada, Versace, Dolce & Gabana, DKNY and Coach, as well as leading eye wear brands such as RayBan and Oakley, have borrowed and duplicated the iconic, self-assured stateliness of the look.

That Malcolm became known for his glasses is an enduring fashion statement that those circular, butterfly, lozenge or cat-eye glass shapes held in place by your frames, wittingly or unsuspectingly announce your personality.

Such was the case with Gandhi’s circular and simple bifocals that he first bought in the 1890s, projecting a self-effacing modesty; or Bill Gates’ nerdy diffidence that belies his accomplishment.

I have always thought his is a nuanced depiction of a grown Harry Porter, crafting magic and sorcery in boardrooms and open plan offices using processor chips and motherboards instead of rats and spiders!

But I digress.

EYE WEAR

But if there is anyone who has successfully, almost effortlessly, succeeded in encasing his lifestyle in his eye wear, it is Bono, the U2 front-man.

Bono’s purplish, tan and matte golden glasses with embellished frames leave no doubt that he is a rock star, while protecting his light-sensitive blue eyes.

He is one of the very few men who can pull off glasses with rims extending beyond the eyebrows without coming across like the lummoxes who get into clubs and invade our spaces on TV with very dark sunglasses — because apparently it is the ‘celebrity’ thing to do.

Like I said, your glasses reflect your character, and if not properly worn, can make quite a spectacle of you!

You need to understand the shape of your face before balancing those frames on your nose bridge, just because you love a certain look.

CAR HEADLIGHTS

I think of my face as the front of a car, with my glasses as the headlights.

You need to establish whether you are an off-road bruiser, sleek luxury sedan or a regular school-run kind of car before you choose your frames.

Burdening a Mazda Demio with BMWi8 laser headlights is a waste that just does not fit.

Sauti Sol’s Bien Baraza for instance, has a perfect choice of spectacle frames to go with his physique and face size.

His bandmate, Polycarp Otieno’s specs may look good from the front, but terribly fall short in a profile shot because of his head’s rather broad side view.

The eloquent and supremely intelligent Attorney General Githu Muigai is one of the very few public servants with a great eye for good frames.

His black frames exude a nerdy dad demeanour that does not stray into the staidness of the thick frames of John Major (former British Prime Minster) or scholars like Barack Obama Senior.

HISTORIC RULING

Many public figures like Bonny Khalwale, Moses Wetang’ula and even Barack Muluka prefer the minimalist, rimless, thin-framed spectacles.

They may shave off a year or two off their ageing looks, but their solemn and strict rendering make them inappropriate for casual social gatherings.

These are the frames people like Judge Nicholas Ombija sport when handing a historic ruling that condemns a male nurse to death for a botched abortion that causes two deaths of mother and unborn baby.

Glasses should be more than just visual aids.

They should express your style as ornaments that complement your personal look.

Now we can even talk of sexy librarians and hot scientists in cat-eye tortoise shell or horn-rimmed glasses without contradicting ourselves.

Like Adam Tschorn said, “It’s clear that glasses have gone from nerd necessity to chic accessory.”

In essence, glasses are now like red lipstick — they change everything!