Browline glasses pair a bold top bar with pronounced elbows and temples. This frame style was introduced in 1947 and remained popular throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Vintage browline eyewear features a plastic frame top and temples with a metal bridge and lower rims. Retro style trends and updates to this look make prescription browline sunglasses a timeless statement.
Browline Frames
Browline sunglasses were originally more popular for men, but women also wear this style. Browline frames are best suited for diamond, square, oblong and oval face shapes. These frames create visual weight in the upper part of the face that can balance features or emphasize certain angles. Similar frame designs featuring stylized top bars include horn rims and cat-eye glasses, both of which were introduced in the 1930s.
Browline glasses may be available in the classic combination of a plastic top rim with a metal bridge and lower rims or be made primarily of either plastic or metal. The latest takes on the browline style feature all-metal construction. Depending on the frame design and materials, browlines can evoke an old-fashioned or a minimalist modern look.
Prescription Tinted Lenses
Once you select browline prescription sunglasses frames, a range of diopters and powers and a variety of tints and finishes are available for the lenses. If you require a high-power prescription, make sure that the frames you are considering are compatible with the thickness or shape of high RX lenses. The base curve and design of the upper and lower portions of this eyewear may limit which prescription lenses can be successfully fitted into browline frames.
Most browline glasses can be paired with single vision, multifocal or reading lenses with a choice of standard, gradient or mirrored tint in grey, brown, green, blue, yellow, red or purple shades. Some eyewear may be available with polarized or mirrored lenses in a limited selection of tints. The high-definition digital surfacing may also be available for lenses.
Prescription Browline Sunglasses FAQs
What are browline glasses?
The front of browline frames is accentuated by a thick top bar made of plastic or metal that often has stylized endpieces. The top of this frame style was conventionally made of plastic, while the bridge and lower rims were made of metal. More recent styles also feature metal browlines.
Are browline frames available with high RX prescription lenses?
Some prescription browline sunglasses are suitable for high-power prescriptions. The base curve and design of these frames may limit lens thickness. The lower rim design of a pair of browline frames plays a significant part in determining the diopter range. Check to see whether a style supports high RX lenses.
Which face shapes are flattered by browline glasses?
Browline frames are ideal for diamond, oblong, triangle, square and oval face shapes. The prominent top bar of this frame style adds visual weight to the upper portion of the face that can balance and showcase facial features. The size of these glasses is also important for the best-looking fit.
What frame materials do browline styles feature?
Classic browline frames combined a plastic top bar and temples with a metal bridge and lower rims. Newer designs are available with the same combination of materials or with a metal top bar and temples. Frames that have a plastic browline may accentuate the retro style with colors or patterns.
Can prescription browline sunglasses be worn during activities?
The best browline sunglasses provide a comfortable fit for casual wear and activities such as walking or driving. High-intensity activities with any impact risk call for sports sunglasses. Both styles shield eyes from ultraviolet light, but the base curve and lower rim of browlines admit more indirect light than wraparound frames.
