The global eyewear market is rising rapidly, with market value projections reaching $26,419.3 million by 2033. Within this market, trends have leaned to a surge in demand for diverse frame designs. The frame segments in France, Italy, the UK, Japan, the US, and South Korea have primarily dominated the overall market and have seen eyewear manufacturers respond by offering a “wider variety of frames tailored to older adults, incorporating features such as lightweight materials for comfort, durability, and aesthetic appeal.”
Of the trends emerging from late 2024 to 2025, slim eyewear is the defining style across the biggest eyewear demographics. From a design standpoint, key factors explain why this is becoming the new norm in the world of glasses.
The brand-driven design of slim eyewear
Trends and preferences may organically come from consumers. Still, even these tastes are often curated from various sources that stem from within the design ethos of the manufacturers who will provide the frames. If you look at the popular glasses online in Canada, major regional retailer Clearly features extremely skinny designs in their core models like the Kitchener, Paulette, and Papiit. As the first to offer online eyewear retail in the country, its established offerings dictate many of the design choices made by contemporaries following suit. On top of that, major brands like Persol, Tory Burch, and Ray-Ban have also adopted thinner designs to create more lightweight offerings that are comfortable for extended wear.
Reliable brands and manufacturers still use quality materials for frames but adopt a slim aesthetic that allows for sleeker and more timeless designs. This also tends to be more forgiving for different lenses, making the design process easier for limited editions and potential customization for consumers who want added features. Considering how different demographics seek out UV protection, transition lenses, or blue light blocking, manufacturers can create frames that work well with any of these from a design standpoint.
Historically, opticians have driven demand for eyewear by hyping up facets or features that appeal to hyper-specific needs. Consider the early versions of solar eclipse glasses from Massachusetts, crafted by The Harvey & Lewis Co. to provide masses with the means to view the eclipse in the 1930s. These early Eclipse-O-Scope lenses used non-inflammable filters housed in paper frames, establishing a style still used in modern designs with better ISO-certified lenses. In the same vein, eyewear manufacturers create practical solutions to eyewear that can quickly become in vogue.
How thin became in again for glasses
As much as manufacturers, brands, and their marketing play a huge role in what becomes the most popular and accessible style, fashion in the digital age is primarily dictated by online trends and efforts from stylists and designers who gain a lot of media coverage and influencer traction. Where the ‘Bayonetta’ trend started reframing the perception of attractive specs, tastes for lightweight and thin frames were a natural succession in public demand.
For the growing older market that values practicality and comfort, these slimmer designs feel more comfortable for prolonged wear and are compact enough to carry around. For the more aesthetically focused markets of Gen Z and younger millennials, these same frames fit the minimalist style and durability that cater to retro and modern vibes. Since the internet has made way for more niche circles and visual preferences, products that transcend ‘genres’ have become popular and harken to the cultural phenomena of previous generations.
This has resulted in what Vogue touts the glasses renaissance, led by ‘it girls’ who influence market behavior in core demographics with buying power. Slim frames with thin materials have created a geek-chic image proudly touted by Bella Hadid, Doja Cat, Emma Chamberlain, and Renee Rapp. These women tap into different corners of the internet but share the same space of impacting the fashion zeitgeist, ultimately cementing the value consumers are putting into this frame design.
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