WITH the 1970s set to provide the most important source of inspiration for the autumn/winter season ahead, these spectacle frames are perfect for any woman who wants to look as though she has strayed from the set of Charlie's Angels. What's more, they're originals and not reproduction, coming from the large stock of vintage frames carried by Temple Bar Opticians in Dublin.
The business was started almost half a century ago by Herbert Grant who bought up vast amounts of stock rediscovered more recently by his daughter Betty (who incidentally, has to be the friendliest and most enthusiastic retailer in the capital) For the past few years, she has been sorting through the old frames, many of them dating back as far as the early 1950s, and selling them to the fashion cognoscenti.
Some of the most exotic examples are available for rental or have been used for film and theatre productions at home and abroad - recent requests included frames for The Butcher Boy and Evita - but the majority are being sold to the general public typically priced at £44 a pair, with the most expensive frames costing £65. It's advisable to call in as soon as possible because Betty Grant says she is running low on some sizes. Stock up now so that you'll be ready should there be a 1950s or 60s revival, once the present bout of 1970s nostalgia ends.