Gucci mania has officially swept the world. Their sales are up a whopping 48%, and they recently sent the Internet wild with their own Meme’s – genius!
The Gucci catwalks in SS16 and more recently AW17 were a-sparkle with embellished collars, crystallised bum bags and magpie heels. But the shining star, pardon the pun, of their recent collections, have been their revival of ‘granny chic’ oversized, often embellished eyewear. From those yellow lenses to chunky 80s styles, Gucci has us falling for frames once again.
If you’d like to splash out on a Gucci pair, the pink frames will set you back £605 The black and the tortoise shell coming in at £865.
However, ours came in at less than the price of a Pret lunch. We bought our pink square shades from ASOS Marketplace’s Raw Edge Labeland our embellishments from Poundland, but you can find these cheaply in most haberdasheries or craft stores like Hobbycraft. Score.
What You’ll need
2mm diamantes for the main frame and arms, £1 from Poundland.
5 mm stones on the outer edges, £1 from Poundland. If you don’t have a Poundland or craft shop near you, you can buy them on eBay%20and%20here%20(http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252588617020?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&var=551501054430&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX
Bostik’s Ultra Strong glue, £1 The Works (also available in WHSmith and most supermarkets). We hear you, ‘Gluing gems on - surely they’ll just fall off in our handbag?’ Trust me, use the glue suggested, I am pretty sure its industrial strength. These gems aren’t going anywhere.
Tweezers
A toothpick
How to
If pink isn’t your thing, why not take inspiration from these Gucci’s glasses, and embellish a black pair with pearls instead? You can find flat back pearls on eBay for under £2.
Since your glasses will be a slightly different shape to ours, take a second to plot our how many 2mm diamantes will fit across the bridge section of the sunglasses. We placed two rows of three gems, 2mm apart.
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If needed, pick up your gems with tweezers to make it easier to glue. Make a small pool of glue on a scrap piece of paper or card.
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Use the toothpick to place a tiny dot of glue on the back of your gem. Do this even if your gems have a sticky back, to make it extra secure. The less glue, the better, this is strong stuff!
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Once you’ve completed the bridge, hold your thumb over the gems and press to set in place. The glue dries very quickly so no need to stop and leave to dry.
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From there, we worked our way half way around the frame, glueing a 2mm diamante 4mm apart. This was slightly trickier as our frames had a white ridge all around if yours are flat – it’ll be an easy job!
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Remember to lightly press your gems in place. On the outer corners, we glued larger, 5mm gems 4mm apart, to give extra sparkle.
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Down the arms of the glasses, we glued 2mm pink diamantes in a line, 8mm apart.
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Leave the glasses to dry for half an hour, en voila!
How They Faired IRL
As tacky is the new tasteful (think Vetements thigh-high pleather boots, Balenciaga’s purple and orange clashing satin and Christopher Kane’s Crocs), we roadtested them right away. Immediately we felt 80% sassier. Although they make a statement, you’ve got to ask yourself what fashion is without the fun? I love them and felt 80% sassier upon first wear.
Did I get some funny looks from middle-aged men in suits- sure! Do I care? Hell no! My friend Hannah thought these were Gucci, and that I’d spent my rent money on the glasses in a drunken Net-a-Porter splurge. I’m chuffed! The admission they cost less than some lattes was met with a good level of awe.
My sister commented on them immediately, when I asked where she thought they were from, and for how much, she guessed, ‘Some ultra-cool label I haven’t heard of for £150?’ Again – I’ll take that. My boyfriend thinks I look, ‘Very Elton John’ (To me, a Rocket Man fan, this is a compliment). My oldest friend and BFF Georgi wants a pair ASAP, thinking they cost £60, ‘Possibly from & Other Stories?’
In the ultimate test, I took my new shades to Meet The Parents. My Dad thinks I possibly got them from a Market Stall, (again, this isn’t an insult to me, cheap chic and all that). But does like them, which surprises me as he is an honest critic. My Mother deems them, ‘Jazzy’.
Thumbs up all round. Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got, I’m still Jenny from the Block.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.