Having spent most of my career as an editor, it is fair to say that I am a details person. Friends and colleagues will describe—lovingly, I think (hope)—my ability to spy a misplaced comma, an extra space after a period, poor subject-verb agreement, a sentence fragment, or perhaps a misuse of “they’re-their-there.” As my family and I walk down the boardwalk in summertime, I will often point out to my kids the misspellings and syntactic errors on sandwich boards and menus, feeling like a grammatical detective at work. With attendance at several Broadway shows in my repertoire, I also find as much enjoyment in discovering typos in the Playbill while I wait for the show to start as I do watching the show itself. And while there are times these skills feel quite useful, I’ll admit that I have learned there are certain circumstances where they are better applied (editing a column, for example) than others (on vacation, let’s say) and more appreciated than not.

With that in mind, it brings me to the detailed beauty and perfected complexity of the eyeglass frame. A look back at the history of eyeglasses will show how frames have evolved from a humble, utilitarian past (think of Benjamin Franklin’s basic metal rims) to a glamorous fashion accessory, whether your lenses are plano or prescription. As time has passed, eyewear designers have come to maximize on all elements of the frame, using each part—whether temple, bridge, brow bar, hinge or rim—to make a statement about individual styles and preferences. Here, unlike my detective work on the boardwalk or my Playbill scrutiny, the attention to detail is much appreciated, where purposefully indulgent acetates combined with intricately displayed golds in a temple or on a temple tip may offer a taste of luxury, while rimless lenses or basic wires give off a minimalistic-but-fashionable energy.

Flipping through the pages of this month’s issue, which is dedicated to fashion and lifestyle sunwear and optical frames, I’ve derived a sense of keen enjoyment and appreciation as the carefully refined details in this issue’s featured frames come into focus. A close examination of them reveals beauty and craftsmanship, as well as a meticulous attention to the ever-important details that make each of these frames unique. As Fashion Editor Victoria Garcia notes at the start of our “Bonded by Brands” feature, the eyewear presented in this section showcase intricacies that represent each frame’s individuality and unique brand hallmarks. A review of our What’s New and What’s Next sections reveal saturated tones and sophisticated shapes, representing another example of purposeful detail as well as a welcome nod to the playful colors of the summer season.

As you take in this month’s issue of 20/20, I hope you find as much enjoyment in the details as we have.

—Anne Cooper
Editorial Director, 20/20 and Vision Monday
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