This past week, I was sitting on the train and decided to look through the photos on my cell phone. I’m not sure what prompted me to do this, maybe because the podcast I was listening to wasn’t holding my attention or maybe because I was secretly feeling a little nostalgic. I scrolled back as far as I could to 2013 and was immediately sucked into a vortex that consisted of the past 10 years of my life.

Some of you may not know this, but I’ve been working at 20/20 for those exact 10 years. I know… sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that myself, yet here we are. I started my journey as an intern right after graduating college and worked my way up to where I am today as the Fashion Editor. As I scrolled through all of these saved photographs, I was shocked to see how many of them consisted of trade shows near and far, work dinners and local press events I attended all over New York City. It was great reliving some of these past memories and remembering the venues, restaurants and places I had been. What else did I notice? How much my style has progressed over the years.

When I first started my journey in the optical world, I never owned more than one pair of sunglasses at a time and barely wore my prescription eyeglasses. Fast forward to now, and that is no longer the case. Long gone are the days where muted toned metal teardrop shaped aviators were the only style of sunglasses you could find in my bag. Nowadays, I’m opting for angular CatEyes in brighter colors such as greens and blues. I’m not quite yet ready for wearing anything brighter and bolder than that, but just bear with me. I would tell you that my ophthalmic glasses have also changed over the years, but I’d be lying to you. I’m still very simple and opt for black or brown tortoise hues in square or round shapes, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon.

It’s amazing to see how far I’ve come over the past decade, especially when it comes to my style. Even looking at dresses or jeans I’ve worn in the past had me questioning myself, but I think that’s what comes with trends constantly changing and just simply growing up. Now I’m sure as you flip through this month’s issue, you’ll find frames that suit your style and some that do not. Just remember that a pair of sunglasses you may not deem as “cool” now might be your favorite accessory in the near future.

• Victoria Garcia
Fashion Editor
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