Geek chic is beyond in these days—from Chanel fanny packs to Fenty knee socks—it seems that no one can resist the allure of the outlandishly nerdy. That being said, it’s hard to tell where exactly the line is drawn between practicality and aesthetic appeal. Is there actually anything in Kendall Jenner’s fanny packs, or are they simply a fashion statement?
This brings us to a matter of grave importance: models wearing glasses. It’s not uncommon to see this generation’s It Girls snapping selfies from behind a pair of oversize rims, a la your seventh-grade Algebra teacher.
So here’s the question: Do these pillars of contemporary culture actually *need* glasses, like, to see? We’ve reached out to several of these models’ reps for comment (no response yet) and did some sleuthing of our own.
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Here’s what we uncovered in our optical investigation.
Gigi Hadid
Miss Hadid is the brand ambassador for Vogue Eyewear, and it’s easy to see why (no pun intended), girl looks amazing in glasses. They’re the perfect accent to her eclectic and sophisticated style—but does she actually need them?! In order to get to the bottom of this case, we went to the Hadid archives (aka Yolanda Foster’s Instagram account) and scoured the lot for photos of a young pre-fame Gigi wearing a pair of glasses. After a thorough deep dive, we found no proof that either Bella or Gigi wore glasses as children, but we did come to a couple of other conclusions. Based on photo evidence, we’ve been led to believe that Gigi’s mom Yolanda, dad Mohamed, brother Anwar, as well as her uncle and maternal grandmother, all wear glasses, so it wouldn’t be outlandish to assume that Gigi and Bella might need prescription or reading glasses. Gigi’s half-sister Alana also has her own eyewear company, Hadid Eyewear, so visual health is surely of personal importance to the famous clan.
VERDICT: We’re pretty divided on the issue and unable to provide a definitive answer at this time.
Hailey Baldwin
Baldwin’s eyewear aesthetic is suspiciously similar to her pal Justin Bieber’s, so honestly, we think the singer just inspired her to adopt the trend.
VERDICT: We’re convinced Hailey’s frames are just part of her look. Â
Kendall Jenner
Back in 2011 (aww, baby Kendall), Jenner tweeted “Have to wear glasses now LOL” and posted an image of herself wearing a set of black frames and flashing an oh-so 2011 peace sign. We’re not sure whether the “LOL” implies she’s making a joke, but it would be pretty random if she were.
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VERDICT: We think Kendall needs glasses.
Cara Delevingne
The bulk of Delevingne’s glasses-wearing has been for various eyewear campaigns. Considering the model’s devotion to authenticity, we don’t think she’d wear fake glasses for purely aesthetic reasons.
VERDICT: Cara very well may not need glasses.
Emily RatajkowskiÂ
In August of 2015, EmRata reached out to her Twitter followers with a desperate plea: What glasses should she get?! In the tweet, Emily said she was “officially in need of glasses.” While the meaning of that sentiment is still a tad ambiguous, we’re choosing to believe that she meant “need” in the eyesight sense.
VERDICT: We think she probably actually needs glasses.
