© 2026 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sizzling Spectacles: Fashion And The Economics Of Eyewear

Connecticut Public Radio | By Colin McEnroe
Published October 24, 2012 at 12:02 PM EDT
1 of 2
Flickr Creative Commons, annethelibrarian
2 of 2
Chion Wolf

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Betsy/Colin%20McEnroe%20Show%2010-24-2012.mp3

Glasses get people talking.

Remember Sarah Palin? Last month, Politico ran an item suggesting that CNN's Wolf Blitzer had picked out new eyeglasses that closely resembled those of much younger, hipper New Yorker politics writer Ryan Lizza.  

Watchers of the cable series "Boss" have grown accustomed to the ever changing eyewear styles worn by the character Kitty O'Neill, played by Kathleen Robertson.
 
One particular pair excited online discussion and turned out to be the "Lucky" model offered in the color champagne by Barton Perreira. Those run about $350, just for the frames. 
 
Barton Perreira has a very high-end exclusive looking website, but the frames are actually made by the company that owns the eyeglass departments of Sears and Target not to mention Lens Crafters and Pearle Vision.
 
Today, we'll look at the business, psychology and future of eyeglasses. Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us@wnprcolin.
Colin McEnroe
Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
See stories by Colin McEnroe

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Donate

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

Donate