Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses. So wrote the American poet, humorist and wit Dorothy Parker in 1925. But ask Abir Chatterjee and he would tell you that the opposite works when the genders get reversed. “Mohilara choshma pora chheleder pochhondo kore (Girls like boys with glasses),” the actor smiles, trying out trendy spectacles at the opening of Salt Lake’s first Lawrence & Mayo store. “With glasses on, men seem to be serious and focused.”

Abir has reasons to press for his conviction. Last year, he was detected with myopia. “It’s less than -1 in both eyes,” he says, but it has given him the licence to sport a cool frame when he is in the mood to junk his UV-protected lenses. 
The choice of frames is crucial in his transformation to Byomkesh, new and old. “The old look (in the Anjan Dutt films) required a nerdy, wooden frame,” he says. “Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy used to wear one like this.” But Arindamda (Sil, the director of his new Byomkesh movie) wanted the sleuth’s eyes to be more visible so he chose a frame without the lower rim,” he added, replacing the jet black serious-looking one with a half-rim Clubmaster.

“Spectacles have indeed come a long way in terms of perception,” he continues. “Earlier people did not want to wear specs. It made them look aged. Also, dark sunglasses were associated with only villains and rich men. But now they are as much a fashion accessory as a necessity. Sunglasses protect the eyes. Why, women even wear oversized frames to protect as much of their faces from the sun as possible!” 

Does that protect them from passes by Romeos?

L & M: THEN & NOW

The Lawrence & Mayo store that has opened at Kwality More is the company’s 105th branch in India and the eighth in Calcutta. Founded in India in 1877 at Dalhousie Square, shortly after Queen Victoria declared herself the Empress of India, the opticians are the country’s first international optical retailer.

The 600-sq ft showroom provides a range of eyecare services like digital eye testing, contact lens clinic and precision eye testing. The test takes into account a person’s neck movements and the distance at which he holds a book while reading and also judge his dominant eye. (Yes, it can be tested if one is left-eyed or right-eyed!)

It will also provide access to state-of-the-art products like Crizal Prevencia, a lens that blocks out specific wavelengths of  blue light from reaching a person’s ocular tissue. “This offers better protection for those working for long hours on the computer than the standard anti-glare lens,” said Suman Anjoy, L&M zonal head, north and east.

Being a boutique store, it will stock frames and sunglasses from a dozen international brands like Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace. “Shah Rukh Khan’s blue mirror-coated RayBan aviators from Dilwale or a model that launched at a recent fashion week will all be available here,” he said.