View source for Eyewear

{{Short description|Items and accessories worn on or over the eyes}}
[[File:Glasses black.jpg|thumb|268x268px|Modern [[glasses]], the most dominant form of eyewear]]
'''Eyewear''' is a term used to refer to all devices worn over both of a person's [[eye]]s, or occasionally a single eye, for one or more of a variety of purposes. Though historically used for vision improvement and correction, eyewear has also evolved into eye protection, for fashion and aesthetic purposes, and starting in the late 20th century, computers and virtual reality.
The primary intention of wearing eyewear can vary based on the need or desire of the wearer. [[Corrective lens]]es, such as [[glasses]], [[contact lens]]es, and, historically, [[monocle]]s are used to aid in one's vision and enable users to see clearly. Eyewear also can be used for protection, such as [[sunglasses]] which protect wearers from the Sun's [[ultraviolet]] rays which are damaging to the eyes when unprotected, [[eyepatch]]es to protect injured eyes from further damage, or [[goggles]] which protect the wearer's eyes from debris, water and other chemicals. Variants of eyewear can conversely inhibit or disable vision for its bearers, such as [[blindfold]]s and [[view-limiting device]] for humans, [[Blinkers (horse tack)|blinkers]] for horses, or [[Blinders (poultry)|blinders]] for birds, especially [[poultry]]. Eyewear also exists for other specialized or niche purposes, such as [[active shutter 3D system]]s and [[Anaglyph 3D|anaglyph 3D glasses]] for [[stereoscopy]], and [[Night-vision device|night-vision goggles]] for low-light environments.
The eyewear industry is estimated to be valued at US$100 billion as of May 2018. Much of the eyewear industry's prominence and use in fashion occurred in Western cultures during the 1950s, with individual designers and celebrities at the time wearing them in public and increasing the popularity of eyewear, especially sunglasses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=When did sunglasses become popular? |url=https://www.sojosvision.com/blogs/news/when-did-sunglasses-become-popular |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=SOJOS |language=en}}</ref> The growth of the industry through the latter half of the 20th century is credited to [[Luxottica]], generally credited with acquiring brands popular with Western culture such as [[Ray-Ban]], [[Persol]], and later [[Oakley, Inc.|Oakley]], raising their prices and increasing the perceived status of eyewear in society.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-22 |title=How Luxottica Became The Biggest Name in Luxury Eyewear - Maxim |url=https://www.maxim.com/style/luxottica-luxury-eyewear-leonardo-del-vecchio-2019-5/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=www.maxim.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Knight |first=Sam |date=2018-05-10 |title=The spectacular power of Big Lens |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/10/the-invisible-power-of-big-glasses-eyewear-industry-essilor-luxottica |access-date=2023-07-03 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The 2010s and early 2020s saw a slowly-more technical focus towards the utility of eyewear, with early experiments such as [[Google Glass]], [[Microsoft HoloLens]] and later [[Apple Vision Pro]] bringing augmented reality to eyewear; [[virtual reality headset]]s also began a growth in popularity in the 2010s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=vradmin |date=2017-05-05 |title=Virtual Reality Glasses |url=https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-gear/glasses/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Virtual Reality Society |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Microsoft HoloLens is now certified protective eyewear |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017-11-01-microsoft-hololens-hard-hat-european-expansion.html |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Engadget |date=November 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2017-07-24 |title=A Smart Headset War Could Revolutionize the Workplace |url=https://time.com/4871245/microsoft-hololens-workplace/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |magazine=Time |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wear glasses? Apple's already expensive Vision Pro headset will cost you even more |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/wear-glasses-apples-already-expensive-vision-pro-headset-will-cost-you-even-more/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=ZDNET |language=en}}</ref>
== Innovation history ==
=== Pre-modern innovations ===
[[File:Snow goggles MET DP-15396-001.jpg|thumb|Early goggles used by the [[Inuit]] to prevent [[photokeratitis]]]]
{{Further|Glasses#History}}
[[Quartz]] was among the earliest used materials for [[reading stone]]s, the precursors to wearable optics; quartz also became the foundation for glasses, the first major form of eyewear. The first incarnations of glasses were made with the aim of providing aid to reading.<ref>{{cite book |author=Geoffrey de Villiers and E. Roy Pike |title=The Limits of Resolution |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |year=2016 |isbn=9781498758123 |page=1}}</ref>
Though innovations in pre-modern eyewear technology occurred in both [[History of China|Imperial China]] and the [[Inuit]] territories, which both invented early forms of sunglasses and goggles,<ref name="framesdirect.com">{{Cite web |title=Who Invented Eyeglasses and Sunglasses? |url=https://www.framesdirect.com/knowledge-center/who-invented-glasses |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=FramesDirect.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Venice]] and [[Northern Italy]] have historically been the place of consolidation for eyewear innovation in the Western world. Upon the release of the printing press and the mass adoption of literature, larger sectors of the population began to buy into eyewear to assist with reading. Eyewear frames around this time were mainly made of animal bones, horns and fabric; the implementation of wire frames in the 16th century further allowed glasses to be mass-produced. The 16th century also saw the earliest ancestors of [[pince-nez]] eyewear, which secured itself to the wearer through "pinching" the nose and later would become popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eyeglasses Timeline |url=https://www.luxottica.com/en/about-us/museo-dellottica/eyeglasses-timeline |access-date=July 3, 2023 |website=[[Luxottica]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=When Were Glasses Invented? {{!}} History of Glasses {{!}} Foster Grant |url=https://www.fostergrant.com/the-history-of-glasses |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=www.fostergrant.com}}</ref>
=== Temple eyeglasses ===
The first half of the 18th century saw British optician [[Edward Scarlett]] perfect temple eyeglasses which would rest on the nose and the ears. The innovations presented by Scarlett would not only spark some to look at aesthetic customization of eyewear for fashion within Europe but also lead [[Benjamin Franklin]] to invent [[bifocals]] in [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial America]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Salus University - The Quest for Clearer Vision: The History of Eyeglasses |url=https://www.salus.edu/Centennial-Celebration/Highlights/Centennial-Features/The-Quest-for-Clearer-Vision-The-History-of-Eyegl.aspx#:~:text=The%20modern%20style%20of%20eyeglasses,used%20for%20production%20of%20frames. |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=www.salus.edu}}</ref> Later in the middle of the century, Britain also saw its first popularized wave of sunglasses as [[James Ayscough]] created and sold blue and green tinted sunglasses for general vision improvement.<ref name="framesdirect.com"/>
=== Virtual reality and similar advancements ===
{{Further|History of virtual reality}}
[[File:Google Glass Back.jpg|thumb|184x184px|A [[Google Glass]] unit as viewed from the rear]]
[[Virtual reality]] slowly became a more prominent technology stating in the 1990s after refinement of 1950s prototypes pushed by [[NASA]] and other technology companies. [[Sega]] was among the first companies to introduce head-mounted virtual reality headsets for theme park rides at [[Joypolis]] locations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gonzales |first1=D. |last2=Criswell |first2=D. |last3=Heer |first3=E |year=1991 |title=Automation and Robotics for the Space Exploration Initiative: Results from Project Outreach |url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/notes/2009/N3284.pdf |journal=NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N |volume=92 |issue=17897 |page=35 |bibcode=1991STIN...9225258G |editor=Gonzales, D.}}</ref> The first major jump in virtual reality, however, was with the [[Oculus Rift]], later evolving into the [[Oculus Quest|Quest]] line made by [[Facebook]]-owner [[Meta Platforms]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Not-quite-live bloga : panel discussion with John Carmack, Tim Sweeney, Johan Andersson |newspaper=The Tech Report |url=http://techreport.com/review/25533/not-quite-live-blog-panel-discussion-with-john-carmack-tim-sweeney-johan-andersson |access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=2014-07-21 |title=Facebook's $2 Billion Acquisition Of Oculus Closes, Now Official |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/07/21/facebooks-acquisition-of-oculus-closes-now-official/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref> The success of the Rift later incentivized other tech companies like [[Sony]] (through its [[PlayStation]] brand) and [[HTC]] to release their own competitors to Oculus; Microsoft, Google, and Apple also all released or announced products throughout the 2010s and early 2020s in the eyewear technology industry incorporating [[mixed reality]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=2016-03-15 |title=PlayStation VR launches October 2016 for $399 |url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/3/15/11240842/playstation-vr-launch-date-price-ps4 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovejoy |first=Ben |date=2023-06-07 |title=How much will Vision Pro prescription lenses cost? |url=https://9to5mac.com/2023/06/07/vision-pro-prescription-lenses-cost/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=9to5Mac |language=en-US}}</ref>
== History of the industry ==
[[File:American Optical Original Pilot Aviator sunglasses.jpg|thumb|Aviator-style sunglasses made by [[American Optical Company|American Optical]]]]
=== Surge in popularity ===
Despite earlier developments, eyewear began its surge in popularity in 1929. [[Foster Grant]], which first went into business this year, was among the earliest large retailers for eyeglasses in the United States, setting up shop on the [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]] Boardwalk in New Jersey. The [[United States Army Air Corps]] was among the first large clients for sunglasses when it worked with [[Bausch & Lomb|Bausch + Lomb]] to create sunglasses which protected its pilots from glare. These sunglasses later evolved into [[aviator sunglasses]], and the resulting name and brand, [[Ray-Ban]], became synonymous with army pilots and later on a fashion item.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The History of Aviator Sunglasses and Why They Are Still So Popular |url=https://tulliani.com/blogs/mens-designer-fashion-blog/the-history-of-aviator-sunglasses-and-why-they-are-still-so-popular |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Remo Tulliani |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-06-27 |title=Sunglasses: A History Timeline |url=https://familytreemagazine.com/history/timelines/timeline-of-sunglasses/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Family Tree Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>
Foster Grant continued contributing to the growth of the eyewear industry for fashion by running large campaigns featuring celebrities. By the 1960s, the company had become synonymous with eyewear in America and was the dominant producer of sunglasses in the Western world. Ray-Ban had also become a large leader in sunglasses around this time, with its aviator style and later [[Ray-Ban Wayfarer|Wayfarer]] style taking off in popularity.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Foster Grant {{!}} Fashionable, Functional Style {{!}} Foster Grant |url=https://www.fostergrant.com/about-us |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=www.fostergrant.com}}</ref>
Mass-market eyewear experienced a popularity drought in the 1970s due to the dawn of luxury brands like [[Dior]] and [[Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)|Yves Saint Laurent]] entering the industry, though Ray-Ban began to experience cultural revival during the 1980s due to adoption by Hollywood celebrities both inside and outside of movies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Ray Ban Story, Urban Optiques |url=http://www.urbanoptiques.com/eyewear/designer-eyewear/rayban/the-ray-ban-story |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Urban Optiques}}</ref>
=== Consolidation into Essilor and Luxottica ===
[[File:Lauriano stabilimento luxottica.jpg|thumb|A [[Luxottica]] factory in [[Laurino]], Italy]]
1971 saw the rise of the Italian company [[Luxottica]] into the scene when founder [[Leonardo Del Vecchio]] launched his finished eyeglasses at the Milan International Optics Exhibition. The next two decades saw Luxottica, at this point exclusively focusing on sunglasses, grow within Europe and slowly begin to buy up sunglasses brands and retailers; 1988 saw its first major licensing deal to produce sunglasses for [[Giorgio Armani]]. By the year 2001, Luxottica had acquired retailers [[LensCrafters]] and [[Sunglass Hut]]; the company additionally acquired the entirety of [[Persol]] in 1995 for an undisclosed amount and Ray-Ban from Bausch + Lomb in 1999 for US$640 million.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johannes |first=Laura |date=1999-04-29 |title=Bausch to Sell Sunglasses Business To Rival Luxottica for $640 Million |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB925305628455258612 |access-date=2023-07-03 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ortiz |first1=Gerald |last2=Moon |first2=Jacorey |date=2023-06-05 |title=The Complete Guide to Persol Sunglasses: All Styles, Explained |url=http://gearpatrol.com/style/a724428/persol-sunglasses-brand-breakdown/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Gear Patrol |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Luxottica to buy Sunglass Hut for $462M - Feb. 22, 2001 |url=https://money.cnn.com/2001/02/22/deals/sunglasshut/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=money.cnn.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-12 |title=Luxottica: How it Enjoys Monopoly in the Eyewear Industry |url=https://startuptalky.com/luxottica-success-story/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=StartupTalky |language=en}}</ref>
The Italian eyewear firm pulled Ray-Ban across all of the United States in order to re-engineer the product and markup Ray-Ban as a premium sunglasses brand, pushing for a global expansion afterwards; Luxottica additionally pushed Ray-Ban into far Eastern markets to diversify the brand's appeal beyond the Western World.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Re-Tooled: How Ray-Ban Brought Its Brand Back from the Brink |url=https://fortune.com/2016/01/27/ray-ban-luxottica-retooled/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref>
Luxottica's rise also occurred concurrent to a battle between the [[United Fruit Company]] (today [[Chiquita]]) and [[ACON Investments|Goody Brands]] for the remaining stock of Foster Grant. Both contenders eventually lost out to the German chemicals firm [[Hoechst AG]] after each company pulled out due to non-eyewear related factors. In 2006, French prescription lens maker [[Essilor]] bought Foster Grant, then reorganized into a [[Nasdaq]]-traded holding company named FGX International for $465 million.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-12-16 |title=Essilor buys eyewear group FGX in $465 million deal |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-essilor-idUSTRE5BF0VU20091216 |access-date=2023-07-03}}</ref>
About a year after Essilor acquired Foster Grant, Luxottica further acquired sports eyewear manufacturer [[Oakley, Inc.|Oakley]] in 2007 for US$2.1 billion. The acquisition followed a pricing dispute between the two companies, with Luxottica causing Oakley's stock price to plummet by pulling its product out of Luxottica-owned Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goodman |first=Andrew |title=There's More To Ray-Ban And Oakley Than Meets The Eye |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/agoodman/2014/07/16/theres-more-to-ray-ban-and-oakley-than-meets-the-eye/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Luxottica Acquires Oakley in $2.1 Billion Deal... {{!}} SGB Media Online |url=https://sgbonline.com/luxottica-acquires-oakley-in-21-billion-deal/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=sgbonline.com}}</ref> Later on in 2014 Essilor would buy up [[Costa Del Mar]], a [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]]-based sports eyewear manufacturer specializing in performance eyewear, especially for [[Recreational fishing|sport fishing]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bolar |first=Alim |date=2013-11-19 |title=Costa Inc. To Be Acquired By Essilor International {{!}} VisionPlus Magazine |url=https://visionplusmag.com/business/costa-inc-to-be-acquired-by-essilor-international/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2018, in a €48 billion deal, Essilor and Luxottica Merged, where Essilor bought Luxottica though Del Vecchio would co-lead the merged entity, which would rename itself to [[EssilorLuxottica]]. Luxottica proceeded to delist itself from the [[New York Stock Exchange]] and the [[Borsa Italiana]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Essilor, Luxottica close €48B merger to create eyewear giant |url=https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/trending/KVDLgmLXiiZD76KB41tYjg2 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=www.spglobal.com |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=EssilorLuxottica: History, Mission and Brands |url=https://www.allaboutvision.com/eyewear/essilor-luxottica-frames-eyewear-brands/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=All About Vision |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=US |first=FashionNetwork com |title=Luxottica leaves Milan stock exchange |url=https://us.fashionnetwork.com/news/Luxottica-leaves-milan-stock-exchange,1076005.html |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=FashionNetwork.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Luxottica Group to Voluntarily Delist from New York Stock Exchange |url=http://www.visionmonday.com/latest-news/article/luxottica-group-to-voluntarily-delist-from-new-york-stock-exchange-1/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=www.visionmonday.com |language=en}}</ref>
=== Disruption from the internet and fashion houses ===
The internet, which first sparked interest in virtual reality, also incentivized the founding of [[Warby Parker]], with it stating its express purpose for being founded was to combat the high markups charged by other eyewear companies. Warby Parker disrupted the eyewear market with its price point, as well as the ability to try on up to five of its glasses for free and order products online. The company's success through disrupting the traditionally brick-and-mortar eyewear industry through an online alternative has led to other companies outside of eyewear being described as "the Warby Parker of" certain industries, though the company also has invested recently into brick-and-mortar stores.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.warbyparker.com/history |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=[[Warby Parker]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Denning |first=Stephanie |title=What's Behind Warby Parker's Success? |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2016/03/23/whats-behind-warby-parkers-success/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=How Warby Parker Disrupted Then Adopted Brick-And-Mortar Retail {{!}} WSJ The Economics Of |date=September 22, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFbeDXPRlBY |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] via [[YouTube]] |access-date=2023-07-03 |language=en}}</ref>
Online technologies also led to a rise in the exposure of Luxottica's dominance over the eyewear industry, with [[CBS News|CBS]]'s ''[[60 Minutes]]'', [[CNBC]], and ''[[Adam Ruins Everything]]'' all releasing episodes on the dominance that Luxottica has over eyewear.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-20 |title=Does Luxottica Own 80% of the Eyeglass Industry? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/does-luxottica-own-80-of-the-eyeglass-industry/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Snopes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Why Glasses Are So Expensive |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx1dMvbT5Fw |access-date=2023-07-03 |language=en}}</ref>
In recent years, [[Kering]] has also pulled ahead into the eyewear industry by terminating its contract with Luxottica competitor [[Safilo Group|Safilo]] and internalizing its eyewear manufacturing. Kering began its journey by negotiating a €90 million contract termination agreement with Safilo, and recruiting Safilo's former CEO to lead Kering Eyewear, a new subsidiary of the company dedicated to making homegrown eyewear products for its fashion houses. The French luxury conglomerate, which owns [[Gucci]], [[Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)|Yves Saint Laurent]], has since become the second largest company in eyewear and boasting a 20% share of the market as of 2020, trailing only Luxottica itself.<ref name="luxus-plus.com">{{Cite web |date=2023-08-29 |title=Luxury goods: How the Kering group wants to improve its performance in the eyewear market Page 1 of 0 Luxus Plus |url=https://luxus-plus.com/en/luxury-goods-how-the-kering-group-wants-to-improve-its-performance-in-the-eyewear-market/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=Luxus Plus |language=en-US}}</ref> In addition to manufacturing for its own brands and acquiring licenses for manufacturing eyewear owned by [[Cartier (jeweler)|Cartier]]-owner [[Richemont]], Kering also acquired previously independent eyewear companies as well to add to its roster, most notably [[Lindberg (eyewear)|Lindberg]] and [[Maui Jim]].<ref name="luxus-plus.com"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Giganti.Co by Chris Grayson - - - Italian Glasses? Smart. |url=https://www.giganti.co/TheItalians |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=www.giganti.co |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |title=Kering Says All Maui Jim Functions Will Remain In-House and the Lab to Be Kept Intact With Possible Expansion |url=http://www.visionmonday.com/business/suppliers/article/kering-says-all-maui-jim-functions-will-remain-inhouse-and-the-lab-to-be-kept-intact-with-possible-expansion/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=www.visionmonday.com |language=en}}</ref> Similarly, to better compete against Kering's new vertical integration into eyewear, [[LVMH]], which owns [[Louis Vuitton]], [[Dior]], [[Fendi]] and [[Bulgari]] ramped up efforts in its eyewear division Thelios, founded by LVMH in 2017, generally speculated as a move to compete against Kering in eyewear. LVMH also announced in 2023 that Bulgari, which had its eyewear crafted by Luxottica previously since 2003, would no longer use EssilorLuxottica as its eyewear manufacturer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guilbault |first=Laure |date=2021-12-13 |title=LVMH and Kering's other battlefield: Eyewear |url=https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/lvmh-and-kerings-other-battlefield-eyewear |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=Vogue Business |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Luxottica and Bulgari are not renewing their eyewear license agreement |url=https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Luxottica-and-bulgari-are-not-renewing-their-eyewear-license-agreement,1500800.html |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=FashionNetwork.com |language=en-WW}}</ref>
== Eyewear types ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Types of Eyewear
|-
| '''(Eye)[[glasses]] / spectacles''' || {{hlist|[[Belay glasses|Belay]] | [[Bifocals]] | [[Browline glasses|Browline]] | [[Bug-eye glasses|Bug-eye]] | [[Cat eye glasses|Cat eye]] | [[Chicken eyeglasses|Chicken]] | [[GI glasses|GI]] | [[Groucho glasses|Groucho]] | [[Horn-rimmed glasses|Horn-rimmed]] | [[Lensless glasses|Lensless]] | [[Lorgnette]] | [[Opera glasses|Opera]] | [[Monocle]] | [[Pince-nez]] | [[Pinhole glasses|Pinhole]] | [[Rimless eyeglasses|Rimless]] | [[Scissors-glasses|Scissors]] | [[Shooting glasses|Shooting]] | [[Smartglasses|Smart]] | [[Trifocal lenses|Trifocals]] | [[Windsor glasses|Windsor]] | [[X-ray specs|X-ray]]}}
|-
| '''[[Sunglasses]]''' || {{hlist|[[Aviator sunglasses|Aviator]] | [[Mirrored sunglasses|Mirrored]] | [[Solar viewer]] | [[Shutter shades|Shutter]] | [[Ray-Ban Wayfarer|Wayfarer]]}}
|-
| '''[[Goggles]]'''|| {{hlist|[[Ballistic eyewear|Ballistic]] | [[Dark adaptor goggles|Dark adaptor]] | [[Doggles]] | [[Fatal Vision (goggles)|Fatal Vision]] | [[Foggles]] | [[Night-vision device|Night-vision]] | [[Snow goggles|Snow]] | [[Swedish goggles|Swedish]] | [[Upside down goggles|Upside down]] | [[Welding goggles|Welding]] }}
|-
| Other|| {{hlist| [[Blindfold]] | [[Blinders (poultry)|Blinder]] | [[Blinkers (horse tack)|Blinker]] | [[Contact lens|Contact]] | [[Eyepatch]] | [[Active shutter 3D system|Shutter system]] | [[Virtual reality headset|VR headset]]}}
|}
== Eyewear industry ==
{{See also|History of virtual reality}}
Since the beginning of fashionable eyewear in the 20th century, much of the eyewear industry has been headquartered in either North America or Northern Italy, with early industry giants [[Foster Grant]] and [[Bausch & Lomb]] contracting with Hollywood and the U.S. Armed Forces respectively. During the Great Depression, both Bausch & Lomb and [[Polaroid Corporation]] founder [[Edwin H. Land]] experimented with [[Polarization (physics)|polarization]] of lenses, intended to reduce glare; Bausch & Lomb's experiments delivered to American armed forces created the [[Ray-Ban]] brand.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-04 |title=Ever Want To Know How Sunglasses Came About? – American Sunglass |url=https://www.americansunglass.com/blogs/news/ever-want-to-know-how-sunglasses-came-about |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=www.americansunglass.com |language=en}}</ref>
Today, the eyewear industry is estimated to reach a valuation of around US$111 billion by 2026, and US$172 billion by 2028.<ref name="researchandmarket2">{{cite news |date=1 October 2021 |title=Opportunities in the Global Eyewear Market: A $111.12 Billion Market by 2026 |publisher=Business Wire |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211001005352/en/Opportunities-in-the-Global-Eyewear-Market-A-111.12-Billion-Market-by-2026---ResearchAndMarkets.com}}</ref><ref name="fortuneinsights3">{{cite news |date=20 April 2022 |title=With 6.0% CAGR, Eyewear Market Size worth USD 172.42 Billion in 2028 |publisher=Globe Newswire |agency=Fortune Business Insights |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/04/20/2425609/0/en/With-6-0-CAGR-Eyewear-Market-Size-worth-USD-172-42-Billion-in-2028.html}}</ref>
[[File:Seattle, Washington - May 2023 - 040.jpg|thumb|A [[Warby Parker]] store in [[Seattle]]]]
=== Eyewear retail ===
[[File:Sunglass Hut Toronto Eaton Centre.jpg|thumb|A [[Sunglass Hut]] store in [[Toronto]]]]
Eyewear retail is a steadily growing business, driven by the rising global population, economic development, increased consumer purchasing power, and the global prevalence of ocular diseases.<ref name="researchandmarket">{{cite news |date=1 October 2021 |title=Opportunities in the Global Eyewear Market: A $111.12 Billion Market by 2026 |publisher=Business Wire |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211001005352/en/Opportunities-in-the-Global-Eyewear-Market-A-111.12-Billion-Market-by-2026---ResearchAndMarkets.com}}</ref> The increased use of digital screens has led to an increase in [[vision impairment]], [[cataracts]], [[myopia]], [[hypermetropia]], [[eye irritation]], [[dry eyes]], [[computer vision syndrome]] and [[double vision]].<ref name="fortuneinsights">{{cite news |date=20 April 2022 |title=With 6.0% CAGR, Eyewear Market Size worth USD 172.42 Billion in 2028 |publisher=Globe Newswire |agency=Fortune Business Insights |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/04/20/2425609/0/en/With-6-0-CAGR-Eyewear-Market-Size-worth-USD-172-42-Billion-in-2028.html}}</ref><ref name="researchandmarket" /> Sunglasses make up 42% of the global eyewear market as of 2020. They protect the eyes from sun damage and conjunctivitis, but are also sold as fashion accessories, with many consumers opting to have a number of sunglasses for different occasions.<ref name="researchandmarket" />
[[EssilorLuxottica]] controls a dominant portion of the eyewear retail market. As of 2021, the largest single eyewear retail chain in the United States by sales revenue is Essilor subsidiary [[Vision Source]], which sold US$2.672 billion in 2021. Chains controlled by the Luxottica division of EssilorLuxottica, which include [[LensCrafters]] and [[Sunglass Hut]], made a combined US$2.41 billion that same year; the largest non-Luxottica chain by sales was National Vision Holdings, making US$2.080 billion.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Sales of the leading 15 optical retailers in the U.S. 2021 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/256664/sales-of-the-leading-15-us-optical-retailers/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Eyewear Industry Retail Sales in 2021<ref name=":2" />
!Company name
!2021 Sales (millions of USD)
!Retail brands owned
!Refs<!-- Additional references not covered by the Statistic reference at the top of the table -->
|-
|[[EssilorLuxottica]]
|5,082<!-- Calculated from both Vision Source and Luxottica Brands fields as shown in the Statista reference -->
|[[Vision Source]]<br>[[Sunglass Hut]]<br>[[LensCrafters]]<br>[[Pearle Vision]]<br>[[Target Optical]]<br>[[Ray-Ban]]<br>[[Oakley, Inc.|Oakley]]
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |title=Essilor to Acquire Vision Source |url=http://www.visionmonday.com/latest-news/article/essilor-to-acquire-vision-source-1-1/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=www.visionmonday.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Direct to Consumer Brands {{!}} EssilorLuxottica |url=https://www.essilorluxottica.com/en/brands/direct-to-consumer/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=Essilor |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|National Vision Holdings
|2,080
|[[AC Lens]]<br>[[America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses|America's Best]]<br>Eyeglass World<br>[[Walmart]] Vision Center <br>Vista Optical ([[Fred Meyer]])
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brands {{!}} National Vision |url=https://www.nationalvision.com/brands/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=www.nationalvision.com |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Walmart]]
|1,748
|
|
|-
|Eyecare Partners
|1,566
|
|
|-
|[[Costco]] Optical
|1402.7
|
|
|-
|[[VSP Vision Care]]
|1,140
|[[Marchon Eyewear]]<br>[[Visionworks]]
|
|-
|Capital Vision Services
|1,108
|MyEyeDr
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=About – Capital Vision Services |url=https://www.capitalvisionservices.com/about/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|[[Warby Parker]]
|534
|
|
|}
== See also ==
* [[Eyepiece]]
* [[Eyewear retailer]]
* [[Optical lens design]]
* [[Optometry]]
{{Sister project links| wikt=eyewear | commons=Category:Glasses | b=no | n=no | q=Eyewear | s=no | v=no | voy=no | species=no | d=no}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}{{Glasses}}
[[Category:Eyewear| ]]