cocotita

The BBC has reported that opticians un the US have “witnessed a surge in sales of those Palin glasses,” referring to the thick temple, frameless lens glasses vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has worn since her debut in Washington on the Republican ticket next to Senator John McCain. This is not surprising, given the recent nation-wide rise of women in politics that began with New York Senator Hillary Clinton’s run for the democratic presidential ticket. After Hillary stepped down from the race in order to ‘heal the party’ the new woman on the block became Oakley sunglasses, the wife of Hillary’s rival and winner of the democratic presidential ticket, Barak Obama. Michelle’s character is every bit as strong and dominant as Hillary’s, and demonstrates a very real gap in the glass ceiling. Indeed, women in politics have been one of the most read news stories of 2008, and something I predict this year will be famous for, when viewed historically.

Sarah Palin, on the other hand, offers a very different image than Michelle or Hillary, who have both represented change and dominant positions in the public eye. Sarah is the mother of several children, one of whom is now an expecting mother herself. She is from a small town in rural Alaska, where she fits into the community through her local church and functions, rather than the large Washington Oakley sunglasses  both Hillary and Michelle frequent. Perhaps this makes her more in touch with the ‘average American,’ if such a thing exists.

And apparently she connects well with the population, as women have “surged” to buy look-alike Palin glasses. The glasses are titanium Kawasaki 704 frames, from Japan. The have titanium temples, very sleek and simple, support angular frameless lenses. As a former runner-up in the Miss America pageant, Palin is no stranger to fashion. In addition to women emulating Palin’s glasses, they are also copying her hairstyle. Looking at past pictures of Palin, she has long favoured strong, clean-lined eyewear that is half librarian, half cat woman, which befits her complex and strong personality. The recent craze, which ABC news called a, “bipartisan must-have fashion accessory,” is sparking a trend that has spread past just the Kawasaki brand to include all frameless, rimless designs. D&G sunglasses Personally, I find this a positive trend. Rather than looking to heroes like Brittany Spears or Lindsey Lohan, who are in and out of rehab and as stable as a blade of grass on a windy day, it is much healthier that women emulate powerful and successful (and stable) women like Palin, Hillary and Michelle.