Taped nerd glasses have long been the uniform of the vintage nerd. But why? We explore more below - we’ll also list some of our all-time favorite nerds on film and give you some tips to avoid needing to deploy the taped glasses look! Let’s dive in.

Why Would Anyone Wear Taped Glasses, Anyway?

Glasses featuring obvious tape on the bridge of the nose remain a key element of the classic ‘nerd’ look. But why? Well, the tape is there as a repair, holding together specs that have broken. The implication is that the wearer isn’t fussed about how they appear or whether their classmates will laugh at their DIY eyewear. This plays into the long-standing idea of the nerd as somewhat of a social outcast who isn’t concerned about fashion or outer appearances - because they’ve got so many amazing things going on in their brains, after all!

Nerds on Film

The nerd has got an impressive movie pedigree! Here are some of our fave nerds on film:
Egon Spengler
The brains behind Ghostbusters, Egon is book smart but awkward on the social front: the perfect nerd! He lists his hobbies as ‘spores, mold, and fungus.’ He’s also become one of the best-loved of the original Ghostbusters crew.

Professor Julius
The Nutty Professor from the original 1963 film is one of the most stereotypical representations of the nerd out there. With his thick-framed, taped glasses, shy demeanor, clumsiness, and super brain, Julius F. Kelp creates a serum that allows him to turn into his alter ego, Buddy Love…

Evie O’Connell
It’s not just the guys who get to be nerds! Evie O’Connell from The Mummy, played by Rachel Weisz, is both brainy and beautiful. She may be a librarian, but she’s also got some skills with a sword.

Napoleon Dynamite
One of the biggest nerds of the movie world, Napoleon Dynamite, was all too aware that ‘girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!’ This doesn’t stop him from helping his friend to victory in the class presidency contest.

Eugene Felsnic
The vintage nerd Eugene Felsnic appears in the movie Grease. Felsnic takes a lot of stick from the cool kids due to his thick glasses, bad jokes, and embarrassingly poor social skills. We still love you, Felsnic.

How to Avoid the Taped Glasses Look

Just because we’ve now largely taken the stereotypical nerd to our hearts - and embraced our inner nerdishness at the same time - doesn’t mean we’re happy to wander around with taped glasses in the event our spectacles break.

So how to avoid a potentially costly (and extremely inconvenient) breakage? Well, first off, choose high-quality spectacles. Cheaper, off-the-shelf store pairs may seem like a good idea, but there’s a high chance they won’t go the distance, and you’ll end up with a breakage on your hands. Check out the range at GlassesUSA.com for a vast range of high-quality, but affordable glasses and sunglasses, including prescription options.

And there are plenty of little steps you can take to prevent your specs from breaking day-to-day.
Like these:
• Keep your glasses in their case when you’re not wearing them.
• Before you sit down: check you’re not about to land on your glasses - this is one of the most common ways that specs get broken.
• If you play sports, consider purchasing a pair of special, reinforced frames and lenses to wear during this activity.
• If you notice any screws coming loose on your frames, tighten them as soon as possible.

Steering Clear of Scratches

It’s not just major breakages to steer clear of; there are also plenty of simple ways to avoid scratches to your glasses lenses which could compromise the clarity of vision they provide and shorten your specs’ lifespan.

Cleaning your glasses regularly is the easiest way to avoid lens scratches, as this ensures that debris is removed that could otherwise cause damage. Simply hold your glasses under warm running water, add a couple of drops of washing-up liquid to the lenses, gently clean them, and then rinse off carefully. Dry thoroughly with a soft microfiber cloth. Do this a couple of times a week.

If you do notice a scratch on the lenses, it’s important to take your spectacles to your eye care practitioner; they may be able to repair it, rather than you having to fork out for a brand new pair.

The Taped Glasses Takeaway

Since the 1950s, taped glasses, usually featuring thick frames, have been synonymous with ‘the nerd.’ Attitudes to this archetypal character have changed over the decades, and the nerd has now risen to become a generally loved character with audience members - sometimes even the hero of the movie! We’re right there behind them, cheering on their determination to be their own unique selves and not conform, sticking it to The Man along the way if they have to.

But just because we’re in their corner doesn’t mean we fancy breaking our glasses to get the tape-on-the-bridge-of-the-nose look. So use the tips above to keep your spectacles in perfect working order, whether you’re rocking the current clear frames trend or opting for chic-geek oversized black frames look.