John Lennon 'Teashade' Sunglasses

John Lennon with his prized possessions!

Teashade Sunglasses or ‘John Lennon Sunglasses’(as they were renamed later on) are medium sized glasses with an absolutely round shape, tinted lenses, a nose pad and a thin wired frame, or at least so was their form in the initial designs. 

Even though John Lennon made them highly popular, the actual advent of these glasses was way earlier in the 60’s. The teashade glasses were invented to mask the immediate outer effects of the usage of drugs which included bloodshot eyes and constricted pupils. As a result, they were very popular amongst musicians and celebrities of this era!

Ozzy Osbourne

 In the later years, they were also sported by Ozzy Osbourne , Mick Jagger  and Boy George and the likes, as a part of their everyday wear.  The last few years have been a major comeback for these glasses as celebrities like Kate Moss and Lady Gaga to Beyonce and Johnny Depp, have all been spotted wearing the John Lennon sunglasses, thereby replacing the earlier craze of oversized shades.

Brands like Ray Ban and Tom Ford, today, have modified the authentic form of these sunglasses quite a lot. From being oversized, to having frames in plastic and in different prints, with multi-coloured lenses; the choices are colossal.  With vintage being particularly in vogue, these sunglasses are the most-sought after item of the sixties, which directly means your accessory drawer should contain them!

Model: Miray Kuzucu

   The Look -

Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Jacket: Adidas

Pyjamas: Oysho

Shoes: Local store in Milan

Model: Pranay Jaitly

The Look -

Sunglasses: Fiera di Senigallia (flea market), Milan

Sweater: Zara

Shirt: Self designed by Pranay

Bowtie: Celio

Trousers: H & M

Oxford Shoes: Vintage store in Milan
Bag: Zara

Model: Aneesha Khatar

The Look -

Sunglasses: Papiniano Flea Market, Milan
Crop-top: H&M

Jeans: Esprit

Boots: Vintage store, Milan

Neckpiece: Mumbai Flea Market 
Watch: Chanel

Finally, I want to mention that John Lennon has always been my personal favourite amongst The Beatles, and so here is something that Paul McCartney said about him which has stuck with me ever since:

"One of my great memories of John is from when we were having some argument. I was disagreeing and we were calling each other names. We let it settle for a second and then he lowered his glasses and he said: ‘It's only me.’ And then he put his glasses back on again. To me, that was John. Those were the moments when I actually saw him without the facade, the armour, which I loved as well, like anyone else. It was a beautiful suit of armour. But it was wonderful when he let the visor down and you'd just see the John Lennon that he was frightened to reveal to the world."