horn-rimmed glasses

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The name refers to an iconic frame for eyeglasses which was originally made of horn or tortoise shell. However, those materials are no longer in use, and horm-rimmed glasses are now made of thick plastic. The thick, durable plastic is usually dark in color, making this kind of frame appear bolder and more pronounced than other kinds of frames made of thin metal, for example.

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"Uncle Jim in horn rims, circa 1955" by Mahalie Stackpole is licensed under CC BY-SA.

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