A-Z of Eyewear: MNO

Monocles (and those that sell them) can probably thank TV show Peaky Blinders for a fashion resurgence in recent years. Those choosing to ape the sartorial style of lead character Tommy Shelby have tended to focus on three-piece tweed suits, newsboy caps and accessories like pocket watches and monocles. But according to the College of Optometrists museum, monocles were actually falling out of favour in the period after World War I, as the optical appliances became associated with tropes of the German High Command.

Monocles date back to the Georgian era of the 1700s and were popular with most classes of people until the early-20th century. Properly cut and measured for its owner, the monocle was designed to be held in-place by the cheekbone and the eye-socket and eyebrow.