Stars work their magic

J K Rowling's bespectacled hero Harry Potter and celebrities such as Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp who plays Jack Sparrow in the Hollywood blockbuster have helped to make wearing glasses in the playground cool.

New research from The College of Optometrists reveals that boy wizard Harry Potter has become the leading style icon among seven- to 10-year-olds. Eighty-five per cent of children aged 10 and under participating in the survey said that Harry Potter had 'made glasses cooler', with boys finding him more inspirational than girls.

Overall, however, Harry Potter (64 per cent) lost out to actor Johnny Depp (69 per cent), who is especially popular with older children: 86 per cent of those aged 13 to 16 say he's made glasses hip in the playground. Johnny Depp was also the most popular celebrity with girls. Almost three quarters (73 per cent) cited him as their specs-wearing hero.