Framed! Sharon Osbourne

The press keeps telling us that spectacles are more of a fashion accessory these days and I hear it quite often in conversation with non-spectacle people as well.

As a profession, I think we are all responsible for some significant 'sexing up' of this subject. Indeed, it's an integral part of my own sales patter.

But is it really true? And how far has the humble spec really come since the NHS turned the myopic into nerds? I decided to look at the A list, the Hollywood royalty, or whatever they are called. How many of these mega stars are seen regularly in their bins?

You can scratch your head like I did for a while. Hmmm, nope it's not a long list, in fact it's a very, very small list.

We can assume that the likes of Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis probably need some sort of vision correction by now but do we see them sporting their fashion accessories in interviews or when they are larging it at Cannes?

My PR lady rang me last week to tell me she was seeing Sharon Osbourne. 'Can we offer her a free bespoke?' she asked. My first reaction was 'Great! That would be brilliant.'

All the Osbournes wear their specs with pride and so over the weekend, for research and a possible celebrity client, I watched a load of Osbourne episodes, which seem to run back to back on a minor cable channel.

First thing I noticed was that they are all wearing Oliver Peoples, so much so that one suspects either a love affair or some kind of sponsorship.

Ozzy has his rock star Rx sunglasses for looking like Ozzy and then a normal pair of acetates which he seems to wear when he's been at the gin. Jack has some bold black statement specs which offset his chubby cheeks a treat and Sharon seems to have a million different pairs.

Things were looking good for some international exposure of TD specs as long as I could get around the OP thing.

However, later in the evening the X-Factor started and while Sharon was sporting a spanking new haircut, there were no specs. Then I realised, we only see them in their eyewear because it's reality TV.

The fantasy world of mega-celeb hasn't been reached until the A-list are all wearing eye furniture on the red carpet. Are we just spinning a tale to our customers? Has eyewear really become the new fashion accessory?

The answer is yes. What a well-cut spectacle can do for a face is nothing short of amazing. The ugly can become cool, the cool can become intelligent, and the intelligent can become smart.

For real people, spectacles can transform you like no other accessory. But, back to Shazza, I called the PR this morning. 'Have you seen her yet?'

'Good, better not bother offering a free bespoke to Osbourne, she won't wear it anyway!' I think I'll change my sales patter. 'Too exclusive for the likes of celebrity!'