Bird Lives

Wish I was here.

One of the only known videos of Charlie Parker in existence. A great performance of Hothouse from 1952. What makes it even better is Dizzy, looking his bebop best. Love the clothes: Bird's bow tie, big-fitting 1940's suit jacket and of course, Dizzy's frames. Diz favored big thick black or tortise plastic frames. Beyond cool. 

not so different

As a kid growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the sixties, I used to think I was different. I loved old stuff. Touching something from another era, fantasizing about who owned it and what that person was like. Dreaming about having a 1936 Cord, when most boys were yearning for a new Mustang or a Camaro. Spending hours in my room listening to The Beatles and Stones, and as much time in front of the mirror trying to get my hair and clothes to look like theirs. Then, in my early twenties, I became obsessed with bebop- Bird, Diz, Monk. Loved the music, the suits, glasses and what I thought was a romantic lifestyle.
Growing up, I rarely met other kids who were as passionate about music and fashion as I was. To me, they were synonymous. You couldn't love a band and not want to dress like them. Or wear the same eyewear.
Luckily, I did grow out of this. Not the love of vintage, but of trying to dress like my musical heroes. A fifty something guy showing up to work one day dressed like Keith Richards and the next day like Dizzy Gillespie probably wouldn't last long at the job. A great marriage, kids and career will do this to you. Now, I dress like an adult - slightly vintage, slightly preppy. And, as an optician, I get paid for doing something I love!
Here's why I dig the blogs I read: However different or unique you think your obsession is, there's somebody out there blogging about it.  Rockin' Optics certainly isn't the first blog about the love of cool eyewear, be it vintage or new. There are lots of fantastic blogs already out there. Maybe just a new spin on it. I try to focus on cool frames and how to purchase them on a retail workers salary. Nothing stuffy here. Zero tolerance for snobbery. All in all, a tale of an ugly guy still trying to look a little bit cool, even into his fifties. Maybe there's someone interested out there.


Thanks for reading.

Rick