Sarah Palin Glasses Create Fashion Stir

By Kelly Cales
Multimedia Fellow
Published: September 17, 2008

KINGSPORT, T.n—Sarah Palin’s specks are creating quite a spectacle, as well as a new fashion trend.

The glasses, created by Japanese designer Kazuo Kawasaki, are becoming a must have fashion accessory for supporters. “I stand for what she believes in and when people see me with these glasses on they’re going to maybe recognize this is what she wears,” said Blountville resident Jeanie Fuller who visited Specks’ N Shades in Kingsport on Tuesday to buy a pair of Sarah Palin specks.

Specks’ N Shades Vision Center is the only location in the Tri-Cities that currently sells the exact frames and lenses that Sarah Palin sports. “We have had the phone ringing off the hook asking about the Sarah Palin glasses,” said Specks’ N Shades assistant Katrina Loo.

The vision center constructed a Sarah Palin frame display a few weeks ago when John McCain announced the Alaskan governor as his running mate. “We started getting a response immediately following,” said Specks’ N Shades owner Bob Boles who has been selling the Kawasaki line for over eight years.

Though Palin is not the first well known woman to wear glasses she is definitely giving a boost to optical businesses around the country. “We have several people come in everyday asking if we have Sarah Palin glasses,” said Boles. He says people want to duplicate her poised and professional, yet feminine look. “She’s a beautiful woman and she wears the glasses well,” he adds.

The frames, which cost about $375 without lenses, offer wearers a chance to show their support and imitate their favorite female Alaskan running mate. “She’s got a lot more hair than I do, but she is so beautiful,” said Fuller.

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