# How did men wear monocles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860 "2012-09-26T05:40:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/1 "2012-09-26T05:40:14Z")
I heard one of those jokey “his monocle dropped on the floor jokes” and it got me to wondering about real life monocle users. How exactly did monocle users a 100 years ago keep their monocles securely fastened? Did the frequent use of a monocle have problems with their facial muscles? And how common was the use of different monocles for each eye? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/2 "2012-09-26T07:44:18Z")
You just knew there had to be a website devoted to all things monocular: [MadAboutMonocles.com](http://www.madaboutmonocles.com/) > [@](#): > > Wearing the monocle involves slotting the lens into the eye orbit, which may take a small amount of effort on the first attempt, but it is an easy technique to pick up. The best way to do it is to relax the eye, put the lens in over it and squint slightly to hold it in place. Overdoing it may give you a rather off-putting sneer but if you grip it just right you will be rewarded with a unique look of dignity that just can’t be achieved with a pair of glasses, no matter how elegant they may be. Special care must be taken regarding which facial expressions you use, as raising the eyebrows too much will cause the lens to simply drop out, inviting comparison to a surprised character from an old Punch cartoon. I’ve never heard of anybody wearing two different monocles at once: if you need to correct the vision in both eyes simultaneously, you wear spectacles. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/3 "2012-09-26T08:04:40Z")
There also are monocle frames, like [this one](http://www.google.com/imgres?start=189&hl=en&as_st=y&biw=1024&bih=619&tbm=isch&tbnid=cpmJnLvbBzBG7M:&imgrefurl=http://www.steampunkemporium.com/store/002550S.php&docid=y-xF9YUMxyrNPM&imgurl=http://www.steampunkemporium.com/store/media/002550/002550_01.jpg&w=450&h=343&ei=ErZiUOaVMsqF4gSUlYDICQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=566&vpy=269&dur=135&hovh=196&hovw=257&tx=124&ty=128&sig=107821222095641573253&page=10&tbnh=134&tbnw=186&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:189,i:63), that make it easier to wear them. ---
**Author:** ![core\_dump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@core\_dump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/core_dump)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/4 "2012-09-26T08:18:07Z")
Will one of these make me look ejumacated whilst looking at diamonds? ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/5 "2012-09-26T17:23:14Z")
No, you’ll look even more ignorant. [Jeweler’s loupes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loupe) are for looking at diamonds. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/6 "2012-09-26T17:50:08Z")
Recently I’ve read that it was considered an unforgivable act of lese-majesty to wear standard eyeglasses while adressing royalty - something offensive about peering at them through glass. In Germany this lead to the stereotype used by Eric Von Stroheim and Werner Klemperer. In Great Britain, the main monocle-wearer that comes to mind is [Jospeph Chamberlain](http://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1523&bih=432&q=joseph+chamberlain&oq=joseph+chamberlain&gs_l=img.1.0.0l4j0i24l6.1219.6301.0.8112.18.14.0.4.4.0.130.1579.1j13.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.L6GIf95fdqA), who seems to never let himself be photographed without one. Chamberlain was not an aristocrat, had not attended Oxford or Cambridge, an so maybe he wore it to announce “Yeah, I need this. 'Cause I talk to kings, bitch!” ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/7 "2012-09-27T13:49:42Z")
The daughter of a colleague of mine thought I looked very distinguished when she saw me wearing a monocle. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/8 "2012-09-27T14:05:43Z")
I’ve always seen monocles attached to a strap so they don’t hit the floor after falling out, they just dangle. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/9 "2012-09-27T14:37:10Z")
But it doesn’t always help if the monocle falls out and hits the hard corner of a table. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/10 "2012-09-27T14:39:43Z")
Do monocles come in different sizes? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/11 "2012-09-27T14:48:20Z")
Like with lenses in glasses they are filed down around the edge to an appropriate size. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/12 "2012-09-27T14:57:46Z")
A monocle with trifocal lensing is on my short list of things to buy when I become fabulously rich. I will wear it just to annoy people. And a small dog will accompany me on a golden chain. And her name will be ‘Fifi’ and she will growl and bark and any who dare approach my monocle-wearing presence. Next step will, of course, be world domination. I suppose at that point, I will seek out the advice of others here on this board, notably **Skald the Rhymer**. I haven’t actually worked out many of the details this morning. I’m still working on the ‘becoming fabulously wealthy’ part. However, a monocle would work well with a steampunk costume. Everyone wears the same goggles and I like to stand out in a crowd. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/13 "2012-09-27T15:12:38Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > However, a monocle would work well with a steampunk costume. Everyone wears the same goggles and I like to stand out in a crowd. So you want a monogle then. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/14 "2012-09-27T15:25:14Z")
So did the typical monocle-wearer leave it “on” all the time, like I wear my glasses? Did they walk around with them in place? Or did they lift them up to their eye only when needed, like modern reading glasses? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/15 "2012-09-27T15:38:16Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > In Great Britain, the main monocle-wearer that comes to mind is [Jospeph Chamberlain](http://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1523&bih=432&q=joseph+chamberlain&oq=joseph+chamberlain&gs_l=img.1.0.0l4j0i24l6.1219.6301.0.8112.18.14.0.4.4.0.130.1579.1j13.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.L6GIf95fdqA), who seems to never let himself be photographed without one. His was the monocle in our time. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/16 "2012-09-27T16:01:42Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > His was the monocle in our time. (Apologies for the typo in the name) Yes, that’s an example of the [sins of the father](http://www.boer.co.za/boerwar/fotos/kind2.gif) visited upon the [son](http://ivarfjeld.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/chamberlainmunich.jpeg?w=450) (there’s another fashion trend to revive: those swallowtail coats with black & gold striped trousers that ineffectual diplomats used to wear) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/17 "2012-09-27T16:06:45Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > So did the typical monocle-wearer leave it “on” all the time, like I wear my glasses? Did they walk around with them in place? AFAICT many would do so: if you really needed vision correction or cosmetic alteration in one eye, you’d want the monocle there continuously. The diplomat [Christopher Ewart-Biggs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Ewart-Biggs), for example, wore a smoked-glass monocle over a glass eye to disguise its artificial appearance. Many others, of course, just popped in the monocle for taking an especially close look at something. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/18 "2012-09-27T16:22:29Z")
So what was the point? Nowadays if you only need correction in one eye, you get glasses with plain glass for the other eye (at least I assume that’s the case, since I don’t see monocles being used). Why did monocles go out of fashion? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/19 "2012-09-27T16:32:40Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > (Apologies for the typo in the name) Yes, that’s an example of the [sins of the father](http://www.boer.co.za/boerwar/fotos/kind2.gif) visited upon the [son](http://ivarfjeld.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/chamberlainmunich.jpeg?w=450) > > (there’s another fashion trend to revive: those swallowtail coats with black & gold striped trousers that ineffectual diplomats used to wear) Like this? > [@](#): > > Different types who wear a day > coat; pants with stripes and cutaway > coat; perfect fits > Puttin’ on the Ritz – _Puttin’ On the Ritz_, Irving Berlin Huh. 3/4 of a century since that movie. Maybe we are overdue for a revival. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860/20 "2012-09-27T16:54:58Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > So what was the point? Nowadays if you only need correction in one eye, you get glasses with plain glass for the other eye (at least I assume that’s the case, since I don’t see monocles being used). Why did monocles go out of fashion? WAGging, but it seems that a monocle takes a bit more practice to wear with ease and is somewhat less secure. I imagine that the three-point ear-nose-ear support structure of the standard spectacle frame is more stable and comfortable for most people. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-men-wear-monocles/635860.md?page=2)