CELEBRITY

Elton John: The Man, The Legend, The Glasses

Learn why Elton John loves his glasses.
Elton John wearing pink glassesGetty

Known as the singer of some of the most recognisable melodies of our time, Elton John has been a musical powerhouse for his entire career. But another thing he’s known for is his flamboyant sense of style: the costumes, the fancy dress, and the ever-present, almost kaleidoscopic collection of big glasses that accompany his every outfit.

Even after his style settled down somewhat, Elton John’s love for crazy glasses never seems to have faded. He has glasses for any occasion, he has cool glasses, normal glasses, whacky glasses, he even has a set of funny glasses; like his windshield wiper glasses and heart glasses. It’s reasonable to say that this icon has worn more pairs of glasses than any other musician in history.

We’ve compiled a brief list of the many glasses Elton John has worn through his career, as well as tips on how you can be like the man himself and start your own Elton John glasses collection.

Why Does Elton John Wear Glasses?

Strangely enough, the glasses that Elton John wears today weren’t really needed. He began wearing glasses as a tribute to one of the great icons of 1950’s rock and roll, Buddy Holly.

After Holly’s death in a tragic plane crash, Elton John continued to wear the glasses out of respect, but when he started developing problems with his eyesight, he decided to go a little fancy with the selections offered by his ophthalmologist. They were small designs at first, like circle glasses—but soon enough, the up-and-coming music icon just leaned into it.

How Many Glasses Does Elton John Have?

It’s estimated that during the height of his career, Elton John owned over 20,000 different pairs of glasses: ranging from red glasses, white glasses, blue glasses, zoom glasses, and every other colour and design imaginable.

The glasses became an inseparable part of his own unique style, one that characterized both his personality and the kind of music that he shared with the world. Even after getting corrective eye surgery and announcing his farewell tour, the star is almost never seen without a dazzling eye-wear accessory in his appearances.

The Many Glasses Of Elton John (And How To Recreate The Look)

Pink Glasses

Elton John’s sunglasses are varying shades, but the most common would be pink. Here’s a pair that you can use to recreate the look (minus the sequins, but you can always add that yourself.)

Elton John wearing pink glasses
(Credit: Getty)

Orange Glasses

Another common colour that Elton John’s glasses tend to go with is this very rich shade of orange—amber, almost. Here’s a pair that you can try for yourself. As an added bonus, orange glasses are great at blocking out blue light from screens and can even help you sleep better.

Getty wearing orange glasses
(Credit: Getty)

Star Glasses

At the height of his musical prowess, the eyewear choices were zanier than most, these bold and iconic spectacles never fail to grab attention, no matter who wears them.

Yellow Glasses

Yellow glasses were another common sight during the height of Elton John’s career. Aside from being a good accessory for most casual outfits, they also function well for beachwear or as a set of driving sunglasses.

Elton John wears yellow glasses
(Credit: Getty)

Round Glasses

For lounging around his private home or for more intimate gatherings, Elton John preferred rounder glasses, likely because they were low-maintenance compared to his other pairs.

Elton John wearing a pair of white, round glasses
(Credit: Getty)

Green Glasses

In his latest appearances, Elton John usually sticks to wearing glasses that match with his outfit, like this zany green neon pair with his suit and scarf. Here’s a similar pair we found that you can try.

Final Piece Of Advice

A word of advice before you go and find all the Elton John glasses for sale. It’s important to keep in mind that having the confidence to wear them was what made them such a magnetic style. So if you’re going to wear these, wear them proud!

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