We are trying to stay cool about these killer Thom Browne specs, but we’re having a hard time. They are just so good.
Thom Browne TB-707
Browne professes not to know too much about the history of fashion, but a quick study of his eyewear says otherwise. The new TB-707, part of the Thom Browne Summer 2014 release, is the latest in a series of glasses that reference the browline tradition. We think Browne and his team hit it out of the park with this one. It’s an incredibly tight design.
Form and Function
Let’s start with the shape. The contours of the lens have been softened and proportions reigned in from his previous clubmaster-style frames. Browne’s suits for men are known, among other things, for their extreme (short) tailoring. And while other Tom Browne Eyewear have taken more liberties with proportion, the dimensions for the 707 can be described as more commercial. It just looks good on. The bevels and curves of the browline are smartly tailored. And always, each screw and rivet is custom made and carefully designed and crafted.
Black and Gold
The 707 comes in three colors: black, grey and tortoise. Let’s talk about the black and gold combination: anything but boring. The front of the frame is matte black acetate. For Thom Browne Eyewear, whatever glitters actually is gold, and in this case the titanium core of the frame is clothed in 12 karats. And then we come to the accent colors.
Red, White and Blue
Building on the red, white and blue silk lining that Browne uses for the interiors of jackets and purses, the TB-707 features a series of red, white and blue laminates on the interior of the frame, which tie in with Browne’s signature, similarly-colored temple tips. It’s a detail to be enjoyed by the person wearing the glasses more than for anyone else — a personal luxury, which is what’s it’s all about, right?