You may have noticed the recent trend of wearing clear sunglasses, which can also be called “hipster glasses” due to the idea that they serve no purpose other than to look “cool.” If you’re not familiar with what these look like, we’ve provided a link below.

They are typically worn by college students and became popular in conjunction with the “I LOVE NERDS” campaign, which began as a twist on the common belief that nerds weren’t cool. It suddenly became cool to be smart and look like a jerk, and that’s how clear lens (non-prescription) glasses were born. For those unfortunate enough to be born with good eyesight, this product was designed to give the appearance that they needed glasses without actually having vision problems.

Starting as a small trend, this idea was soon embraced by many athletes like Lebron James or Russell Westbrook, who are well known for wearing these glasses during post-game interviews. They soon came under national attack by the fashion police (aka “haters”) who, like everyone else, find these accessories useless and downright silly. Despite early reactions from many critics to this new look, this trend has now been embraced nationally and is becoming popular for people trying to stand out from the crowd and most obviously, make themselves the center of attention. .

So despite the sentimental value of these glasses, we wanted to take a look at the other reasons these glasses might be worn, just in case someone who isn’t trying to look like an ’80s gamer wants to wear them. Also, because we wanted to squash the myth and silence the critics that these glasses DO have a purpose, so we put the nerds to the test and dove in the facts.

What we discovered was that these glasses have a purpose and that is to protect your eyes. Did you know that these glasses are actually 100% UV protected, so they will protect your eyes from the harmful sun? Also, did you know that, on the contrary, dark sunglasses reduce the visible light entering your eyes, so your iris opens to admit more light, allowing even more harmful UV radiation into your eyes? I think it’s safe to say that clear lens glasses just won that battle.

They’re also convenient because they’re transparent so you can wear them inside and still see! This saves the hassle of having to remove them every time you enter a building. Plus, who likes messing up their hair or wearing them around their necks? Not only is it not fashionable, but it looks awful. I think we’re also forgetting the fact that these glasses can protect your eyes from flying debris, finger pricks, and champagne splashes when you’re celebrating like a champ.

So next time you’re rocking out without your glasses on and people start to hate, just let them know you’re “wearing protection, bro.”