Let’s talk about a man who has held the world under his spell for decades through his eyeglasses, Elton John. Since he came into the limelight in the ‘60s, Elton has taken us on an amazing journey filled with quirky and dazzling costumes and eyeglasses. In this article, we’ll look at Elton John glasses and how his persona has helped create an image for him forever associated with eyewear.

Who Is Elton John?

Sir Elton Hercules John is arguably the most successful singer and songwriter of his generation and one of the most influential in the last century. The flamboyant music icon has won multiple Grammy awards throughout his career. It’s impossible to cram all there is to say about this swashbuckling personality in just a few paragraphs, but we will try.

Elton was born in Pinner, a suburb of Middlesex, England in 1947. He was named Reginald Kenneth Dwight at birth. Elton displayed his prodigious talent to his family by playing a classical piano piece by the ear at age 3! He received a Junior Exhibitor scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music at 11. For the next four years, he attended the academy every Saturday.

As he grew older, Elton discovered rhythm and blues and fell in love with the genre. This led him to switch from classical music to pop. To date, he has over 450 songs, and many of them were co-written by him. He has had ten number-1 songs on the UK charts and eight number-1 albums. He has also sold over 300 million records globally. Some of his most popular songs are Candlelight in the Wind, Tiny Dancer, and I’m Still Standing. The name “Elton John” was something he adopted because he felt it was more “showbizzy.”

Elton is the most popular solo male artist in the history of American music charts and the third most successful overall, behind only Madonna and the Beatles. He has 11 Grammy nominations and won 5. He also has three albums inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Also, Elton has four Oscar nominations and four Tony award nominations, winning one.

Five Things You Didn't Know About Elton John's Stage Wear

Elton John was renowned for his beautiful voice and his talent for creating wonderful songs, but beyond that, he was also famous for flamboyant costumes. It‘s impossible to separate Elton’s stage performances and persona from his costumes. One of the most memorable things about his performances was the crazy clothes he appeared in. Here are five facts you may not know about Elton’s wardrobe.

• In the early stages of his career up until 1970, his stage clothing was store-bought. He had a preference for denim overalls, usually made in modern colors. The overalls were either short or long-legged.
• In 1971, he started adding apparel from the famous Mr. Freedom boutique in London to his wardrobe.
• Anett, wife of Elton’s bass player, Dee Murray, was among the first creators of custom dresses worn by Elton.
• Some of the most iconic clothes worn on stage by Elton were created by Bob Mackie, an LA-based designer. Bob made his Donald Duck outfit and LA Dodgers uniform. His penchant for feathers, sequins, capes, and boas helped create Elton’s iconic identity as a rock star.
• From 2003 to 2010, Elton stage dresses were designed by famous Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto.

Why does Elton John wear glasses?

Elton John revealed in his biography that he began wearing glasses as early as 13 because he was mimicking late rock and roll star Buddy Holly. Buddy was a rock and roll sensation in the 1950s who had a significant influence on the genre in its early days. Given Buddy’s impact on the genre, it’s not surprising that he also had a strong influence on Elton.

That’s not the only reason he wears glasses so often, though. Elton also revealed to Vogue in 2022 that he was born nearsighted. Although his case isn’t severe, he still needs prescription glasses, and moving to America opened him to an array of frame choices that weren’t available in England.

In Los Angeles, Elton found a shop that made customized eyeglasses for him. That was how the trend of Elton John and funky eyeglasses started. In 2002, the music legend got lens implants for his eyes, meaning he no longer needs prescription glasses. But he continues to wear glasses because he loves them, and his eyewear doesn’t have a prescription anymore.

The Evolution of Elton John's Sunglasses

When you think of Elton John, three things come to mind: his iconic eyeglasses, his outrageous costumes, and the Lion King. Let’s pay homage to his most iconic glasses over the years.

• Even though Elton had been wearing glasses for a long time, he took his eyewear game to a new level when he released his greatest hit album in 1974 wearing the Rococo sunglasses.
• Still, in 1974, he appeared in another iconic costume comprising dungarees and a mink fur coat. This gave him a stylish cowboy look, finished with huge sunglasses that had his EJ initials in rhinestones at the center of the glasses.
• In October of the same year, Elton appeared on stage in a silver jacket. Another enormous pair of glasses adorned with curly feathers completed the ensemble.
• At the 1989 edition of the Victoires de la Musique in France, Elton dressed in another characteristically dramatic ensemble and finished it off with neon pink cat-eye sunglasses and a zebra-printed fez.
• Elton John had his customized 3D eyeglasses for the premiere of the Gnomeo and Juliet movie on January 30, 2011.
• Elton dazzled his fans when he appeared in Atlanta, Georgia, for the Music Midtown event in September 2015, dressed in a black and gold bejeweled blazer and neon-red eyeglasses. The glasses had diamond crystals across the lenses! 
• During his show in Moscow in 2017, Elton dressed in a red and black jacket and a pair of gold sunglasses covered in crystals and rhinestones. 
• In the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, the singer appeared in a gold sequined jacket and topped it off with a pair of sunglasses that resembled Dame Edna’s sunglasses.

Elton John’s personal glasses collection

Elton has an astounding 250,000 pairs in his collection! You need no more facts to convince you of how much the singer loves eyeglasses. His collection is so varied in terms of style, ranging from vintage classics to modern styles. You can also tell by how well his choices suit his persona that he has exquisite taste in fashion, and he is very intentional about his choice of eyewear.

He understands that glasses have been a major part of his life, and he even openly stated during an interview that eyeglasses are an essential part of his music career. He also once tweeted, “I’m just not myself without my glasses.” 

Elton John's Sunglasses Fashion

Elton John & his round glasses

One of the times when Elton wore round glasses was during the press conference to announce his 1976 concert tour. He wore a white suit, which was relatively muted compared to his usual flamboyant outfits. He also wore a funky round eyeglasses that looked fantastic on him. You can copy his looks by shopping for any of our round glasses. 

Elton John & oversized square glasses

Elton John is back in his characteristically flamboyant dressing here in his white jacket adorned with large feathers. He completed the outfit with a pair of oversized square glasses encrusted with rhinestones. We have an array of oversized square glasses that you can wear to pay homage to the iconic star.

Elton John & tinted glasses

Elton has always had an affinity for tinted glasses, and his eyewear collection has several of them. The iconic musician decided to appear in a pair of pink-tinted glasses for the launch of a special Barbie dressed like him. The doll was created to mark the 45th anniversary of his sold-out concerts held at the Dodger Stadium. Here, he decided to dress in an unremarkable black suit, with the pink glasses being the only flamboyant fashion piece on him.

At Dollger, we have an array of stylish tinted glasses you can shop to keep your fashion game on.

Elton John Uptown Octagon glasses

One word that captured Elton’s fashion style is BOLD! There was no room for toning things down. He was bold, and he “owned” his style. To do this meant sporting geometric glasses once in a while. Check out our range of geometric frames to help you stay fashionable, Elton-style.

Elton John & unique glasses

Once in a while, Elton chose to wear glasses that we can’t really put in a category. They’re just quirky and unique. Sometimes, he wears these glasses to pay homage to people, like when he appeared at the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party wearing a pair of Dame Edna glasses.

Conclusion 

Elton John has always shared his art and heart with fans worldwide from the beginning, showcasing his exquisite taste in music and fashion. Throughout his career, Elton John's bold, bright, and brash sunglasses have been iconic. His unique eyewear designs have inspired many. If you're an Elton John fan, explore our Elton-inspired sunglasses foundations collection tailored just for you. Embrace the iconic glasses wearer's style with a pair of Elton John Glasses—a perfect choice for those seeking bold and unique eyewear.