I've always wondered this too, but I think they were prescription because he wore glasses for a short while during 1988 too. There is a pic of him wearing thick rimmed glasses in a black suit and he had long hair. He might of wore them just for show of course, but at the same time needed them to correct his vision. Some people can wear glasses periodically luckily (my jealousy is showing lmao). He may of just wore them for that era because he thought they fit the look.

I don't know why he wore them I just remember my 15 year old self thinking they were cool as heck.

It was all part of the look Prince was going for.

He doesn't wear glasses to see, he wears them to look cool.

Superfan1984 said:

Angelsoncrack- He's REALLY hot in that pic you're talking about with the black rimmed glasses and suit.....

I know, right! Here's another I have saved of him in those glasses:

Angelsoncrack said:

Superfan1984 said:

Angelsoncrack- He's REALLY hot in that pic you're talking about with the black rimmed glasses and suit.....

I know, right! Here's another I have saved of him in those glasses:

Ooohh My My My goodness...That's just beautiful right there. If he came at me lookin like that there's no tellin what i'd do. Too sexy fine.

Superfan1984 said:

Was it part of a "look" or did he need them to see?

The John Lennon look!

I was rather partial to the wire framed ones, myself.

But to answer the question, I think he wore them because he looked damn good in them and he knew it!

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

He brought them back for the Ellen Show

For the very simple reason he thought the chicks dug it. Is there anything Prince does that is ultimately not to impress the honeys?

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

kenkamken said:

You can tell normal glasses from prescription glasses by the way they refract light.
Usually, they either make eyes look bigger or smaller (myopia).

On lighter corrections, you still can tell because the glass tend to distort the background.

Judging by the way the SOTT glasses do not distort the background at all, I would say they're just for looks.

Just another one of Prince's affectations.

That's how it was officially explained in Billboard when they published a cover story on Prince and the Minneapolis Music Scene. The glasses was one of the "rumors" that was addressed in the article, and confirmed that they are only for looks by a source known only as "Deep Purple."

Anyone have that issue of Billboard (early 1987 right before the release of SOTT) and can share a scan?

leadline said:

He might not have needed glasses then, but he almost surely does now - at least for reading.

Genesia said:

He might not have needed glasses then, but he almost surely does now - at least for reading.

Why would he surely need them now? He should also look like he is 60 and not 30, maybe one day we will find out what planet he is actually from.

He wears glasses when he tries to look intellectual

[Edited 6/23/15 10:00am]

[Edited 6/23/15 10:03am]

leadline said:

Genesia said:

He might not have needed glasses then, but he almost surely does now - at least for reading.

Why would he surely need them now? He should also look like he is 60 and not 30, maybe one day we will find out what planet he is actually from.

Because he's 57 years old - and I have never met anyone that age who didn't need glasses for either reading or distance.

I also seem to recall that he had to let someone else read the winner at an awards show - a dead giveaway.

paulludvig said:

Genesia said:

He might not have needed glasses then, but he almost surely does now - at least for reading.

Yup, few people escape the need for bifocals or at least reading glasses after a certain age.

purplethunder3121 said:

Genesia said:

He might not have needed glasses then, but he almost surely does now - at least for reading.

Yup, few people escape the need for bifocals or at least reading glasses after a certain age.

.

personally, i believe someone can wear a cape at any age