Looking Spec-tacular.

You no longer have to be an architect--or even have imperfect vision-- to wear cool specs. In the last decade, spurred by the entry of fashion houses like Donna Karan and Calvin Klein into the eyewear market, glasses have made the leap from clunky necessity to fashion accessory. Says Gloria Nicola, senior editor of the American trade magazine 20/20, "The eyewear industry would like to see people wardrobe their glasses the same way they do their shoes and handbags."

Some people already do. New York upscale hairstylist Peter Emmand, 47, arranges his 25 pairs of optical frames alongside his 140 shirts, 125 pairs of pants and 70 pairs of shoes, choosing frame shapes and shades to match his outfits. Beth Kwon, 30, a New York-based journalist, takes a more laid-back approach. She wears her funky, two-toned, cat's-eye frames by Japanese company Zip+homme with just about anything. "I never thought I'd have light blue glasses," she says. "But they actually are neutral enough and have a simple design that I don't have to coordinate my clothes."

As with belts or wallets, it's hard to come up with something radically new in eyewear design. But this spring's lineup offers subtle changes from past seasons. Retro styles are still dominant. You will see plenty of 1930s-inspired aviator frames, 1950s cat's-eyes and oversize ovals a la Jackie O, says Nicola. Geometrics are another trend; the architect of the moment, Daniel Libeskind, who recently won the contract to rebuild on the World Trade Center site, wears distinctive rectangular specs. This season, the bow ties, circles and hexagons are ...