Bespectacled = Ugly?

Sometime ago, I met a friend (A) and I asked her how another mutual friend of ours (B) was doing.

A said, “Do you know? Ever since B went to university, she started wearing contact lenses, and she became so pretty! Since then, there were a lot of guys who went after her.”

A then sighed and said, “But when B started working, she wore spectacles again. Can you imagine? I really don’t know she was thinking of!”

What A seemed to be saying is, when B wore contact lenses, she was a beauty, but when she resumed wearing spectacles, she was like a swan turned back into an ugly duckling.

A’s words rang hard in my ears.

It is not just because of the fact that I wear spectacles, but because this is not the first time I have heard people saying things along the same line.

Well, all girls love to love pretty, and if wearing contact lenses can make one look better, what is wrong with that?

Nothing, absolutely.

My question is, are girls pretty only when they do not wear spectacles?

My first and only pair of contact lenses was made after I finished junior college, for my prom night. That was the first time I wore contact lenses. I thought I looked pretty alright. But, I felt like I was looking at a different person in the mirror.

My eyes felt naked.

That was the problem with wearing spectacles for too long a time. You are so accustomed with having something shield your eyes that you find it hard to get used to not wearing glasses. After my prom, I still wore my contact lenses occasionally until it expired. And since then, I have not worn one again.

Reasons being that firstly, my eyes get tired easily when I wear contact lenses. My friends say it is because I am not used to it. Secondly, I once had a frightening experience when my contact lenses was caught in my eyes, and I was so scared that I could not get it out. Thirdly, I am worried that extensive use of the contact lenses would be harmful to the eyes, unless there is very proper cleaning and care for the lenses.

For many girls, when they progress to tertiary institutions, they start to wear contact lenses. When girls begin working, even more turn to contact lenses.

Why? Because girls look better with contact lenses?

“That’s not true!” I retorted to a friend recently.

My friend rebuked, “Show me a bespectacled girl who looks really stunning.”

I was dumb founded.

If we were to look for a female artiste, there is hardly any who wears spectacles and who looks really pretty. If we were to look in the streets, (I have to admit, though reluctantly) the ones who look really beautiful usually do not wear spectacles.

So, my friend was right?

I still begged to differ, and I shall continue to search for a good example.

Strangely though, I feel that I look better with glasses than without (Well, it could again be because I am not used to it). Perhaps that is also the reason why I think guys who wear spectacles look better than those without, in the way that they look more intellectual, gentle and good tempered.

If others share my view on this, does it mean that guys look good when they appear scholarly and learned, but scholarly-looking girls do not look pretty or crudely put, ugly?