The avant-garde has long shown a fondness for staging revivals of trends on the verge of fading completely from style. This pattern may be clearly charted in eyewear.

Hippies made "granny glasses" part of the vocabulary by reviving styles worn by those a couple of generations before. While many hippies reviled their parents' values, grandparents were often respected for their cache of wisdom (and the wild pop attitudes of the roaring 20's). Perhaps it is this respect that led the flower children to don round wire frames at a time when colorful and modern plastics were the vogue.

In the early 80's, trendy young New York models and art types began to comb thrift shops for the cat-eye frames usually seen on older matrons about town. This trend continues to prevail among hip women in American cities and universities. It is not unusual to see punkers in spiked leather and military boots rounding out the look with rhinestone encrusted art deco frames.

I recently spotted a trendy looking young gal with rainbow hair wearing chunky high heeled boots, a short leather skirt and a close fitting leather jacket. The outfit was accentuated by (or perhaps contrasted with) a pair of clunky plastic glasses with drop temples and a cloisonne butterfly decoration on the lens.

Meanwhile, decorative chains continue to make gains as the most popular eyeglass accessory. What will be the next cutting-edge eyewear fashion? Check Granny's glasses case for your most reliable indicator.