Tortoise glasses or tortoise shell glasses, in a commercial sense, are made of plastic with a mottled brown, black and sometimes orange patterns. Tortoise shell bases its design on the shell markings of the hawksbill turtle, and initially it was made from the turtle.

Tortoishell was a heavily used natural material made popular in the early 1900's. The most widely used was the hawksbill turtle because of the excellent hues and how well the tones reflected on people skin. Many items were fashioned from the tortoise shell and the use became outlawed in the 1970's to protect this species of reptile from endangerment. The tortoise shell could be manipulated to make items such as hair clips, guitar picks and eyewear. The tortoise shell eyeglasses became popular in the 1900's first made famous by comedian Harold Lloyd. This eccentric thick dark round eyeglass was a diversion from the classic metal eyeglasses mostly fashioned in this time period. The time had come for change this was the revival needed for eyeglasses, they were becoming a fashionable and sought after statement. No longer just a medical device allowing one to see clearly, eyeglasses were clearly becoming fashionable.

Since tortoise shell glasses are more popular, how to wear it? You can wear your tortoise shell glasses with any casual outfit. Wear a hat, jeans and tee for a cool and casual day look. Wear your tortoise shell frames with khakis and a polo for a cool and preppy look. Whether you are golfing or boating or just cruising the mall, tortoise shell eyeglass frames are perfect. Moreover, choose a color to compliment your skin. If you are lighter, go for brown tortoise shell frames. If you have a darker skin tone, opt for the black or dark brown frames. You can wear tortoise shell frames as reading glasses or sunglasses. More importantly, try on a variety of styles to find the right frames for your face shape. There is a frame shape and price for every budget. You don't have to spend a fortune on your tortoise shell eyeglass frames to look amazing.