People ask us all the time: “What do you call different eyeglass chains?”
You saw your friend wearing her glasses hanging from a chain. Your try to explain: “It wasn’t the kind of holder where each temple fits into a separate little rubber loop. The glasses weren’t open; They were folded up, and one temple slid through a large loop, kind of like how you wear glasses when you hang them from your shirt. Do you know what I mean?”
Yes! We know exactly what you mean.
Most folks in the eyeglass necklace biz differentiate between “eyeglass holders” and “eyeglass hang-ups.” The nomenclature is so similar, it took me a year and a day for it to stick in my brain. Most people use the “eyeglass chain”, much like the classic librarian look. They have also been referred to as eyeglass leash, and eyeglass necklace. At each end, there is a small rubber or plastic loop. Tighten the loop around the very end of the reading glass arm goes in the loop, and your glasses will hang over your chest.
The alternative, the eyeglass Hang-UP, also keeps your glasses close by, but operates a little differently. Eyeglass hang ups have one big loop in the center of the chain. It does not tighten. One arm goes all the way through the loop, then folds over it. This way, the glasses hang folded over your chest. As I said above, it’s kind of like when you fold your glasses over the neckline of your shirt, only a little less annoying and a heck of a lot more stylish. Eyeglass hang ups are also called eyeglass chain hang-ups, and eyeglass necklace hang-ups. There names overlap, but as long as the word “hang-up” is present, there’s one big ring in the center.
There are distinct advantages to each. You can pretty much keep your eyeglass fastened to an eyeglass chain all day. Put the glasses on your face. Take them off your face. No need to undo the little loops from the temples. When you picture a librarian, you are probably imagining this type of eyeglass chain. They are having a resurgence, and this classic look has taken on surprising modern touches. They are available in a vast array of colorful materials, from tortoise shell to hot color plastics. I have even seen eyeglass chains dotted with little colorful metal twisty like sculptures, as well as Swarovski crystals.
The eyeglass hang-up, on the other hand, requires a little more effort. Every time you need to use your glasses, you must slide them out of the loop, open them up and put them on. The advantage is, your glasses are less prone to wear and tear when they are in a closed position. So they are safer wearing them around your neck this way if you tend to be hard on your stuff.
Well, I hoped this answered any questions you may have about the difference in eyeglass neck holders.