Well, my pad is very messy and there’s whiskers on my chin
And I’m all hung up on music, and I always play to win
I ain’t got no time for lovin’ ‘cause my time is all used up
Just sittin’ ‘round creatin’ all that groovy kind of stuff
Well, I’m a man, yes I am, and I can’t help but love you so
Well, I’m a man, yes I am, and I can’t help but love you so.

I’ve ALWAYS loved this Spencer Davis song as written and wailed by Stevie Winwood and only recently came to realize he’s singing with such passion about the love of a man for… his glasses. He can’t be bothered taking care of his house. He doesn’t have time to shave (as also witnessed by our cover guy!) and… nearly disturbingly… he doesn’t even have time for that special woman in his life. He’s obsessed with his glasses. It sounds like he even went so far as to making (sittin’ round—likely his favorite shape—creatin’) his own special specs.

The song dates back to the mid-’60s so I’m not sure Winwood even realized that in the here and now, Men’s Eyewear would become such a prevailing source of domination and inspiration to the point that even WOMEN are wearing the styles, shapes and colors so long adored by men.

Our “His Glasses” cover and feature is testament to this opti-phenom. May I refer to some past 20/20 milestones attesting to our edit commitment to men’s eyewear?

Previous location specifics for men’s issues include a trip to a classic barber shop, a few stints in men’s tailoring joints and numerous “real” men shoots on musicians, authors (including art director Iris Johnson’s husband Ted Heller) and artists (shot AT their studios just a week after Superstorm Sandy).

But our strongest statement about men and their eyewear came via the 2008 editorial/marketing initiative “Modern Man.” With a dramatic emphasis on the power of men’s eyewear, the campaign featured TWO strong editorial supplements and a special event during Vision Expo East with a panel including eyewear designer Blake Kuwahara, luxury eyewear retailer Edward Beiner, Brooks Brother’s Claudio Del Vecchio, men’s designer Jhane Barnes and men’s style editor Robert Bryan.

The whole shebang was extremely successful. Then 20/20 marketing maven (and NOW Executive Editor) Christine Yeh entered the MIN Integrated Marketing Awards contest and we beat scores of other publishing ventures winning top prize.

That woman model on our cover tried on and adored every frame in this issue’s feature. She loved ’em all. I’m a man and so do I and… I can’t help but hope you do too giving this issue some lovin’… quoting another Winwood song.

James J. Spina
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]