Pince-nez is a style of eyeglasses that was popular in the 19th century. The lenses are supported without any ear piece temples by pinching the bridge of your nose. The name comes from French pincer, "to pinch", and nez, "nose".
Although pince-nez spectacles were used in Europe in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, modern ones appeared in the 1840s and reached their peak of popularity around 1880 to 1900. Both men and women wore pince-nez spectacles. They can be uncomfortable to wear for extended periods if the wrong bridge size is chosen.
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