Clout Goggles

GQ

In June 2017, rapper Denzel Curry appeared in a YouTube video wearing the distinctive white, round sunglasses. “These ain’t glasses, baby,” he said in response to a woman who complimented them.”These Clout Goggles.”

Goggles has been an informal term for “eyeglasses,” dating back to the 1700s. Clout has referred to one’s social influence since the 1950s, a term which rose in prominence in the social-media age. By Clout Goggles, apparently, Curry meant that anyone who can pull off wearing the eyewear has swag and sway.

Why? The actual Clout Goggles—the Archive 1993 by designer Christian Roth—have long had a rockstar vibe. Rocker Kurt Cobain of Nirvana wore the white shades, notably in his last photoshoot before his untimely death. Modern and feminine, the glasses demand a confident but countercultural wearer, resurfacing as a popular fashion accessory among hip-hop artists in the early 2010s including Lil Yachty, Wiz Khalifa, Lil B, and Ian Connor.

kanyetothe.com

Denzel Curry saw their potential, too, and his term for them, Clout Goggles stuck as a nickname and spread as a meme in summer 2017. Some people humorously photoshopped Clout Goggles onto celebrities. Others noted the trend to comment on fashion and image in popular culture.