Fashion dictionary

Clout Goggles

[klout gog-uh lz]

What does Clout Goggles mean?

Clout Goggles are a style of sunglasses with large, round, white frames and dark lenses, named by rapper Denzel Curry but iconically worn by rocker Kurt Cobain in the 1990s.

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Where does Clout Goggles come from?

blue background with yellow words clout googles

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.

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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.

Examples of Clout Goggles

2017 was the year of Clout Goggles and 2018 is shaping up to be the year of tiny sunglasses.
Tyler Watamanuk, GQ, May, 2018
Acne Studios’ Mustang and Planet-i’s Extraterrestrial oval frames are humorously referred to as “clout goggles” for their burst in popularity last year.
Esiwahomi Ozemebhoya, Hypebae, February, 2018
ew imagine our kids being really into the 2010s and wearing clout goggles and camo pants while asking their friends if they can even name 3 drake songs....disgusting
@madigrxce, June, 2018
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Who uses Clout Goggles?

Christian Roth’s Archive 1993 come in several colors, but Clout Goggles specifically refer to the white frames with dark lenses. Some fans of Cobain and Curry, earnestly or ironically, like to sport Clout Goggles.

Indeed, their association with Cobain and Curry is a tight one.

Social-media observers may riff on Curry’s nickname …

… or compare Clout Goggles to other, similar-looking eyewear.

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Note

This is not meant to be a formal definition of Clout Goggles like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of Clout Goggles that will help our users expand their word mastery.

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