Are Palin's Eyeglasses the New Pantsuit?

Sept. 7, 2008 — -- Are vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's rimless eyeglasses the new Hillary Clinton pantsuit?

The glasses, created by Japanese designer Kazuo Kawasaki, are becoming a bipartisan must-have fashion accessory.

The company that manufacturers Palin's eyeglasses says its phones have been ringing off the hook.

"We began hearing from our authorized dealers and they wanted to stock multiple pairs of the exact same frame and style and color that she had," said Amy Hahn, the vice president of Italee Optics, Inc.

The Palin look is "smart, sophisticated and put together," said one woman browsing for frames.

Lara Decanps, who works at Artsee Eyewear in New York, said women are asking, "Where did she get those glasses? They look so good on her. I want to find them."

While Palin's not the first famous woman to sport eyeglasses -- think Sally Jesse Raphael, Tina Fey and Velma from Scooby Doo -- insiders in the optical business say it's been a while since anyone has given their industry such a shot in the arm.

The frames, which cost about $375 without lenses, are even part of the buzz at New York's Bryant Park Fashion Week.

"Like Jackie Kennedy wore with the pillbox hat her glasses will be a revolutionary thing to wear," said one designer.

Beyond aesthetics, Palin has practical reasons for wearing the glasses -- like focusing in on her prey while out hunting moose in Alaska ... and maybe even those political animals in Washington.