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This was an important day in Beatles fashion history. Having flown to Germany in advance of the start of filming for How I Won The War, John Lennon received a) a haircut and b) a pair of round eyeglasses.
Of the haircut, ye olde Beatles Bible says:
The short-back-and-sides, performed by 28-year-old German hairdresser Klaus Baruch, made headlines around the world. Baruch shaved off Lennon’s sideburns, swept back his fringe and greased it down. The cut hair was later burnt to prevent it being sold.
But the haircut was strictly temporary; John would grow it back to its former length, and far beyond that, soon enough. The glasses were the big development. John liked the way they looked and would wear one or another variation on them for the rest of his life. In 1980, a blood-stained pair of round glasses became the iconic image of his death.
I’m not sure why John liked the glasses so much, but it may be because he had always been nearsighted but foregone glasses out of vanity. Once he found a style that enabled him to look cool while also being able to see, he stuck with it.
To this day Lennon glasses remain a popular item for anyone whose desired image is “intellectual hippie.” You can get a cheap pair for ten bucks or splurge for the “John Lennon Walrus Eyeglasses” for $125. In the future, will you be able to buy Lennon Google glasses that let you see the world through some kind of psychedelic filter? Don’t bet against it.