Librarian Glasses: What is the Hot Librarian Look?

Smart, authoritative, seductive — these are all the traits the ‘hot librarian’ look can exude. For women, it’s usually characterized by thick-framed glasses, a bun updo, smoky eyes, and high heels, while for men it’s button up shirts, glasses, and well-pressed slacks.
 
The beauty of this look is that it showcases passion and a subtle flirtatiousness without having to try too hard.
 
The sultry librarian look can be traced back to the 1950’s, when sex symbol Marilyn Monroe sported cat eye glasses in How to Marry a Millionaire. Since then, the style has only grown in popularity, appearing in both popular culture and everyday fashion.
 

 
As most styles do, the hot librarian look has evolved beyond cat eye glasses, and can be pulled off with a wide variety of eyewear. If this is something you want to try your hand at, these fictional characters and celebrities might just be a good source of inspiration.
 

Hot librarian style icons in pop culture

Pulling off this look can be tricky but fret not — we’ve done our extensive research so you don’t have to! Here’s a compilation of our favorite hot librarian looks from icons all over the world.
 
With this list, we hope you can find the look of your choice.

1. Rachel Weisz (The Mummy)

 
Let’s start off with the iconic Evelyn O’Connell, famously brought to life by Rachel Weisz for The Mummy movies. Having played the character in two movies, Rachel as Evelyn breathed new life into the hot librarian look, as her character was not only booksmart, but later turned out to be a formidable ally of her love interest Rick (Brendan Fraser) and a skilled warrior as well.
 
As the first movie takes place in the 1920’s, Evelyn’s glasses are typical of the round spectacles favored during the era. Together with her preppy ensemble of a striped shirt and loose tie, the glasses really embody an effortless yet unmistakable hot librarian vibe.
 
To help you channel Evelyn, we’ve got a similar pair of round tortoiseshell frames right here at Mouqy.
 

2. Margot Robbie (The Librarian SNL skit)

 
The Australian actress became a household name with outstanding performances in The Wolf of Wall Street and Suicide Squad.
 
Despite her initial image as a blonde bombshell, she revealed a knack for comedy when she guest-starred on Saturday Night Live. One of her most memorable skits involved her playing a seductive librarian with a sinister twist. Although the turn of events for this skit was quite bizarre, her classic take on the hot librarian esthetic in her rectangular, thin-rimmed glasses was nonetheless memorable.
 
With that, we present to you Ms. Dalton of the Villines Academy Library!
 
It doesn’t require Ms. Robbie’s stunning beauty or acting skills to make this look yours though — just these Brilliant glasses in gold.
 

3. Eunwoo (ASTRO)

 
Eunwoo, a member of the South Korean boy group Astro has won the hearts of people all over the world with his immense talent in acting and singing, as well as his dashing good looks. It’s no surprise that he can effortlessly pull off the sultry librarian look, which features a distinctive pair of metallic silver-rimmed glasses.
 
While you may not transform into a K-pop idol overnight, you can still get Eunwoo’s look with these round silver frames — no idol training required!
 

4. Barbara Gordon (Batman)

 
A congresswoman and the head of Gotham City Public Library by day, and caped superhero Batgirl by night, Barbara Gordon is undeniably one of the most interesting characters on this list. While fighting crimes is her passion, she never neglects her duty to the library — and she looks good doing it too!
 
In her cat eye glasses, turtleneck sweater, and beehive bun, Barbara Gordon looks not only like a hot librarian, but an effortlessly chic one.
 
Fancy a retro spin on your sultry librarian esthetic? Look no further than Mouqy’s Joyful frames in red.
 

 
For your browsing pleasure, here are more vintage-inspired designs you can check out.
 

5. Henry Cavill (Man of Steel)

 
Speaking of superheroes, the next one on our list is none other than the bespectacled Clark Kent, or Superman himself.
 
While not an actual librarian, Henry Cavill’s look as the Daily Planet reporter fits all the criteria of a hot librarian thanks to his signature thick-rimmed glasses, flannel shirts, and of course, smoldering good looks.
 
Ready to unleash the Superman in you? Fly high with Mouqy’s Goody cat eye glasses in black.
 

6. Zooey Deschanel (New Girl)

 
The queen of modern retro fashion is best known for her movie, 500 Days of Summer and the hit TV series, New Girl. Whether onscreen or off, her bright baby blue eyes always stand out in thick, bold frames.
 
As her TV counterpart Jessica Day, Zooey is almost never seen without her rectangular tortoiseshell frames.
 
Most of her looks lean towards ‘adorkable’ rather than provocative, although there’s no rule stating that dorky chic can’t be hot too, so we think Zooey/Jessica definitely deserves a spot on our hot librarian list.
 
With these rectangular Oath frames in tortoiseshell, you can easily pass off as Zooey’s twin! Want more options? Check out our selection of nerdy chic designs.
 

Glasses frames to get you the hot librarian look

Perhaps you’d like to try something more daring and spicier, so we’ve compiled the hottest fashion trends today, spanning from Y2K to dark academia style. Keep scrolling to see which one is right up your alley!
 

Y2K librarian

 
The Y2K esthetic is back in full swing, and if maximalism is for you, you can incorporate it into your eyewear with one of the trend’s favorite elements: glitter!
 
All you need is a boa feather pen, flip phone, and these pink glittery Mouqy glasses, and you’re ready to step back into the early 2000s!
 

VSCO librarian

 
The VSCO girl is the epitome of casual style, characterized by oversized tees, scrunchies, and Crocs sandals.
 
It got its name from the photo editing app of the same name, which is a staple among those rocking this esthetic.
 
If you’re curious about how a pair of glasses worn by a VSCO girl would look if crossed with a hot librarian, it’d probably look something like these April oval yellow glasses.
 

Softcore librarian

 
The softcore esthetic is dominated by oversized, fuzzy pastel outfits, and has its roots in Japan’s kawaii culture which fancies all things cute and feminine. This look gives off a sweet, romantic, and innocent vibe, and will give you an intriguing energy if you decide to merge it with the hot librarian look.
 
One way to combine both esthetics effortlessly is to find the right eyewear, and that’s where Mouqy’s geometric Tropical glasses in white come in.
 

Light academia librarian

 
In a nutshell, light academia represents the esthetic of academicians who pursue knowledge in the literary and philosophical arts. Its main color palette consists of light earth tones, and due to its studious nature, it’s the perfect way to elevate your hot librarian look.
 
To bring out your inner light academia librarian, try Mouqy’s oval Brainy glasses in rose gold.
 

Dark Academia Librarian

 
Before light academia, there was dark academia. Composed of a darker color palette, it also centers around the pursuit of knowledge and learning, with a strong focus on classic literature.
 
As such, crossing it with the hot librarian look will give you an unparalleled aura of sophistication and mystery.
 
To make this esthetic work for you, you may consider Mouqy’s geometric Evening frames in black and silver.
 

 
If you just need a pair to help with reading and don’t have any other vision issues, you can even browse a wide range of Mouqy frames for reading glasses.
 
Otherwise, you can get any of these frames fitted with single vision, bifocal, or progressive lenses.
 

Is the hot librarian look out of style?

If you’ve stayed with us up to this point, the answer should be crystal clear: no!
 
Like many other esthetics that fall in and out of popularity, the hot librarian look has endured thanks to its ability to evolve. At the heart of it, it’s a retro style, which means it’s always going to be a classic.
 
Plus, it can work seamlessly with any number of current trending esthetics, like the ones we talked about on top.
 
Get the right pair of specs, and updating this look for everyday, modern life will be a walk in the park.