#my reasons for not wearing them are purely forgetfulness and neuroticism

[lacefuneral]

i think stede's adorable little milf glasses

(figure 1. stede's adorable little milf glasses)

are not merely reading glasses, but full-blown prescription-grade lenses that he steadily refuses to wear because he had a hard enough time as a (gay) (autistic) child and didn't need the added mockery of needing a device to see in the 18th century, when glasses were not common devices yet

considering how this man deemed it necessary to have an entire LIBRARY on board, his penchant for escapism, and, again his history of being bullied, i think its reasonable to assume that stede has spent most of his life reading. that a lot of that reading, too, occurred by candlelight, and that this has rapidly deteriorated his vision

rather than wear glasses, though, even as an adult, he simply goes through the world with blurry vision, only bringing out his glasses for rare occasions. he doesn't even READ with them on, even though it would greatly help him. he has a mental block about using them, and they often collect dust in a drawer