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                                                                      EXHIBIT 24

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                            COLE NATIONAL GROUP, INC.

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director and/or
officer of Cole National Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, hereby constitutes
and appoints Jeffrey A. Cole, Wayne L. Mosley and Joseph Gaglioti, and each of
them, as the true and lawful attorney or attorneys-in-fact, with full power of
substitution and revocation, for the undersigned and in the name, place and
stead of the undersigned, to sign on behalf of the undersigned an Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 1999, pursuant to Section 13
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and to sign any and all amendments to
such Annual Report, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
granting to said attorney or attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and
authority to do so and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorney or attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Executed as of the 18th day of March, 1999.

                                /s/ George H. Bernstein, Jr.       
                                -----------------------------------------
                                George H. Bernstein, Jr.
                                Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning
                                and Chief Financial Officer
                                (Principal Financial Officer)


                                /s/ Timothy F. Finley
                                ---------------------------------------
                                Timothy F. Finley
                                Director

                                /s/ Irwin N. Gold
                                ---------------------------------------
                                Irwin N. Gold
                                Director

                                /s/ Peter V. Handal
                                ---------------------------------------
                                Peter V. Handal
                                Director


                                /s/ Brian B. Smith
                                ---------------------------------------
                                Brian B. Smith
                                President and Director


                                /s/ Charles A. Ratner
                                ---------------------------------------
                                Charles A. Ratner
                                Director


                                ---------------------------------------
                                Walter J. Salmon
                                Director


                                /s/ Jeffrey A. Cole
                                ---------------------------------------
                                Jeffrey A. Cole
                                Chairman and Chief Executive
                                Officer and Director
                                (Principal Executive Officer)