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The hunt for glasses: Part I

By Meg | May 28, 2007

My husband had a nice pair of Nike Flexon eye glasses until a few months ago when the bridge just broke in his hands (apparently this is not all that uncommon). So, we started looking for a pair of glasses. Actually, we were looking for two pairs. After he bought his last pair of glasses and paid extra to have Transition lenses, he found out that he would need a pair of prescription sunglasses in addition to his regular eyeglasses because Transition lenses do not work in most cars (because the UV is blocked by the wind shield).

Fortunately his eye sight is not bad at all, so have had time to look around. That’s important because buying prescription glasses is an important decision. They are not cheap, you will likely wear them more often than any other accessory, and they definitely send a message. Your glasses can tell people whether you want to portray yourself as trendy or traditional, fun or reserved, proud to be nerdy or fashion-conscious - or a mix of the above.

It’s also good that we had time to look around because the selection locally has been awful. Most glasses we saw were either very feminine (in particular, the cat-eye retro look) or those awful old-man owl glasses. Concerning those last ones, I don’t take a strong opinion on many things fashion-wise, but please, no one buy those if there is any way you can avoid it. In between there were also some of your standard, very round glasses in shiny silver or shiny gold. These last glasses are the kind that you see on so many people. They are usually the first pair of glasses that someone gets as a child because they are cheaper. They also fit the archetype of what glasses look like to most people, so they have stayed the default choice when someone just has no clue what to buy. Unfortunately, they don’t really look that great on most people.

So what does look great? If I could suggest a perfect pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses for everyone, I would. However, there are many options because there is no one frame and lens combo that looks great on everyone. There are so many options that the whole process can seem daunting, but I do have a few tips to make things easier.

First off, before you even go shopping, start paying attention to the glasses that you see on people on t.v., in real life, in magazines, and so on. Develop opinions. Ask yourself, “Do I like that? Why?” Pay special attention if any of the people have similar shaped faces to yours or similar hair or skin color. Next, research any special features you might want (or not want) with your glasses such as anti-glare, anti-scratch, Transition lenses, flexible frames, polarized lenses, and so on. Then, figure out your budget for glasses and decide which stores you want to visit. If you can, visit more than one. The more money you plan to spend the pickier you should be.

Now, you’re ready to start shopping.


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