Glamatron

in one of those weird coincidences that lead me to believe that the fashion world, if nothing else, follows schopenhauer’s belief that we are all interconnected by the world’s will, omiru’s most recent post was on glasses frames. it was posted just as the BWG decided he was sick of my glasses and said it not with flowers but by breaking off an eye piece. i loved my glasses - simple rectangular black versace frames - which of course they don’t make anymore.

looking around for advice on frame buying, i noticed that everywhere - including at omiru - the same boring advice comes up…round face blah blah square glasses…blah blah oval..blah blah perfect. so when i asked the local for eyes specialist for her help, we came up with some additional things to think about in buying frames:

-i usually buy red frames because i wear a lot of black; this year’s red frames though are pretty overwhelming - heavy and extreme in shape. “think about whether you want people to notice your frames or your face” before buying, the foreyes salesperson says. like your clothes they should bring out your assets - unless you really do want them as part of a disguise

-knock offs don’t always look identical to the designer frames they are imitating, so if there’s a designer frame that you like but doesn’t quite look right, try one of the knock offs - a slight change of shape or material may make the difference in looks…and price

-frames that are too long (horizontally) for your face can make your eyes look beady and close-set; frames that are too short can make your cheeks look bloated - great only if you’re into chipmunks…make sure to get appropriate width frames; each pupil should center in the lens

-match the weight of the lens material to your frames - with heavy frames, unless you’re buying a pair with nose pieces and your n ose will hurt under the weight, you can go for heavier/thicker lenses. the lighter the glasses look, the thinner the lens should be

and last but not least, if the current fashions don’t suit your face, ask around! people often keep older models in stores (especially independently owned eyeglass shops), people sell older frames on ebay, and sometimes you can reuse a frame you used 10 years ago to great effect…in fact, as i type, i’m wearing a pair of 1950s cats-eye frames in burgundy i bought from an optician who collects them; they were my glasses five years ago but haven’t been worn because i’d put a little bend in one earpiece; fortunately they’re still functional so i can use them while i wait for my new glasses…