Looking back through the archives of frames we have known and loved in the past, it’s interesting to observe the changes made to styling, materials, and construction over the years. We’ve seen specs go from tiny to huge and back again, glass lenses fall in and out of popularity, and lens and frame colours come and go.
One of the biggest changes that clients often comment on is how light frames are nowadays, often with a comment of ‘aren’t they flimsy?’ and you can see the dread in people’s eyes as they imagine the damage they can do to their precious new specs! The difference is often most apparent when you’re trying frames on, as they don’t have the weight of prescription lenses in them. So always remember when you’re browsing new glasses that they will be a little heavier with your lenses glazed into them. Thankfully not vastly heavier in most cases, but they do feel far more substantial with optical quality lenses in.
Despite the weight of lenses however, frames have become lighter over the years – if only the same could be said of us!! Materials are constantly evolving to make frames as slim as possible, while still retaining their strength. Manufacturers are now able to produce materials that are more flexible than of old, so they give and bounce back when you sit on them! Older materials needed bulk to make them tough, but this made them thicker and heavier, and more likely to snap. Metals such as stainless steel, Titanium and Monel are springy and super light, and can be pared down to minimal thickness. They feel as if they’re hardly on your face, reducing discomfort when you’re wearing them all day every day.
Fittings and fixings have become tougher yet lighter too, with joints and nose pads getting less bulky and obtrusive. But we still see less and less repairs every year so they must be tough enough to cope with the fast pace of our lives. So embrace this change for the better and trust in the technology of new materials and construction – lightweight is good we promise!