Archive for September, 2009

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Amazing or Dangerous? – Glasses That Remind You To Blink

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

A Japanese Glasses Manufacturer in Fukui, has developed and now begun selling spectacles that are specifically designed to remind you to blink! Not blinking often enough can result in eye strain, and so this new innovation aims to help keep your eyes healthy.

Known as “wink glasses” they contain a liquid crystal sheet and an advanced motion sensor that detects when you blink.

If you do not blink once every 5 seconds then the lenses in these “wink glasses” cloud over, it clears instantly when you close and re-open your eyes.

We wonder if these could be dangerous if worn when driving

We wonder if these could be dangerous if worn when driving

People tend to blink less when reading or concentrating hard. This is all well and good, but we’re not sure they should be worn whilst driving!

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Celebrity Style Watch September 09

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

Hola celeb watchers! Greetings from the beach, where siesta and Sangria are the buzz words of our week. Late summer will hopefully be hot hot hot…….just like our fave celebs! Victoria’s looking skinny, Angie’s looking scary, we’re looking at them – so what’s inspiring us this week?

Tess Daly - Everyone’s impressed by her toned tum after the birth of mini Vernon number two. Her abs and her sunnies are equally stunning. Huge white plastic shades with a solid dark tint. We won’t recognise with her clothes on!

Tess Daley Looking Great In Her White Sunnies

Tess Daley Looking Great In Her White Sunnies

Demi Moore – She’s got the killer body, she’s got the man to die for, and if you can take your eyes off either of those amazing assets, check out her gold aviator. Cool, classy, understated.

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Demi Moore in Classic Gold Aviators

Brad Pitt – Brad never disappoints in the style stakes, but then frankly he could wear his kid’s plastic Disney specs and still make us melt. No wonder Angie was pulling out all the stops in her Michael Kors leathers. Brad was all in black too, and his Aviators, cool classic gold too, were the perfect accessory, along with Angie of course!

Brad Pitt in his Classic Gold Aviators

Brad Pitt in his Classic Gold Aviators

Mischa Barton – Hiding behind a classic Wayfarer after her stint in hospital. Her tiny face is pretty much swamped with her hair and sunnies, but they’re always in style.

Mischa Barton Allways in Style

Mischa Barton Allways in Style

Well it’s back to the deck, simply everyone is lounging on their yachts this month. Our dingy is not quite the same, but perfect for sidling up alongside our Celebs to check them out! Enjoy the weather fashion fans, and start thinking about what will go with your short and shoulders in the autumn……

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The Psychology Of Spex!

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

It’s often said that eyes are the windows to the soul, the secret doorway to read innermost thoughts, the way to get some indication of what someone else is thinking. When we’re choosing glasses, do we give enough thought to the fact that specs are a barrier to our inner selves – and what should we take into account in our home and work lives?

It may sound pretty obvious, but many people do not think about how others will see them in their glasses. As an example, what if you’re in a caring profession, such as a counsellor or a nurse, what impact will your glasses have on your patients? A dark, heavy frame with a tinted lens would mask your eyes, and may create a block between you and your client. You won’t appear to empathise if your thoughts are hidden. A tinted lens will increase this distance between you and the vulnerable person who’s seeking your help. You would be wise to choose a light frame, which doesn’t create that hurdle for your patient to get over, and add an anti-reflection coating to let them see your eyes clearly.

If you’re in a position where intimidation is useful (Anne Robinson – you know who you are!) then the right pair of glasses could be very beneficial to you! A small frame that you can peer over the top of will terrify your victims! Snootily looking down your nose at people is much easier if you have specs on! Likewise, a chunky frame with a tint will put distance between you, and make your thoughts unreadable.

Some people wear glasses to help create their work persona, or at least to enhance the image they have carefully been crafting. The lens coating and the style of the frame can all add to this image, and knowing that first impressions count, remember that glasses are one of the first things that people will see and therefore remember about you.

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Let’s Be Accommodating!

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Of all the wonderful things that our bodies are capable of, there’s a very clever system in your eyes that does a great deal of work without you ever having to think about it! It lets us lead busy, dynamic, varied lives and lets us work, rest and play with clear vision and no effort what so ever. This little trick that the eye performs is called accommodation, and the only time we ever think about it is when it stops working….

Your eyes are capable of accommodation from birth onwards, and the process is due to the crystalline lens, a lens that works away inside your eyeball. This lens is held by ligaments which keep it suspended, and they stretch the lens or relax it to allow you to focus on near or far objects. By altering the shape of the lens it effectively gives you a system of different powers to look through, thereby letting you see at different distances.

As babies, we have very bouncy lenses which change power and let us see really close too. As we age the lens keeps growing, adding layers like an onion. As the years go by we loose the very close focus, until around the mid-forties when the focus is just too far away to see close too, and our arms get too short to read comfortably. If you had a group of people of different ages with perfect vision, you could plot accommodation changes by seeing how close they can read. You would see that as they get older they have to hold things further away.

We call the need for near sight correction presbyopia, and at this stage people need  separate lens powers for distance and reading. It’s only when this happens that we realise how easy life was when accommodation did all the work for us! Any solution for the close work problem is a compromise, and while most people find the glasses and prescription lenses that suit them, it’s still not as easy as when accommodation was accommodating their requirements!

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Spex Appeal!

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Do you find it difficult to make a decision on your new frames? Would you like to find the perfect frame that suits you? Then let’s have a think about what frame styles say about personality!

Rimless frames – a rimless is simple, fuss free, elegant, minimalist and can be quite stark. Go for rimless if you’re efficient, a little reserved, classic in your clothing style and a bit of a neat freak. Rimless are understated and don’t draw attention to the wearer. They say take me seriously, I’m froth free and pretty cool!

Bright plastic frames – these are warm, bold, daring, flirty and fun! They make men want to whip them off you and free your crazy side – they make women jealous of your colourful personality. Go for plastic if you’re the centre of attention, if you like to be noticed, if you’re wild and witty! They say hey I’m here! The party’s started!

Black geek frames – these are chic, serious, edgy and achingly hip. They’re high fashion, high style, and make you look studious but very very cool. Go geek if you’re just that little bit different, a dedicated follower of fashion, but you want to look clever and just a bit above the crowd. They say I’m too funky for frivolity, look but don’t touch!

Chunky metal frames – these are trendy but not terrifying, chic but not chilly. You can add detail and colour but not go over the top or be too obvious. Go chunky if you like function as well as fashion, if you like a hint of style but something that people have to get close to see. They say I’m trendy but tasteful, and I’m worth getting to know!

Vintage – these are eccentric frames that you can dig up at car boots or markets, tiny frames with flat little lenses. They’re full of craftsmanship, detail, and maybe have a secret story to tell. Go vintage if you live in the past but want wearable history, if you want something different. They say I’m retro and I’m not afraid to stand out from the fashion pack!

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Safety First!

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

We see a few orders and a few queries due to broken specs, which have suffered a variety of mistreatments. So a cautionary tale……

If play cricket, squash, or do a lot of lawn mowing near gravel paths, then don’t go for glass lenses. These are still used nowadays as the best thin material lenses are glass, and they’re also used because people think plastic scratches too easily. If you want thin glass lenses then you need a plastic pair of lenses too for tasks or hobbies where the lens might shatter.

If your spectacle frames are very curved, or have a wide trim piece between the front and the side, then make sure your spectacle case is wide enough to accommodate your glasses. Don’t squash them into a soft or very narrow case – they might look as if they fit, but over time you’ll be putting pressure on the bridge area of the frame, and eventually it will crack, right across the centre of the frame!

If the weather does warm up, and we get a summer, take care not to leave your glasses where they can get very hot. This means not leaving them on a dashboard or windowsill, where the temperature can soar. Heat will buckle your frames, and may damage your lenses. It can stop your photochromic lenses from working properly, and can cause crazing across coated lenses.

If you break your frames don’t ever be tempted to try superglue as a repair. Firstly, it’s rare that it will work, and you might end up with a bit of frame stuck to your finger, your face or your hair! Secondly, fumes from the glue or the slightest smudge of it on your lenses will damage the lens surface and make it useless. You have been warned!

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Tips About Spectacle Tints

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Well as it’s (theoretically!) summer the usual orders for sunglasses have been taking up our time, and this has thrown up a few queries about tints and sunglass wear. Here are a few that we’ve come across, we thought they might help you with your sunnie selection this summer!

How dark should my lenses be to work as sunglasses?

There’s no hard and fast rule to this, the tint you require is not something that you can be tested for, it’s personal choice. Most people however would need a tint of 70% absorption or more, up to about 85%. The lighter your eye colour, the less natural protection you have, so dark brown eyed people might prefer a lighter tint.

What difference do the colours make?

Most people choose a tint that matches their frame choice, so brown for all shades of brown, gold and burgundy. Grey for black, silver, mauve, pink, red frames. Grey is the most neutral, so if you’re a landscape artist pick grey to give you the best colour perception. Brown warms up our British skies, so go for it if you want to pretend you’re permanently in the tropics!

I’d just like a light tint to cut the bright light. What do I need?

The problem with a light tint is that it’s really not one thing or the other. It won’t be dark enough to cut bright sun, and if you choose anything darker than the very lightest tint, it’ll be illegal to drive in at night. A photochromic lens will adapt to the light, so will go dark in strong sun, and stay light indoors. A very light tint, in conjunction with an anti-reflection coating might be best if it’s indoor light that bothers you. It will darken down bright light and stop annoying glare and reflection.

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Purple Reigns!

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Although we’re baking in the summer sun (!) and it’s only August, the more fashion forward amongst us are already thinking about our winter wardrobes. With predictions of a return to shoulder pads and other wonders, let’s look at something more accessible – what are the eyewear trends for the new season?

Colour is the obvious factor to think about, and purple looks set to be the shade of the season. All shades of mauve are fabulous for glasses, and it’s a very wearable look for all skin tones, you just have to find the right density and shade for you.

In plastic frames, you can go for the deepest, blue-red purples if you have cool colouring, and they bring out the best in green or brown eyes. Purple is a perfect example of a strong colour that’s very warming with neutral shades, it brings interest to sober black or navy and is pretty against brown.

In metal frames, shades of lilac and mauve are warm and very useful if you wear a mixture of gold and silver jewellery and want something more neutral for your glasses. You can go for thinner or thicker rims to give you different density of colour, or a purple finish on a black or gunmetal base.

Purple is fab with silver trims, and therefore fab if you’ve got a few silver highlights in your hair. It’s beautiful against blue eyes and cool ash or white hair. On dark skin you need a rich tone, if you’re paler you need a softer shade, possibly mixed with some blue. The colour needs to balance you, and full on purple can be too over powering for the fairer skinned amongst us.

So think about your skin tone and pick the purple that enhances your colouring. You’ll see the world through a purple haze this winter!

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