If you’re the kind of person who finds decision making difficult, then choosing your eyewear can be tricky. Trendy? Traditional? Coloured? Or Clear? An obvious distinction with spex frames is the material – the basic choice being plastic or metal. There is however an easy way to make your mind up over that issue – just go for a combination!

A plastic front frame with a metal side gives you a trendy, chunky look on the face, but with a side that’s easy to adjust, and isn’t too thick. Useful if you have problems getting frames to fit, or even if you wear a hearing aid. Plastic fronts don’t have moveable nose pads, which some wearers find uncomfortable.

A metal front with a plastic side is great if you like a bit of colour, as the front will be light and subtle, while the wider plastic sides can be decorative and add interest. The adjustable pads can be altered for fit.

Some frame fronts, whether plastic or metal, have a nylon thread holding part of the lens in, usually across the lower rim, but sometimes down the temple edge. This reduces weight, makes the frame flexible, and is good if you like the look of rimless but not the fragility.

Traditionally these frames – called supras – have a metal front, but with plastic frames becoming more popular recently there are more plastic supras around. These have a really trendy look and give you a slightly different edge. So don’t go for the obvious! A combination of materials can suit your individual needs better than a simple metal or plastic frame.