We’ve often said that it can be a pleasure to buy specs if you treat yourself to a lovely trendy frame and possibly splash out on a Designer name to give you confidence in yourself and the good quality of the product. Glasses must look good to make you feel happy wearing them in your everyday lives. You do however have to take heed of advice from opticians and optical assistants when you make your choice, because the frame does more than just look good on your face – it has to be the perfect blend of form and function to suit your prescription and your lifestyle needs.
It’s all very well to fall in love with a frame and be happy with the colour, shape and size, and for many patients with simple prescriptions the decision is easily made just because you like the looks of the frame. But it can get complicated if you choose a very curved or a very big frame, because the annoying rules of Physics prevent us from making up any old lens power in any size or curve!
Specs for sport or sun wear sometimes lead a client to choose a very wrap-around or very large size frame, and ask us to glaze it with their prescription lenses. This is a situation where form and function requires careful thought. The dispensing optician who helps you to make your mind up on the frame and lens combination needs to consider your prescription, the size of your face, the detailed measurements of the frame and the amount of curve. So if you can’t always have your first choice of frame there is a good reason for it! We always do our best to work with the patient to give them what they want, but sometimes the frame will simply not suit a prescription lens. Lens power gives the lens a specific curve, and this may not fit within the frame. Or the wrap of the frame may give rise to distortion at the edges, which is uncomfortable and possibly even dangerous if you’re driving or cycling in them and need to be perfectly aware of upcoming vehicles in your peripheral vision. We may need to order specialised curved lenses or source an alternative frame for you. Consideration of your requirements and careful selection will give you a form of lens that fulfils your required function perfectly.