Posts Tagged ‘frames’

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The Perfect Fit

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

People are often confused when it comes to choosing spex, bewildered by the vast choice of frames, lenses, and coatings on offer. When we choose clothes or shoes we’ve often seen something we like in a magazine or an a friend, but with specs the subtleties of colour and design are often not that noticeable, until that is you come to choose yours, and such tiny details can make it hard for you to come to a decision. To help in your choice, let’s take a look at the most important factors in choosing a frame that will look perfect on you and do its job.

One of the biggest issues is in how the frame looks on your face, where it should sit and how the frame should fit you. There are three aspects to this question – the current trend for frame size, your proportions, and the lens power that you need. In the Seventies, all frames were huge, and it was very difficult to find anything that wasn’t big. Today the situation is less cut and dried, and there are frames in every size available.

For a frame to look in proportion to you, your eyes should sit in the centre of the lens. If the frame is too narrow your eyes will be at the outside edges of the lens, too wide and there’ll be lots of spare lens either side of your eyes! This adds thickness to your prescription lenses, increases edge distortion, and will make you look a bit shifty as your eyes will appear very close together! The frame should not sit on your cheeks, it will drive you mad as it moves up and down when you eat or laugh. The top edge should sit below your eye brows, and follow the shape of the brows – for example curved brows need a curved top frame.

If you are very short sighted it will benefit you to choose a small frame, as the lenses will then be thinner. So within the boundaries of fashion and looks, go as small as you can. Long sighted patients benefit from smaller frames too; we can have the lens manufactured from scratch to suit your frame, which again reduces thickness.

The frame sides must not dig into the side of your temples. This will give you a headache and strain the frame! There should be a gap between your head and the frame until the sides curve behind the ears, where they should sit closely to your head. The nose pads are only a resting area for the frame; don’t pinch them in until you can’t breathe!

Finding a frame that suits your face and your proportions will help you to feel happy wearing your glasses, as they become a part of you. Ask a friend, try before you buy – there’s a frame for every face, you just have to find your perfect fit!

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Graduation Time

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Now the sun is out and we’re getting set for the BBQ summer, thoughts and our order books turn to the matter of tints. We start to get lots of queries and orders for prescription sunglasses to help people with driving, sport, and sunshine holidays.  So to help you make your mind up, here are some thoughts and notes on tinted lenses…

A tint is a colour which is added to your lens to cut the effects of glare. Glare on bright days can cause headaches and even crow’s feet as you screw up your eyes to help you to feel more comfortable! On its own a tint does not fully cut out UV, but if you’re in very bright conditions for long periods of time you can add a UV layer with it. Traditional methods of tinting lenses include a dye which the lens absorbs, or coloured crystals within the lens material. Tints should not wash off, but they can fade or change colour slightly over very long periods of time.

A tint can be made in any colour you want, and can be all over the lens or graduate from dark to light. You can choose any shade from dark grey to pink, and mix and match them on a lens. If a lens is dark at the top and clear at the bottom this can be useful to allow you to see down into the car, or a flattering pink tone along the bottom of a lens can warm the skin and be prettier than an all over colour. Mixed colour tints and graduated tints give a cool Seventies vibe to a frame! They have always been popular on deep shaped Aviator styles.

Tint colours are often matched to frames, but as a general rule some shades do a different job to others. Browns and pinks warm things up, grey, blue and green are more neutral for driving, or if you’re a budding landscape artist! Yellow and orange give high contrast, so they’re good for reading the green on the golf course, or shooting. If you enjoy a specific hobby, mail us for help if you think a tint will help you. We can also offer advice on what will look good with your frame.

You can vary the intensity of the tint too, but remember it is illegal to drive at night in anything but the palest tint, so always keep a clear pair of glasses with you.

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The Boys from the Girls

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

While checking our brand new frame stock this week, an interesting point for discussion came up in our team. In the case of frames, what makes a fashion or a style particularly suitable for men or for women? Where do you draw the line?

Now obviously there are many frames that men would not be seen dead in – anything coloured, twiddly, splattered with bling, bedecked with roses or butterflies etc etc. These are the easy ones. For girls however the possibilities are endless. How cute did Lilly Allen look in her massive boys geek frame? How chic is Anne Robinson in her cool rectangular metal? Yet both of these are styles that are traditionally worn by men.  For girls, the only boundary is how chunky they want to go, as it makes the face even more feminine to wear a big boys’ frame.

Of course some men have a penchant for the flamboyant, and we applaud you, brave boys who want bright red or green, or who love diamonds and want some glitter on their glasses. David Beckham is welcome to call us any time!! Most however insist that specs are totally functional and they don’t want to get involved in this girly fashion nonsense. They want simple, discreet specs, and if you have a small face, something plain from the women’s section might be the answer.

Unisex styles were all the rage a few years ago, but then as frames got bolder this very plain shape and style fell out of favour. Thicker sides cried out for decoration, and brightly coloured plastics overtook spindly metals in the fashion stakes. Rimless too tapped into the unisex look, but these are less popular over the past couple of years.

So the rule is not be ruled by convention, and if you like a frame don’t worry about the category it’s been fitted into. Embrace your masculine or feminine side and let your heart rule your head!

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Life in the Lab

Monday, April 26th, 2010

When we leap upon our new delivery of glasses in the post, and admire ourselves in our new look, do we ever give a thought to the processes and work that goes into producing those boring bits of plastic that give us the miracle of sight? Step forward the unsung heroes of the Optical Lab….

The Lab or spectacle workshop is an interesting mix of science and industry. We use devices that look like microscopes to examine your lenses, and scary looking grinding and cutting apparatus to create your prescription and fit the lenses into your frames. We also have an array of screwdrivers, files and vices that hold your frames for repair and assembly. Plus row upon row of lenses, frames, and spare parts, all waiting for the day when they grace your face!

Each job we do is unique – with the huge variety of lens powers and frame options, every pair of glasses is different. It’s rare to even make the same power twice in one day! All of our client’s measurements, lens types and tints and coats are different too.

The first step is to put your prescription on your lenses, constantly checking that the powers and angles are correct, as well as making sure that the lenses are as thin as possible. The Lab is kept as dust free as possible, as our men in white coats try to prevent scratches and surface flaws from spoiling your lenses. When your lenses have been completed, which may mean many separate stages of adding power, applying tints or coatings, and verification, they are then cut into your frame.

Our equipment traces your frame, inputs your measurements, and then places the lenses at the correct orientation. It grinds away the excess plastic and the edges are polished. We check the lenses again before popping them into your frames, when they are examined for errors or defects. Everything has to be 100% perfect before it gets to you!

The frames are then tweaked to make sure they are not twisted or out of alignment, and this is our chance to admire our finished work! Life in the lab is never boring – it’s very satisfying to produce a bespoke job that not only looks good but will help someone in their daily lives.

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The Skin You’re In

Friday, April 16th, 2010

We’ve all heard the statistic that the skin is the largest organ in our bodies. It keeps our stuff in and keeps the outside world out, as well a notifying us of danger, pleasure, heat and cold. The skin of the Mr or Mrs Average weighs around 3.6kg, and if stretched out- a gruesome thought! It would be about 2m squared. If you are a spectacle wearer, your skin might just cause a few problems during the everyday wear and tear of specs perched on your nose, so take note of some hints and tips to keep your wonderful skin, and your specs in tip-top condition.

We see a couple of very common problems with the skin regularly in practice. Mostly we deal with sores and broken skin due to badly fitting glasses, usually where the specs have suffered an accident and the frame is way out of line. This causes holes in noses and behind the ears. Unfortunately these areas have very little padding, they are mostly skin over bone, and it only takes a day or two of constant wear to cause damage. If your specs are uncomfortable, don’t keep wearing them! Pop an old pair on until you can get your specs adjusted, by posting them to the online optician or going to a High Street store. If you don’t have a spare, use a pinch of cotton wool under the affected area to relieve the pressure. Creams etc may make the skin worse, so keep it clean and dry. Take your glasses off whenever it’s safe to do so, to allow the area to heal.

The other common problem is a rash due to allergies. Many frames have a base of Nickel Silver, and this is a common allergy danger point. Or frames come in that have chipped or scratched, exposing the metal base. When new, frames have several layers of protective lacquer, but this can be eaten away by skin acids and pollutants over time. There are two things you can do to help with this – choose a hypoallergenic frame, such as Titanium, and look after your glasses really well! Wash them with warm soapy water every night after wear, and this will stop the build up of harmful substances that can damage your frames.

So remember, prevention is better than cure and a little maintenance will serve you well. Look after your glasses and they’ll look after your skin!

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Make your Mind up Time!

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Of all the buying decisions we have to make, people often find frames to be one of the most daunting. With clothes or shoes we see them on other people or in magazines, and decide on a particular style. Specs are different – you may be limited by your prescription, they are less widely advertised and it’s rare to see them on fashion pages. It is however an important choice, as they are one of the first things people notice about you. So can we help?

If you’ve worn specs before, think about pros and cons in terms of comfort. Go smaller if they sat on your cheeks, felt heavy, or slipped down all the time and drove you potty! Go bigger if you could see the rims or felt them digging in at your temples. If you don’t like nose pads marking your nose or pinching find a plastic or a solid bridge. If plastic makes your face perspire or mists up easily then choose a metal. If metal discolours on you or marks your skin, look for a plastic or hypoallergenic metal.

If you want to change your look, glasses are an easy way to do it. Want specs to be less obtrusive? Look for a small metal, a rimless or a semi-rimless frame. Feel your glasses are boring? Pick a bold plastic or chunky metal with wide sides.

If you’re new to specs, then chat to friends who wear them, scrutinise fashion magazines, browse optician’s shops and websites. Try on as many as possible and take a friend with you, or choose a website that lets you try before you buy. Don’t rush into making your mind up. Fashion is as big a deal with glasses as it is with clothes and other accessories, so don’t feel it’s frivolous to ask about current trends and spend time thinking about colours and styles to suit your look and lifestyle.

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Styles for Styles

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

As we often say, wearing glasses should be a joy, a shopping opportunity with a legitimate reason to spend money on something delicious. Making your specs a part of your accessory wardrobe is the main step towards this, in terms of colour, shape, and style. If you’re thinking of a new look for Summer, let’s think about hair styles against frame styles.

If you have long hair, take a careful look at your proportions. Deep frames may drag your face down, especially if you’re not in the first flush of youth! Go shallow and not wider than your temples, with a slight uplift at the top rim.

If you have a fringe, your face will be shortened as your forehead is covered, so again, shallow is best. The top rim of the frame needs to sit just below the brow line, and keep your fringe at a length that won’t smudge your specs!

If your hair is curly, then obviously you’ve got a lot going on around your eyes and face! Simple specs might be best for you, to keep the attention on your features, you don’t want to be seen as a riot of curls and crazy specs!  If you have short hair, in an elfin style like Carey Mulligan, then you can go to town on your frames. You can wear lots of feminine detail, framed by your minimalist hair do.

The chin length bob is never out of style, and if cut sharply and with drama then you can echo this with strong, bold plastic specs in a bright colour that accentuates your colouring. If your bob is more wispy and soft, then a slender metal frame might be better so you’re not overpowered.

Make the glasses work with you and you’ll be the envy even of non-spec wearers!

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Side View

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Spec sides – or arms, or stems, – or whatever you like to call them, are very much fashion forward at the moment. Most of the decoration and interest on frames is all on the specially widened and in-your-face sides. It might be inlaid flowers for the girls or techno rivets for the boys, but the sides are where it’s at. Historically the sides of a frame have always had more interesting features than the fronts, in some very weird and wacky ways!

Children’s frames have shown some excellent innovation and inventiveness over the years – and the ears! For tiny babies there are sides that can be attached around the back of the head with elastic, or soft silicone curls tips that wrap around the back of the ear, to stop the most wilful toddler from whipping them off! The NHS used to supply very evil looking metal curl tips that dug in very nastily if not adjusted properly!

For adults we have seen strange little metal clips that grip the temple, as well as the very bizarre pince-nez, that simply grips the bridge of the nose! Generally it’s agreed however that a spec with sides that fit around or behind the ears work best. If you need a bit of extra grip for energetic hobbies then elastic sports bands that slip over the sides and clip at the back of the head do the job nicely. One manufacturer did make a frame that had little twiddly bits hidden in the sides to then lock together as a sports band, and I’m sure one or two patients somewhere found this very useful!

On thick modern frames the old fashioned library side has really made a come back. Instead of the more common hockey end, which curves behind the ear, the library goes straight back and curves smoothly against the skull. This can support a heavy frame really well, and the head is generally less sensitive than the sensitive skin behind the ear. Oakley re-started this trend with their straight sides, covered in the revolutionary ‘earsock’ a sheath of silicone that sticks to the skin as you work up a sweat on the sports field or the dance floor.

So there is more to sides than meets the eye, and don’t underestimate the technology that goes into this seemingly simple bit of metal or plastic that helps to correct your vision.

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Love your Look

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Here at the Internet Glasses Company we love our glasses, and given the choice between the latest ‘it’ bag or the funkiest new frames, we’d go for some new eye wear every time. We do know though that not everyone feels the same – if shrieks of speccy four eyes rang in your ears at school you may not be as positive about spec as we are. If you view glasses as a necessary evil let’s see if we can help you see things in a more positive light….

Firstly, try and think about this purchase as a treat, the chance to splash out on a designer piece with none of the guilt! Spend plenty of time making your choice and canvass the opinions of friends, colleagues, and all those who know you best. Try frames on with a selection of clothes and your usual different hair styles. Look upon your glasses as an accessory to enjoy!

When you get them, play around with jewellery, scarves and hair styles, matching the glasses into your personal look. You may also need to re-think your make-up. Firstly, glasses may throw shadows onto your face beneath your eyes. A highlighter concealer like YSL Touche Eclat is useful here, a stroke under the eyes, well blended, will reflect light back and banish those shadows. To bring attention to your eyes behind your specs, don’t skimp on mascara or eyeliner. Eyelash curlers are great too, to open up your eyes and make the most of what you’ve got! Any tricks to make your eyes look bigger will help to add definition.

Foundation and powder can clog behind nose pads and smear across lenses, so keep this light around the bridge of your frame. Wash specs daily in soapy water to stop make up building up around your frame.

Tinted lenses can alter the colour of your eyes and your make up, so try the specs on in good light, even step out into the sun with a mirror to make sure you’re happy with the colours you’re wearing in daylight. Brown photochromics can make the skin look red, so cool your make up colours down. Grey will make your skin look colder, so use warmer tones.

Bringing your glasses in to blend with your look will help you to feel comfortable in them. Enjoy experimentation and see it as an opportunity to try some different colours, it’s all to easy to get stuck in a rut and this may be the time to be brave! Browse around the cosmetic counters in big stores and ask for help with the experts. Before you know it all your friends will want to wear specs too!

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How To Be Remembered !

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

As fanatics about frames, we all fully appreciate the value of a good piece of facial furniture. We say don’t think of your specs as a medical device, see them as a piece of jewellery, a unique accessory – if you’re got it, flaunt it! Now how about taking it a step further – why not enhance your whole look with an iconic piece of eyewear?

A few examples of eyewear icons – the stylish ones that is, we’re not talking Dame Edna here – Karl Lagerfeld, never seen dressed in anything other than a high collar, a tie, his leather gloves, and a huge pair of specs. Think of Audrey Hepburn, peeping out from behind her huge plastic sunnies in breakfast at Tiffanys. Elvis in his Vegas shades, Michael Caine in his black rims. Real icons are not always the trend setters of today, they are the figures back through history who stay true to their style.

Karl Lagerfeld In His Iconic High Collar And Huge Specs

Karl Lagerfeld In His Iconic High Collar And Huge Specs

So how do you do iconic? You need to think about your signature look, and consider the wardrobe personality of your clothes. Classic, eclectic, edgy, vintage, casual, chic or fashion victim – your specs need to reflect your style, your personality and your budget. Unless you’re a total fashion Chameleon and you change your look more often than Kylie, you need something wearable that screams your name. Like a personal scent, you want people to recognise that style and think of you.

When you’ve sussed your clothes personality, make sure your specs reflect this, and then always base your choice around a similar type of frame, such as skinny metals, chunky plastics, fancy, plain, big or small. You can stay in fashion while keeping true to your look, and everyone will always remember you as the person with the cool specs!

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