Posts Tagged ‘metal frames’

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The Choice is Yours!

Saturday, March 5th, 2011

You may be browsing specs online or facing the dread of the Opticians dispensing shop, but for many clients the selection of the perfect frame is a bamboozling experience that leaves many with a headache and the dread that they’ve picked the wrong thing. If you’re about to embark on this – X factor speak!! – journey, then the first basic choice boils down to 3 looks; plastic, metal, or rimless. Here are a few points to consider.

Plastic Frames – A chunky, bold, often high fashion look, with more obvious colour than a metal frame..

Perfect for – anyone allergic to metal materials

higher prescriptions – they disguise the lens edges

fashionistas

sensitive souls who don’t like the nose pads on metal frames

Not ideal for – Petite faces – they can overwhelm you

Chubby cheeks – the lack of nose pads mean they can rest on the face

Metal frames – a chic, minimalist look, with slimmer rims.

Perfect for – varifocals or bifocal wearers – adjustable nose pads give you the best

lens position

petite faces

colour phobics! The colour is less obvious than with a plastic

Not ideal for – sensitive skin, many metal frames are made with nickel silver, which

can provokes a reaction

high prescriptions – you’ll see the lens edges and all the weight of the

heavier lenses is focussed on the small area of two little pads.

Rimless – the pared down minimalism of bridge and side arms gives an almost invisible look.

Perfect for – anyone who hates wearing glasses! They are less visible than

conventional frames.

Anyone who wants to design their own glasses – you can have the

lenses cut into any shape you fancy!

Not ideal for – High prescriptions – the lens edges are visible, so thickness will show.

The heavy handed – these specs are more vulnerable than any other,

and the bit that breaks will usually be the lens, which is the expensive

part!

So that’s the easy bit, the practical pros and cons of each broad spec style. Now you just have to work out what shape, what colour, how thick the sides should be……..

Varifocal Glasses

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Back to Basics

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

As we live and breathe glasses, in all their exciting shapes and sizes, it’s easy for us to forget that for first time wearers, choosing a frame and the accompanying lenses can be a minefield of exhausting choice and confusing options. After a couple of enquiry e-mails this week, we came back to earth and realised that a little refresher course on making that first important step into clear sight might be useful, so here we go, back to the basics!

Selecting a frame entails you making a series of decisions based on looks alone. Unless you’ve been secretly short sighted for years, walking into oncoming buses and squinting for England every minute of the day, it’s unlikely that as a fist time wearer you’ll have a high prescription that will limit your frame choice. For low power, first prescriptions the choice is entirely down to personal taste.

On the whole, metal frames are less obtrusive than plastic, as they are thinner and less conspicuous. Plastic is bolder, brighter, and literally, more in your face! Metal frames have two nose pads which bear the weight of the frame across your nose, plastic have a moulded bridge which spread the weight across a greater area. Pad bridges on metals are good for uneven noses, slim bridges, or sinus sufferers who need the specs to sit in a specific place. Pads have the flexibility to help you get the frame where you want it. Plastic or metal should be equally durable for everyday wear.

The frame size should be the width of your face, wider and your eyes will look close together, narrower and you’ll be looking around the edges! Fashion at present is not a particular size, so there’s plenty of choice and different looks. Style depends on you – bold, funky and on trend, or classic and chic? Look through fashion magazines, see what your friends are wearing, browse online. Think of this as a fashion item you actually need to purchase, and enjoy the shopping opportunity!

Colour is down to personal choice, to fit in with your colouring or your favourite ‘uniform’ for work or leisure. As a general rule, blondes with fair skins suit delicate metals, dark hair and eyes suit sultry looks in dark colours, dark skins look amazing in bold brights. For the first pair, something that tones with you and your lifestyle will be easier for you and your loved ones to adjust too! Then as your confidence grows you can experiment with the bright and the beautiful. Enjoy your glasses – see them as an accessory to both your looks and your lifestyle.

Varifocal Glasses

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Lady Like Looks

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Open any fashion magazine this autumn and you’ll notice that the trend for girly, ladylike dresses and accessories is everywhere for the new season. (Except on Lady Gaga – steak style – what is she thinking?) Circular skirts and cinched waists are in, along with demure new hem lengths and sophisticated colours like camel. In eye wear, the dull days of unisex styles are behind us, and along with your kitten heels and flirty frocks a truly feminine frame is a must!

Larger, retro shapes have been with us for some time, and with the bling trend fading, designers are using shape and contour to add interest and glamour. The classic upswept cat’s eye shape is only for Dame Edna and the very brave, but softened versions of it are creeping in now. It’s still there, but not as exaggerated, a little bigger, and with solid colours that scream 2010 not 1960. The bang on trend can go for it by heading for deep winged shapes in solid shades, but for the rest of us a feminine, curved plastic with detail at the temple will bring us nicely into fashion this season.

Take Mad Men as your inspiration and then create your own version, checking out high street styles in Mango, Zara and H&M for swirly frocks, full skirts, and dresses with nipped in waists. Bring it up to date with chunky heel ankle boots, skinny belts and attitude. Shop for the wardrobe then the eyewear, with soft neutral tones of taupe and navy complimenting the clothes and complexions. Metal frames are seen less and less at the moment, because plastic lends itself well to a fifties look and gives you a shot of colour. So keep your geek frames with preppy jeans for your casual days

Prescription Glasses Online

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Focus on Frames

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

A few frame queries have been coming up lately, and of course we’re happy to answer any individual mail enquires. But just in case you’re all wondering about the same things, here is our top three………

I like the plastic frames but they do look heavy compared to my thin metal ones. Will I find them uncomfortable?

Plastic frames do look solid and chunky compared to metal, but then that’s part of their appeal! Looks can be deceiving though, and most people find plastics comfy thanks to the moulded bridge area. With a metal frame, all the weight is centred on the two little nose pads, which can make metals feel heavy on the nose. Take advantage of our try before you buy system and see for yourself at home!

If I try a smaller frame, will I see all the edges? Frames seem very small nowadays.

Frames have gone smaller over the last ten years, but bigger shapes are creeping back in. Small is good however, as smaller rims means less weight, and thinner, lighter lenses. Even with the largest frame around you’ll always see the rims if you look for them, and you do get used to it. Most people find that the reduced weight makes up for any initial settling down period.

I like one of your styles but it has no rim at the bottom. Is this going to be strong like my metal glasses with frames all the way round?

This style of frame is called a supra, and it has a nylon thread holding the lens in place. This cuts physical weight and makes the frame look insubstantial on the face. It’s great for people who might have an allergic reaction to rims sitting on their cheeks, and those very sensitive to weight. They are a nice alternative to fully rimless, as they are pretty tough. They might bend, but rarely break if seriously bashed, and anyway the thread is more easily replaced than a broken rim.

Prescription Glasses Online

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Slip Sliding Away

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

We’re looking forward (with our fingers crossed!) to our sunny Summer continuing after the sultry heat of June. Most of us love the sunshine, but if you’re a spex wearer, the combination of hot sun and slick sunscreen lotion can lead to months of pushing your glasses back up your nose and suffering from sore ears. So can you do anything to help?

Firstly, metal frames are more comfortable in Summer than plastic, as the nose pads sit the frame away from the skin and allow some air flow behind it. This prevents misting up and the small contact area of the nose pads on your skin means you perspire less. So put your plastics away in the hottest temperatures and if you’re thinking of investing in new glasses at the moment, look for a metal pair. A small size will help too – small lens area means less weight and less slipping.

Your glasses might need to be fitted slightly tighter over the warm months, and if you’re up to any energetic sports you could invest in an elastic sport band which will hold them in place. Specialist frames like Oakley have end tips on the side arms which actually get slightly tacky as you get hot, holding them firmly in position.

We all know that we need at least an SPF factor of 15 on our skin, and the face is especially vulnerable to sun damage. Heavy lotions might make your specs slip, so experiment with different formulae and allow them to settle before putting your specs on. In the evening, wash your glasses in warm soapy water, and dry on a soft towel or tea towel. This prevents damage to the frame from the lotion and your perspiration. Wash them as soon as possible after wear – don’t leave them overnight or a build up of damaging deposits will start to eat into the frame material.

A few sensible precautions will ensure you are more comfortable and your specs stay in place, so enjoy the sun and don’t make any slip-ups!

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Get your Groove On!

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Making your glasses for you is not as simple as just popping slivers of plastic into your frame and sending it off to you. The perfect pair of glasses blends our expertise with your needs to give you specs which are comfortable, visually correct, and look great too. For the majority of powers putting your glasses together is very straightforward, but if you have a more complicated prescription then some combinations of lens and frame may cause difficulties. Let’s take a look at how they are constructed and what this may mean to you

The vast majority of frames have a rim which tightly holds the lens in place as the lens sits within a groove in the frame rim. With plastic frames we heat the frame which then expands so the lens can be snapped into place. It then shrinks back as it cools to keep the lens in place. Metal frames come apart with a tiny joint at the edge, and we then screw it back up to make it secure. If you are very short sighted then plastic frames may conceal your lenses more than a thin metal rim, and will give the lens edges some protection.

Semi-rimless frames have a nylon cord which sits in a groove around the lens edge. This makes the frame light and flexible, but if you are very long sighted and your lens edges are thin then they may chip easily. If you were to put pressure on the frame – sit on it for example! A lens may pop out, but will easily fit back in. If you’re very short sighted then your thick lens edges may be very visible as there is no frame to disguise it.

Playboy 5006 Semi Rimless from The Internet Glasses Company

Playboy 5006 Semi Rimless from The Internet Glasses Company

Rimless mounts hold lenses in place without them fitting into a rim, but we have to drill through the lenses and then hold them in place with screws or glued bolts. This makes the specs light but very vulnerable to damage, and they are not suitable for high powers whether you are long or short sighted.

If your prescription is strong them you may need to confirm your choice with your optician – we will always advise you if we feel your frame choice does not match your lens power.

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Winter Warmers

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

During the winter months you can feel a little lacklustre and dull, as the party season and absence of sunshine takes its toll on your skin. Without a warming summer flush complexions may seem to lose their lustre, and we can all feel a little dull on cold dark days. Before you reach for the Botox needle or book a winter cruise, how about an injection of sparkle from a different direction?

New specs can lift your look and your mood as effectively as a new haircut or a whole wardrobe of new clothes. Glasses are one of the first things people will notice about you, and a different shape or colour can affect your skin tone, the look of your jewellery or clothing, and even lift and enhance your face shape.

Let’s look at colour to start with. Harsh brights or cool pastels that can be flattering with a tan during the summer months are draining in winter, as are cool colours like sharp silver or cold blue. Warmer alternatives are gold, tortoiseshell brown, mauves and pinks. Avoid red if the cold makes your cheeks glow!  Just pick the right shade to suit your colouring. Even men will benefit by switching to brown rather than black, olives or gunmetals rather than silver.

Rimless frames can look very harsh on winter skin, as the reflective edges and cool metal frame parts are minimalist and lack warmth. Try a semi-rimless or softly coloured metal instead. The chunkier contours of plastic frames may be too much for you, so stick to a compromise that gives you a softer look that isn’t too bold.

If you like metal frames try an injection of colour, in a soft shine finish. Very shiny or totally matt metals can be draining, so a subtle shimmer will reflect some light back to you.  Skin looks best in cold weather if well moisturised and glowing, and a slight shine to your frames will enhance this.

Frame shapes are best if a little softer, and if you always wear a hat in winter try your new specs on with this too! All of these factors affect your face shape, and you also need to make sure frames are comfortable with your headgear.  A frame with a slight uplift at the lower rim will give you some lift too, and banish any signs of post-party tiredness.

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Specs Back In Time

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Nowadays when we’re choosing our new specs the choice is overwhelming. Thin, thick, plastic, metal, big, little……the list goes on. Sometimes clients tell us there’s too much to choose from – how spoilt! For once upon a time there was very little decision making involved!

In recent times the NHS was in control of our eyewear. Up until 1988 the NHS paid towards everyone’s glasses, even the frames. They provided the stunning selection of plastic frames in black, autumn leaf, crystal, blue or pink. Many a teenager was reduced to tears in the opticians when confronted with these delights! If plastic was not for you, then you could have round John Lennon frames, made of rolled gold no less, or the half moon version. Therefore all of us looked like Buddy Holly, hippies with dubious taste, or mad professors. For children there were scaled down versions, or sweet little metal frames that tied across the back of the head with elastic.

John Lennon In His Iconic Round Spectacles

John Lennon In His Iconic Round Spectacles

During the war years you could get metal frame with flat sides, to slip inside your gas mask – how clever is that?! And previous to that little round frames in tortoiseshell. Organic of course but fairly bad news for the Hawksbill Turtle, whose shell was used and he was never even acknowledged, for they were always credited to tortoises.

Hawksbill Turtles Are Much Happier Now Their Shells Aren't Used To Make Glasses

Hawksbill Turtles Are Much Happier Now Their Shells Aren't Used To Make Glasses

Or of course there was the elegance of the quizzer, lorgnette, or pince-nez. Perfect for supercilious glaring at the opera etc. The quizzer was a single lens on a handle, the lorgnette two lenses that flipped out on a spring, and the pince-nez gripped your nose with the ferocity of a cross crab. How we suffered for our sight!

In ancient history frames were made of wood, leather, bone or horn – again very organic but unfortunate for any original owners! Lenses were flat and optically not very good, so the next time you curse your specs, just be grateful you do not have to feel guilty about a Turtle as well!

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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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Plastic Surgery!

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

When you see that many spec frames are made of plastic, it sounds a bit sub standard. Surely plastic  is kind of a bit, well, plasticy?! A bit cheap? But read on – plastic is an amazing frame material and  should be part of everybody’s eyewear wardrobe.

Plastic is what we wear nowadays as an alternative to metal frames. It’s kind of an evolution from the original frame materials of bone, horn, and real tortoiseshell. Bone and horn came up as beautifully polished, totally natural materials, but of course we do not use them now, as we have man made alternatives that are a little more friendly to wildlife! Shell was sourced from the Hawksbill Turtle, and was a beautifully colored, lightweight material – not so good for the poor turtle though!

Plastic now provides us with skin friendly, light weight frames in a dazzling array of colours. It can be inlaid with pattern, stones and glitter, or laminated in layers for a more subtle effect. Plastic frames have a moulded bridge, which is useful if you don’t like the feel of individual nose pads. It’s a cheap way to bring your look bang up to date, without breaking the bank. For girls and boys plastic is big news this Summer, in chunky shapes as bright as you dare. Updating your eyewear can take years off you – you may feel you’re not happy baring too much flesh or wearing younger fashions from the High Street, but any specs can be worn by anyone of any age. A little upsweep on the rims for ladies. or an up to date, angular shape for men will bring the compliments flooding in, so try a little fantastic plastic!

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