Posts Tagged ‘specs’

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Stunning Stripes – Glasses Online

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Frame manufacturers constantly astound us with their inventiveness and originality. We often wonder just how much you do with two rims and a pair of sides! Every new season they come up with subtle variations on size, shape, proportion and of course decoration, and we’re smitten again by new specs!

In the past four or five years we’ve gone from outrageous bling, with frames practically flashing with diamantes, jewels and enamel detail, to more austere frames that fit our belt-tightening times. For the new season, colour and detail are creeping back in, and stripes are an excellent way to bring some interest to your specs without going overboard on the flash factor!

You can use stripes in masses of different ways – layers of laminates, colours, inlaid details, cut out segments, running through the whole frame or in touches of detail. Stripes are a useful way of adding colour without mad pattern, such as a pinstripe in a black frame or red frame to reduce the drama and make the frame more wearable.

Laminated layers within the frame always look good, cut horizontally through the frame front. You can take a really plain shape, a palette of dull colours, and transform them with stripes of colour that make the light play in different ways across the frame. This is good if you want colour but want the frame to go with lots of outfits. Take a raspberry frame with pink stripes – it will look more pink against clothes of the same colour, warm in tone with a smart black suit, and vibrant with matching raspberry red. You can play the colour up or down by enhancing it or calming it down with alternative outfits. This can give you a different look for work or play, just by playing with the attention your frame gets!

Stripes are a good way for men to inject some interest and detail into their specs, a touch of pattern without resorting to anything too girly or scary! So if you fancy a change from your butterfly strewn, wild specs of last year, seek out some stripes!

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On Your Bike with Varifocals and UV Protection

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

With Boris furnishing the capital with bikes and all of us striving to be greener, cycling is on the upsurge as a serious means of transport and an ever growing hobby. The lanes around our office are frequently enlivened by Lycra clad chaps pedalling furiously, apparently for fun!

The National Cyclists Association, the CTC, recently did some survey work amongst their members to look at safety on the roads, and discovered that one in four questioned had never had an eye exam or hadn’t had one in the last two years. Our governing optical body recommends that everyone has an eye test at least every two years, with some people being recalled sooner if eye health issues are a problem. Clearly, it’s as vital for Cyclists to make sure their vision is up to the driving standard as it is for motorists, so this is a worrying statistic.

As well of standards of vision, the survey looked at eye protection. 42% surveyed did not wear any sun protection, another worry as Cyclists are fully exposed to UV light when out and about, and this can affect the eyes on cloudy and sunny days. Specs of any description, tinted or clear protect the eye against UV, which can damage the retina and increases your risk of Cataracts. Specs also shield they eye from flying debris.

For the occasional Cyclist, large specs with plastic lenses will be protection enough, and photochromic lenses that go light and dark with the conditions will be a good general purpose option. You can wear them in bright sunlight or after dark, knowing they are safe in all light levels, and they give UV protection. The more serious Cyclist may wish to invest in a wrap around frame for full physical protection against the elements. You can also get them with specialist lenses that improve contrast and show up uneven road surfaces. Sides are usually contoured to fit the face under helmets, and the streamlined shape may even make you go faster! Brands such as Oakley have dedicated models for different sports, cycling included.

The bike may be the transport of the future, so if you’re taking to two wheels instead of four, invest that saved petrol money in an eye exam and some glasses that will make you safer.

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Weight Loss!

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

Looking back through the archives of frames we have known and loved in the past, it’s interesting to observe the changes made to styling, materials, and construction over the years. We’ve seen specs go from tiny to huge and back again, glass lenses fall in and out of popularity, and lens and frame colours come and go.

One of the biggest changes that clients often comment on is how light frames are nowadays, often with a comment of ‘aren’t they flimsy?’ and you can see the dread in people’s eyes as they imagine the damage they can do to their precious new specs! The difference is often most apparent when you’re trying frames on, as they don’t have the weight of prescription lenses in them. So always remember when you’re browsing new glasses that they will be a little heavier with your lenses glazed into them. Thankfully not vastly heavier in most cases, but they do feel far more substantial with optical quality lenses in.

Despite the weight of lenses however, frames have become lighter over the years – if only the same could be said of us!! Materials are constantly evolving to make frames as slim as possible, while still retaining their strength. Manufacturers are now able to produce materials that are more flexible than of old, so they give and bounce back when you sit on them! Older materials needed bulk to make them tough, but this made them thicker and heavier, and more likely to snap. Metals such as stainless steel, Titanium and Monel are springy and super light, and can be pared down to minimal thickness. They feel as if they’re hardly on your face, reducing discomfort when you’re wearing them all day every day.

Fittings and fixings have become tougher yet lighter too, with joints and nose pads getting less bulky and obtrusive. But we still see less and less repairs every year so they must be tough enough to cope with the fast pace of our lives. So embrace this change for the better and trust in the technology of new materials and construction – lightweight is good we promise!

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Teenage Kicks

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Amid all the other teenage year traumas I suffered – spots, girls – too many of the former, not enough of the latter! Being told I needed glasses at age 16 was the final straw. I felt like hibernating until I was twenty and could squint and walk into buses if I wanted too! No such luck though, I needed them to see the board at school and was marched into a dusty old opticians to be fitted with a dreadful tobacco coloured frame that didn’t fit or suit me. In those dark days, the good old NHS supplied specs, which were pretty limited in choice. You could pay for frames but the mentality of parents was to be grateful for what you were given and frankly they were too expensive for growing teenagers who constantly headed footballs in them. (Sorry Mum!)

Fast forward a few years, and the old NHS frame is now rather trendy, thanks to David Tennant, and my teenage son almost looks impressed by the old photos of me in them. It wasn’t the end of the world when he was told he needed specs, as plenty of his friends wear them and actually like their glasses. He also gets far more choice, as thanks to internet providers and the wide range offered by opticians he can pick glasses which are trendy and actually cool!

He wears contact lenses everyday, as they are much more practical for all his sporting activities. I bought him a couple of really well priced specs off the internet as spares, useful to give him a break from his lenses and to wear during a nasty bout of conjunctivitis. His NHS voucher was used towards his lenses, so browsing web sites and getting him some specs cheaply helped soothe the household budget, suffering a battering from trainers and designer jeans!

Specs no longer suffer the stigma that they had in my youth, although the dread of picking a new pair never leaves me. My son seems very laid back about his short-sightedness, and I’m grateful that something as simple as a nice and economical trendy frame has spared him the trauma that I had. Now where did I hide my geeky NHS brown frames? Might just get my new varifocals put in them!!

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One for All!

Monday, July 19th, 2010

I didn’t need glasses until my early forties, when my previously perfect sight let me down and suddenly I couldn’t see to read. I could still manage if I squinted and held things at arm’s length, but obviously this became somewhat impractical as time went on and one day my poor tired arms simply became too short! The optician told me this happens to everyone but to be honest this was wasn’t much of a comfort! So I ended up gradually collecting glasses to help in different situations.

I had reading glasses, and after a nightmare meeting when I ended up with a raging headache and very tired arms when I forgot my specs, I started keeping one pair at work, one at home, and one in the car just in case! Then I started to need help for the computer, and couldn’t really see the dash board clearly either. This meant another pair of computer specs for work, one for home, and one for the car! This worked until I’d go home with the work pair in my bag etc and then end up with all of them in the wrong location! Then of course there were my sunglasses, which I wore for driving, but still couldn’t see the dashboard.

Exhausted by all of this, and fed up with my worn out glasses that got squashed in handbags and were constantly bent, I went back to talk to the optician again. I still didn’t need glasses for distance sight, but we decided that the time had come to go for varifocal specs. The advantage for me was huge – one pair of glasses that I could leave on all the time, so they wouldn’t get worn out or left anywhere. I could also have them going dark in the sunshine, so instead of seven pairs of specs scattered around my life, I had one pair that I could keep on for all situations!

This was life changing! My varifocals let me see to drive, at the computer, the dashboard, and all my close up vision. I don’t have to take them off and they’re always with me. The lens goes dark so I don’t need sunglasses, and they are clear when I’m indoors. The lenses looked expensive when I first got a quote, but of course they were less than my vast collection of specs and look an awful lot nicer!

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Look me in the Eye…..

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

With growing awareness of body language and eye contact, nowadays we’re more conscious than ever of the importance of how we come across to others. The pressure is increased even further if you suffer from an eye condition that affects the way you look, especially when it comes to the super sensitive issue of your eyes.

One of the most common problems patients suffer from is lazy eye, or  as people often call it. One eye wanders and does not focus as with as normal eye. This can make it difficult for other people to tell where you are looking. It can be successfully operated on, so do bring it up with your optician, it may be possible for you to be referred to the hospital eye service for assessment.

Cosmetic problems with the coloured part of the eye, the Iris, are more unusual. We have patients with different coloured eyes, or with a segment of the Iris missing. This can be treated with coloured contact lenses, which we can use to match the different colours, or to disguise a gap in the Iris. This can produce excellent results without resorting to surgery.

Ptosis is a term which covers drooping lids due to muscle defects. The muscles which control the eyelids are a complex mechanism and any difficulties with the system can impair vision if the lids droop down across the eye. Surgery can help in some cases, or you can have a slim metal prop attached to your specs which lifts the faulty lid.

Any of these issues may also be helped when it comes to changing your specs – small and fashionable frames, possibly with a light tint will give your more confidence and a small measure of camouflage. It’s never to late to look into solutions for these problems, and new techniques may give you options now that weren’t possible a few

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Form & Function

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

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.

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Think Skin

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Clients often ask us for direction when it comes to what’s hot in frame fashion. Most people don’t want to wear something that’s dull and boring, if they’re going to have to wear glasses they want something they feel good in. Colour is everywhere in specs at the moment, with plastics and metals in a stunning array of rainbow hues. The key to choosing the right colour is to pay attention to your skin tone, because a frame that goes with you will flatter your natural good looks and make people notice you, not your specs.

If you’re an English Rose, with pale skin that has cool blue undertones, then you can take a dramatic frame in strong, clear, bright colours. Blue-red, black, silver, cold purple will all make your eyes glitter and will draw attention away from fine wrinkles on your delicate skin.

If your skin is fair but warm, with a Californian sun-kissed gleam, you need honey, gold and butterscotch brown tones to add a golden glow and set your skin ablaze with Autumn colouring. Reds for you should veer more towards the orange end of the spectrum. If you want something neutral then look for a tan brown or a khaki green. These colours won’t wear you – people will focus on your eyes, not the frame.

If you have a dark or tanned complexion you can take strong colours that will stand out against your sultry skin. Black and white will be a knockout, warm orange and lime will zing and make the whites of your eyes shine out. Hot orange-toned-red and fuchsia pink will pop and look incredible on delicious dark skin.

Olive skin, which is warm in tone, can take all those subtle tones that pale skins can’t. Your red should be yellow based, but you look stunning in all tone of khaki, rich brown and darker shades of the Autumn palette. You’ve probably got dark eyes, and you’ll know you’ve found the perfect colour because gold tones in your eyes will be enhanced.

When you’re trying new frames, look at yourself in natural daylight, and girls, try them with and without make up so you can examine your skin tone. If you have a cool complexion try them when you’re wearing black or white, warm complexions should try them with cream or brown. These basic background colours will allow you to focus on the effect on your face. Are your eyes alight? Do your teeth look white? Is it highlighting shimmers in your eyes or hair? When you find the one, your whole face will come into sharp focus, and not just through your shining new lenses!

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In Recovery

Monday, June 14th, 2010

With our new Government finding their feet and stores such as Boots recording record profits, it would seem that we’re making tentative steps towards believing in a recovery. Are we seeing signs of this in the Optical market, and is it affecting what we sell?

Several big names have sounded optimistic about their prospects through 2010, all backed up by their sales records for the first quarter of the year. One of the world’s biggest luxury frame manufacturers reported a return to normal sales figures for 2010, with signs of growth for the upcoming months. Ultralase, who perform Laser surgery for vision correction were 25% up on consultation bookings at the beginning of the year, and obviously these are two key areas where luxuries, not necessities are showing marked signs of improvement.

Last year manufacturers were being cautious about new product, scaling down new collections and showing a more austere approach to design. Ostentatious bling was replaced by more subtle styles, and there was a retro feel to many new styles which hinted at a return to classics that would stand the test of time. Disposable, faddy fashion was gone, in favor of styles that would stick around.

Designer fashion held back a little too, with showy logos replaced by discreet styling and detail. To be taken seriously in the workplace clients wanted smart specs with a grown up attitude. Some even ordered frames with no power lenses to add to their studious image! Some contact lens patients switched back to specs in an effort to lower costs.

So as 2010 progresses, we see some of these changes going into reverse as we go into recovery. The High Street shopper is gradually losing their caution and sales of sunnies, contact lenses, and luxury brands are on the increase. Despite news of Government cuts and the cloud of the deficit hanging over us, we’re gradually returning to our shopping habits within the Optical sector.

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Road Test – Varifocals

Friday, June 4th, 2010

I tried my very first pair of varifocals last week, and was asked to give an honest assessment of how I’ve got on, so for any first timers out there who are not sure if they should take the leap… read on!

I’ve always had perfect sight and never worn glasses, so it was a shock when I first needed help with small print. I struggled on for a while with ready reading glasses, but they looked pretty dreadful, I was always breaking them or losing them, and then I began to find the computer screen difficult too.  I discussed this situation with my optician, chatted to friends, and finally took the plunge after further advice from the InternetGlassesCompany. The specs arrived in the post with a helpful note about how to wear them. So I sat at my desk and nervously tried them on…

The small print was absolutely wonderful, and I could read totally clearly for the first time in a couple of years! It seemed blacker and sharper than before. I could also thread a needle and see things like stitching. The computer screen was clear, but the edges seemed to slope sideways.  I had been warned about this, apparently it’s because I have a little bit of Astigmatism, and is common with vari lenses anyway.

I worked quite happily for a couple of hours, but did suffer a slight headache. When I stood up the floor seemed to be on a bit of a slope, but much better than trying to look down with my reading glasses!

Although I didn’t need the glasses power for driving I did try them in the car, and it was great to see the dash clearly, and useful when I went to pay for petrol. You do have to turn your head more to see to the side, but I got on ok with this.

Two weeks on, I’m not sure how I ever managed without my varifocals. I wear them all day because it’s easier than trying to find them every time I put them down! The headache went after a couple of days, and I’ve adjusted my screen and things on my desk for perfect comfort. No going back, and I’m happy I stuck with it for the first few days when everything felt a bit odd. Thankfully my screen and my floor also now look like they used to!

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