Posts Tagged ‘spectacles’

A Loss to Fashion

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

The tragic loss of Lee Alexander McQueen this week has given rise to many articles in the media about his career, and the designs he produced for his catwalk shows. Hailed by many as a true creative genius, others often could not understand McQueen’s vision. Opinion is always divided about the work of great Couturiers – a case of the Emperor’s New Clothes? As more and more designers take on Optical assignments and bring us new eye glass styles, we should consider the work of innovators and appreciate what they bring to our everyday lives.

Anything that makes an everyday chore more pleasurable must be applauded, and this has been very evident with spectacles. A medical device that many of us need to function in our everyday lives has become a must have accessory and a desirable purchase. This first became apparent when Designers moved into the eye wear market and began transforming the humble spec into a piece of fashion.

A trend that began with Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior during the Eighties designer boom is now a multi-million pound industry and has ended the misery of glasses wear for many. McQueen himself produced a stunning eyewear range, as do countless others. Who wouldn’t want to buy something they enjoy wearing? Even if you don’t appreciate a specific designer frame, you will still reap the benefits of their inspiration as their innovation filters down through all manufactures ranges.

McQueen stunned the fashionistas with his Highland Rape Collection in 1995, displaying some shocking rear cleavage on the catwalk, but for many years afterwards we were all wearing low slung jeans and sharp tailoring that owed much to his initial vision. Eye wear follows suit, with detailing, colours, and shapes providing inspiration for many collections that follow the trend setters. Never dismiss designers as being detached from your world, or out of touch with reality. Like McQueen they all come up with the look for the season, and our lives are made more colourful and aesthetically pleasing because of it. We have lost a true fashion great this week, and even if you don’t think he touched your life, his influence and vision has in reality affected us all.

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UV and Your Eyes

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

What Is UV Light?

UV or Ultra Violet light is an invisible part of the spectrum of light that surrounds us. Due to the increased incidence in skin cancers, we know about the damaging affect of UV on our skin, but do we think about the fact that UV can also damage our eyes?

UV is made up of three wavelengths of light

  • UVA- closest to visible light, range 320 – 400 nanometers
  • UVB – 280 – 320 nm
  • UVC – 280 – 200 nm

Could UV Damage My Eyes?

UVA and UVB can cause significant damage to the crystalline lens inside the eye and to the retina. It’s also harmful to the cornea – the transparent window at the front of the eye.

UVA is the most dangerous, especially if you are exposed to low doses over a long time. It can damage the eye but it is absorbed by the crystalline lens. This protects the retina but as the affects accumulate pigments are generated within the lens, and with ageing and further exposure cataracts develop. When cataracts are surgically removed that vital filter to protect the retina is gone.

UVB causes sunburn and snow blindness, and this is exacerbated by reflection from water and snow. The cornea absorbs it to protect the internal structures of the eye, but that does leave the cornea vulnerable to problems. Pterygium is a patch of cloudy tissue that grows on the cornea as a result.

UVC is filtered out by the ozone layer, but if you’re in an area where the ozone layer is thin, then it may still be dangerous.

Do I Need UV Protection?

Yes, if any of the following applies to you:

  1. You spend time on the water.
  2. You’ve had cataracts removed.
  3. You spend most of your time outdoors.
  4. You like wearing dark glasses.
  5. You’re regularly exposed to UV light.
  6. You live where the ozone layer is thin.

What Will Protect My Eyes?

Wearing spectacles, whether dark or clear gives you some protection against UV, but total protection only comes from a UV Filter or a Polycarbonate Lens. Other lens materials give varying degrees of UV protection.

Standard Plastic – As these lenses can yellow over time manufacturers add a small amount of UV filter to the material. They give about 92% UV protection.

Glass – As they do not absorb any UV they give no protection.

Lenses that darken in the sun – these lenses go dark due to UV light, so as they change they block all UV.

UV filter – This is a lens coating which guarantees to give 100% protection against all types of UV.

Sunglasses are sometimes labelled as giving protection against UVA, UVB, or UVC. The problem with listing these categories is that we see the UV symbol and assume we are protected. You need to make sure that the lenses in question filter all types of UV.

Do I Need A UV Filter On Sunglasses?

Our eyes react to bright light by reducing the size of the pupil. This stops light from getting to the retina and the lens. So a tinted lens will let light flood into the eye, and without a UV filter the internal structures are fully exposed to the dangers of UV.

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The World Through Rose Coloured Glasses

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

You may choose your sunglasses or tinted prescription glasses purely according to your taste. You may think that lens colours are simply a fashion choice, but if you are choosing a tinted lens let us help you to make a more educated decision.

If you want the most natural view of your surroundings, choose a grey tint, which is the most neutral colour and will not alter your perception of colours. Perfect if you like to go out and paint landscapes. Grey is flattering to most complexions, and suits frames in black, silver, and shades of blue and mauve. It’s a cool choice with red or pink frames too.

Brown will warm up our English skies, adding a subtle glow. It will alter your colour perception slightly, but you’ll still be able to pick out brake lights etc clearly. It’s great with frames in all types of brown and tortoise, as well as gold and bronze.

Yellow is perfect if you’re a hunter by nature, or a keen golfer! It maximises contrast, especially in low light conditions. So you’ll see your targets clearly or the contours of the greens. Choose your frames carefully though – yellow looks really cool with gunmetal or is a dramatic contrast to black.

Then there are those rose coloured spectacles – well that’s simple – they make everything pink! Gorgeous matched to the right shade of pink frame, warm in a cool mauve or blue frame. The darker you go with any tint, the more effect you will get from your chosen colour. Just remember not to go dark for night driving, it’s illegal to wear tinted lenses at night, and if you’re arrested the world won’t be so rosy!

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Weight Loss the Easy Way!

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

Ever taken your glasses off and found red marks across your nose? Or dents on the tops of your ears? Not a good look! You might need to consider a little weight loss – off your glasses that is! Easier than dieting and more fun than the gym, a quick shop for new glasses could make you more comfortable and give you a new look.

The prescription you need for your glasses lenses governs the thickness and therefore the weight of your spectacles. Eyeglass frames are all roughly the same weight, so the way to make glasses feel lighter on your nose is to reduce the thickness or the size of the lenses.

Firstly, look for a spectacle frame which is as small as you feel happy with, and remember that a shallower frame is fashionable and won’t rest low down on those fabulous cheek bones of yours! Take a look at a face shape guide to help you choose, but smaller rather than larger will be lighter.

Secondly, choose thinner lenses which will be lighter and also look slimmer. These lenses are made of a material which is more dense than standard lenses – think of it as squashing the lens flatter. Usually as the spectacle lens power gets higher the lens gets thicker, but thinner lenses will cancel this out.

So remember – flatter lenses will flatter you, no calorie counting involved!

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Do Glasses ( Spectacles) Make You Look Smarter?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Do glasses or spectacles make you look smarter? Most people think so. Do glasses actually make a person smarter? Of course not. The idea most likely derived from school children and their fondness of stereotyping. Remember the children that always seemed to excel academically? The ones that other children referred to as “the nerds”? Most often they wore large horn rimmed, black glasses. More often than not their spectacles sported some sort of white tape on the nose peice. These guys may have been so called “nerds” but they certainly were smart, and it seems that the glasses they wore became a trademark for intelligence.

If you want to make the impression of intelligence with your glasses there are certainly some beautiful alternatives to those ugly, horn rimmed glasses from back in the day. You can choose from all different sizes and colors. One of my personal favorites are the lightweight little red spectacles. They combine the essence of intelligence with just right the hint of flirtation.

You don’t even have to have a vision problem to sport around a stylish pair of glasses. Non prescription spectacles can be worn as part of your everyday wardrobe. You may even want to choose several pairs. A pair to match each your own unique moods.

Shop around and check out all of the different choices. There are so many fun styles to choose from that you may have a hard time deciding. Just have fun with your options and remember that little pair of glasses sitting on your nose is not only a fashion statement, but most likely makes someone think you are a walking mass of intelligence.

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Glasses are not for Geeks!

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

When children are told they need glasses, they worry they will get made fun of. They can already hear the words geek and nerd coming from the mouths of school bullies. We’ve seen these types of scenes time and again on television and in the movies.

Then people grow up and realize there is no better accessory than a great pair of glasses.

For one, glasses make you look sophisticated. The perception is that glasses exude a sense of responsibilty and intelligence. Who wouldn’t want those qualities? Wearing frames can be especially valuable on a job interview for the same reasons.

They also allow you to express who you are. These days glasses are like people: they come in all different shapes and sizes. You have plenty to pick from and its an opportunity to show off your sense of style. Bold personalities may enjoy bright colors and patterns. People with an especially active lifestyle may choose plastic frames. There is even the opportunity to get a “barely there” look with frames that blend right in with the lense. You can even take it day by day, and match your glasses to your outfit.

If you’re wanting a fresh look or if you haven’t changed frames in the last five years, get an eyeware makeover today!

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