The right eyeglasses aren't just for seeing well. They're your most important fashion statement, and your most expensive fashion investment.
There's nothing wrong with a bit of derring-do; when you go shopping for clothes. Impulse is a key ingredient in fashion. But eyeglasses? That's a different matter. You can bury a plaid jacket in the back of the closet, but you'll likely need your glasses for that pesky thing known as seeing.
It's the first fashion statement you'll make every day; the difference between Urkel geek and Elton chic. "Eyeglasses are the fashion and clothing is accessory", says Barbara McReynolds, co owner of Los Angeles-based L.A. Eyeworks. "People talk to your face. If it ain't happening on your face, it just ain't gonna happen."
But try to pick something from the two-for-$99 rack and you'll quickly find yourself in myopic hell. Remember, an eyeglass purchase is an investment, with payoffs noticeable for your eyes, looks and wallet. Here's looking at you, kid.
1. HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT AHEAD OF TIME.
Unlike other pieces of your wardrobe, eyeglasses can't be returned. Any mistake is an expensive one. To focus your time and to avoid the unpleasant possibility of returning home just to realize you look ridiculous, have a decent idea of what you're looking for when you begin your search.
First and foremost, buy glasses that are comfortable and balance your facial features: if you have a round face, avoid round frames. If you have a square face, avoid square frames. If you have a large face, avoid small frames and vice versa.
2. GO TO OWNER-OPERATED INSTEAD OF CHAIN STORES.
You're buying glasses to help you see better, so you want to deal with someone who has optical training, and can thus help you find a frame that's comfortable, fashionable and compatible with your prescription. It's called customer service, and it's something you're less likely to find at chain stores where salespeople earn seven dollars an hour.
Look for stores bearing Guild of Prescription Opticians of America sticker; that's a sign the salespeople are licensed or certified opticians. What's more, owner-operated stores balance their bread-and-butter stock of Giorgio Armani ant Calvin Klein frames with harder-to-find frames like Francois Pinton and Saki. Shop the owner-operators and you're more likely to walk away with frames that relatively few others wear.
3. DON'T GO CHEAP.
There are two-frames-for-$99 sales, eye exam included. But as with a twelve-pack of Schaefer, you get what you pay for. A good quality pair of frames runs between $200 and $300 - deal with it. Then tack on up to $100 more for your lenses, with add-one such as anti-reflective coating costing extra. Yes, good quality specs will cost you.
But they should last as long as you want them to, and good manufacturers warranty their frames against defects. "If you want good quality, you pay", says Jackie Fairbarns, communications director for the Opticians Association of America.
Even if two pairs of glasses look identical, the inordinately cheap pair is often made of poor-quality materials that won't hold an adjustment and will break quickly.
4. SHOP THE WEB.
A routine Excite search for keyword eyewear reveals 4,500 Web sites; many are discount wholesalers, advertising brand names at up to 60 percent off. You may find online the same frames you see in stores.
This allows you to do the process backward: buy the frames first, then have your optician fill in the lenses. Two of the more reputable Web outlets are Online Optical (www.onlineoptical.com) and OptiSale (www.optisale.com).
5. THINK LIKE ELTON JOHN.
There's a psychology to eyeglasses. So take a bit of a risk when you're in the market for a new pair; make a statement by going one step further than you normally would.
Mark yourself as an individual. And don't expect everything from one pair. Just like shoes, you're not going to find one pair of glasses that will suit you every day, every night, for every activity. The fashionable gent owns at least two.