Bummer!!! I'm starting to search for specs myself, but I'm not sure of any specific brands that will have that style. Have you gone to a shop or clinic yet to look around?

Tons, all glasses rectangular and too dainty!

What do you think of this pair in brown tortoise?
http://www.framesdirect.com/fr.....-pr-l.html
The ones the model is wearing but in brown, very dramatic- would they possibly work?

Jean, I'd love to see a picture of you wearing them! You could certainly wear statement specs like that!

Those are cute, Jean- I hope you can find something else!

Jean, I think if anyone could pull off frames like that, it would be you. You have your artistic flair and height on your side. If you can find something like that, I would love to see them on you.

Have you tried Lulu Guinness' range, she has lots of retro styled brown frames which I think you could wear with panache. Hanna recently bought a beautiful pair.

Jean, can't they put new lenses in your frames? I used to work with a woman who had bought a fab pair of leopard glasses in Paris and had lenses made up with her newest prescription for them in order to keep her same frames.

Jean, I hope I don’t sound daft, but I thought you were keeping your old frames and popping in new lenses. What am I missing?

They told me that it was not a good idea to do that because the frames are old and I will need a second pair because are my only ones. Maybe I should forgo a second pair. Is it not a good idea to use the old frames like someone said? The women at the frames store could have just been trying to sell me a new pair.

Jean, unless your frames were damaged or worn down in some way, I think it was just a sales pitch. When I get new frames I always have have the new lenses put in some of my older frames, too. (Which makes getting new glasses exponentially more expensive every time!:) The only times I haven't done this is when a) I don't like the style anymore or b) they are damaged in some way, making it not such a good investment.

How long have you had your current frames?

Ele,
I think it has been about 5 years.

Spot on, Ele. You can put new lenses into 40 year old retro frames! Take your old specs somewhere else, Jean.

You are all right you can put lenses in anything you want but if the frame brakes you are out the money you put into the lenses. The fact is you never know when you will loose them or they may break. For this reason it is best to pick a new frame, a new frame will give you a one or two year guarantee on the frame so if something happens to it you can get a replacement. If you loose your glasses often times it is only half the cost of the original pair. My dad had his last pair of glasses for 19 years never broke or lost them. He got new glasses and lost them 6 months later, you never know what life will bring.

Do you have a spare pair Jean? If not I would get a second pair, and have new lenses put into your current pair. I always keep one pair of my old specs around just in case. I really kind of wanted to see those hectic D&C specs on you, so maybe I have an ulterior motive :) But beadbug definitely has a point.

5 years is a little short to replace them outright though. My mom's office generally recommends replacing your frames every 6-8 years depending on how often you wear them, and it doesn't seem like you wear these all the time, correct? The reason to replace them is that frames simply lose strength and elasticity over time. They tend to distort based on how you wear them--like if you take them off the same way every day, one of the ear pieces might bend out more than the other over time, and it gets harder and harder to adjust as the frames become more delicate and continue to be exposed to the same stress every day.

Vintage frames can absolutely be used, but they are more fragile than I think most people realize, and adjustment can be difficult. I had a pair of vintage sunglass frames a few years ago. When one of the lenses popped out and couldn't be found, I asked to have it replaced, but they told me the frames are way too weak and will probably crack. I did eventually find a place that would replace them, but not long after that, I dropped them and they shattered on a carpeted floor!

I just finished a long hunt for new frames for myself, so I understand how frustrating it can be! The photo you linked to in your original post reminds me of the frame Gigi by Salt Optics (http://saltoptics.com/detail.p.....orderby=3). That's the line I ended up purchasing mine from; they're all so comfortable and well made. Good luck!