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New specs

Maya

Veteran

Next week I'm off for an eye exam and I'm due for new glasses. I'm excited about it. In the past I didn't pay much attention to my glasses because I wore contacts every day, but now there are some days where my eyes are just too tired and I need to give them a rest. My biggest challenge is that I have a very narrow face, so most lenses look way too wide and goofy on me. Also not sure about how to choose a good color. Are there rules for finding a flattering pair of glasses? I have a pretty ovalish face and medium, slightly dark skin. I could post a picture if it would help.

General

26 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Maya! Why do you choose to wear contacts over specs? Specs are instant funkiness Ms. arty-farty funky pants.

Maya

Veteran

3 reasons:

-I have darn nice eyes, if I do say so myself.

-i LOVE wearing my huge oversized sunglasses, but my prescription and astigmatism don't allow for it, so I just wear my contacts + nonprescription sunglasses.

-My vision is actually better in contacts.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I hear you. Three very sound reasons. Are you prepared to swap between your specs and contacts? Why don’t you stick to contacts?

Maya

Veteran

I am sticking to them, particularly in the summer. But sometimes I just like to give my eyes a rest, like when I don't get enough sleep or it's rainy out and I can't wear my sunglasses anyway. And I hate the idea of having to put in contacts just for a run to the grocery store or something. I like to have both options available to me.

(If I seem frighteningly quick at replying it's because my software is updating and I need something to do while I wait)

Nicole

Veteran

Maya, I wear contacts and glasses pretty much the same way you do. My vision is pretty bad, so contacts do provide a much better vision for me. I bought a pair of glasses about a year ago, and it was a waste of money. I should have just kept my old ones for the little time that I actually wear them. But it sounds like you will be wearing specs more and more.

With your coloring and funkability...I think the most obvious choice for you would be red or orange, or maybe red AND orange if you can find a pair that has both colors. My daughter has some glasses that are lime green on inside, and black on the outside. Maybe something like that but in red and orange...ooooh or orange and pink! I think the funkier you go with the glasses the better.

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Hmm...cream or white would be awesome and very mod! I like Nicole's suggestions as well.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Hmmm. Are you a plastic frame or nose-pad person?

Maya

Veteran

I have to say glasses are an area in which I'm a lot more conservative. I like my clothes a bit funkier, but I don't like all that visual noise right on top of my face. I'd prefer to keep things clean and simple. Also I have brown eyes and I'm not a huge fan of brown and red or brown and orange (I know they go, but it's just my personal preference).

I'm definitely a plastic frame person.

Here is a picture that is pretty old but accurate as far as color goes:

http://img.photobucket.com/alb...../party.jpg

Becky

Veteran

Maya, your coloring is beautiful. I definitely vote for the cream. It would look beautiful against your skin and bring out the brown of your eyes.

Maya

Veteran

I don't think I've ever seen cream glasses before. I'll keep an eye out. One restriction I have is that I HAVE to get the lenses from where my mom works because she gets such a generous discount, but I will see if they have any. Hopefully they will fit my face.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I agree (I’m in your camp on this one Maya *grin*). I'd have suggested plastic, neutral and streamlined, but with a retro twist. These are the types of specs that I wear and they do not date, because retro looks do not date. They look good with everything.

I would not have described your eyes are “darn nice”: absolutely beautiful would have been more accurate

Anonymous

Gorgeous eyes and I see why you don't want to cover them with glasses. What do you think of a very minimal frame like wire?

Maya

Veteran

::blushes:: thank you Angie & San. Wire frames. Hm. I haven't worn them since I was a kid, but something about them feels off about them to me. I don't know precisely how to elaborate on that. I see why you would suggest them, but I remember not liking them at all. Then again it has been a long time, so maybe I will not rule them out completely.

Here are some pictures of my current glasses. I don't know why I look so horribly grumpy and cynical in these pictures. Possibly the stress of having boyfriend over for Thanksgiving dinner and not knowing whether he or my family would make the first embarrassing and awkward remark. These are quite a bit old but the glasses are the same.

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....0_0257.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....0_0258.jpg

They're kind of cat-eyeish. Is this a good shape?

Dana

Maya, I tend to lean toward plastic frames as well, but I haven't been shopping for glasses in a while. I like the dark glasses you currently have. They really frame your eyes well and play off your dark hair. I would stick with dark colors. What colors do you wear most in your wardrobe?

I would think black or grey frames would work best or maybe a deep olive green. There are some neat metal frames out there that kind of lend themselves to the metallic trend that is currently going on. Pewter or bronze might be interesting. I do have a wire pair and I have to say that I can barely tell I'm wearing them because they are so light. The cat-eye shape is definitely retro!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

My dear Maya, you can do much better. Look for temple detail, inner frame detail and a frame that is narrower in eye height. These frames are too big, not too wide but too big around the eye. Cats eyes are good for your face because they follow the line of your brow.

I’m on the fence about a dark colour. Neutral yes, but not necessarily black.

Nicole

Veteran

Maya, how poor is your vision? I find that my eyes are so bad that if the frames are too narrow (from top to bottom) then there is so little area that I can actually see out of. My vision is -4.75 (it's printed on the contact box).

The size of the frame will definately affect your vision needs. Can you function w/out your glasses? I'm so blind, that I can't tell colors from more than a few feet away. The smaller the frame, the larger your peripheral (outside the frame) area will be. This may not be a big deal if your vision is only slightly impaired.

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Maybe dark brown would be nice, or navy. I still think cream or white would be great!

Maya

Veteran

I know what you mean Nicole. My vision is pretty bad. My prescription is similar to yours and I have astigmatism on top of that. I'm utterly blind without glasses or contacts and I don't know if I can really go much narrower. I used to wear kid's glasses because they looked better, but my dr. told me not to because they didn't give me enough coverage from top to bottom, even though they probably looked better. So I might have to sacrifice in that area.

Dark blue or navy sounds good. I don't know if I'll find cream or white glasses but I'll keep my eyes open.

shiny

Veteran

You're so beautiful, Maya! I have no idea about how to pick frames ... just wanted to say that.... oh, and that I can relate about wearing kids' glasses and mostly wearing contacts.

Okay, I *do* have one piece of advice: make sure you are wearing your contacts when you choose your new glasses!! I can't tell you how many completely wrong frames I've chosen because the eye doctor makes me try on specs while my contacts are out... and I can't see a darn thing!

(My "wear in the house" glasses for the past few years have red frames.. I would really like a new pair but haven't found any I like).

Maya

Veteran

Thanks Shiny! I do wish they would make petite glasses. Like, just take all the adult sizes, and scale them back a bit. Adult glasses are too big and kid's glasses are too small. Endless frustration. No wonder I prefer contacts.

My doctor always tells me to choose glasses while my eyes are dilating. So besides not having my contacts, my pupils are the size of marbles. Maybe that's why I have such rotten luck with glasses.

Julia

Maya you look stunning! I vote for a pair of blue glasses too, it would go well with your funky style and add contrasts to your brown eyes.

Maya

Veteran

OK, I tried my old glasses yesterday (the kid's ones), and they actually aren't that much narrower in height than the ones I have now, but it still made enough of a difference that I could tell it wouldn't work out. There is just not enough coverage. As soon as I start to look down, my eyes are out of the range of my glasses, which isn't going to work.

So I will just have to live with them looking too big. But I will look for cat eyes with blue or white frames and more details.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sounds like a good plan. I'm excited to see your new frames!

anne

Veteran

Maya - It took awhile but I have realised who you reminded me of - Penelope Cruz!

Maya

Veteran

Anne, I actually get that quite a bit, but I never get tired of hearing it, teehee

Maya

Veteran

Today was glasses day. I didn't get anything yet because my dear mother wants to come and approve of them and she couldn't go (I'm getting them from the office she works at...but she is on vacation this week).

Remember how I said I wish they made petite glasses? Well, they do! I found a pair of Ann Klein petite frames and they fit very well, but they're not all that interesting. They're dark brown on the outside and white on the inside. I also found some Ralph Lauren glasses that are tortoiseshell on the outside and green on the inside, which I loved, but they're kind of big--they're my favorite when they're not on my face, and my least favorite once I put them on. The last pair I found was a pair of Coach glasses that are brown on the outside, and have the Coach signature pattern on the inside of the frame. They fit well but I'm not a big fan of advertising a brand...know what I mean?

I did not find anything with funky temple details or anything like that. Just finding glasses that fit my face was enough of a challenge so I didn't want to push my luck. But the ones I did find are definitely smaller around my eye. I asked about my field of vision and the woman who works there told me you actually only use a very small part of the lens, so it doesn't matter. It just takes some getting used to.

I tried to take pictures with my cell phone but they came out awful, so I guess none of you can really advise me...but that's where I am right now. I tried to find pictures of the glasses but nothing is coming up.