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New specs for 2020?

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Hi all, joining others in a glasses hunt. I bought my current pair in early 2016 so they are almost 4 years old. Soon after I joined the forum in 2017 Angie suggested they could be updated- well that was too soon but they are looking tired and the rose gold paint has chipped on the top of the frame.
I find this really difficult. I have read the post from 2017 on how to choose, more than once, including before I went to the store earlier today. My face is small and even a child’s frame fit me quite well! ( It was maybe slightly small so I didn’t photograph it). I am maybe hankering after some plastic frames for a change after the last two have been metal? And maybe blue tones?
Please ignore red spot on forehead- sun damaged area in the process of treatment with imiquimod cream.
Pic 1: current 2016 rose gold metallic Vogue pair
Pic 2: older than that, purple metallic
Pic 3: I like the blues here? Tiffany, on sale
Pic 4: darker blue Ralph Lauren which I like
Pics 5-9 various brownish/tortoiseshell colours, one is rather purple
Pic 10: quite like this interesting Prada pair
Pic 11: reddish, maybe a bit big.
In past decades, of plastic pairs I liked a turquoise one and a reddish pink one best, and otherwise have had mostly gold metallic.
I probably will only use the one new pair with my current ones or the purple ones as spares. All thoughts appreciated!

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Dressing

39 replies

Latest reply was from nuancedream

slim cat

Veteran

I like #4 too and #9 looks good. Blue goes very well with your eyes.

rachylou

Veteran

I like 4-7 & 9. I really like the blue frames, but feel the fit/size is a bit off. No on the last two IMO.

The Cat

Veteran

I am sorry to say this, but I honestly think that #1 and#2 look too square for your face, and that the rest of them are too big and dominant.

I would like to see you with ROUND glasses and with frames which are not wider than your face and don't "collide" with your eyebrows. I have a feeling that (smaller) round glasses with frames in a visible colour like cobalt or royal blue would be gorgeous for your small, neat face as well as your fun, bold, personal style.

I know it can sometimes be difficult to find frames that look harmonious with your face, style and personality. However, a clever, professional SA should be able to really "see" you and come up with some great suggestions. So please don't hesitate to ask for specific help. And if you don't feel you get the help you need, don't give up, but go to another place.

Best wishes for a successful hunt.

Bijou

Veteran

I like the size of #5 best - it is not too wide for you face. However, with the dark colour and larger size of most of these frames, they make a bold statement. I would prefer a softer or more colourful frame for you - not one that overwhelms your face.

I have been sort of looking for new glasses (due to the expiry of my health fund allowance) and found this frame by D&G that is a beautiful cobalt blue and a nice smaller size cats eye frame (it also comes in red, but I preferred the blue on me). I thought it may work for you too - it is D&G 3324.

These coloured frames are lighter than black frames and so I find they work better with my wardrobe. I look good in black glasses when wearing business suits - but they don't work with my prettier dresses. The frames that I bought last year are the pearl white Tiffany frames and they suit my style much better than my former black frames.

Good luck in your quest to find some new frames. It was great to see Carla try so many as she eventually found the perfect frame.

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Jenni NZ

Veteran

Thanks Slimcat, Rachylou and The Cat. Cats are the order of the day! That’s fine The Cat to not like the current or previous ones, I didn’t have the benefit of YLF then when I chose those.
It will be difficult to get smaller ones, because smaller than these in my usual store were child’s spectacles. I did actually quite like them. In a different store in the same mall, where I first looked back in July, they did have some called “petite”, so I could look there again. I know about the numbers on the inside now too so could compare. I didn’t find the SA very helpful today, so maybe another store might have a better one.
The supposed great “sale” that drew me to my usual store was a washout- only a few very expensive brands had a good discount and the cheaper brands none at all. It’s only that the sale email reminded me to try again and I have time- off work but DH is not so sadly we are not away!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Oh and thanks Bijou, we cross-posted. I like D&G in general, they had a few today but none like that.

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, I should say that I found the high contrast/dark frames very striking.

Kathie

Veteran

Of these, 5 is my favorite, for size/shape. It is dark, but I agree with Rachy, that I like the contrast on you. The colors in 11 are very pretty, but the frames seem a bit large for your face. I would suggest looking for a place that carries more independently designed frames, with the hope that you’ll be able to try a broader range of shapes and colors. Not sure if it’s close to you, but EyeStyle appears to carry some of the brands that I’ve enjoyed trying.

The Cat

Veteran

Jenni and Bijou, yes, a smaller size cats eye frame would be a great idea, too.

I like Bijou's #1 very much, and it might be ideal for your Jenni.

Helena

Veteran

I liked #3 Jenny and I think it was the colourful frame that appealed to me visually and also for your style and personality. I also like 5; the size seems the best.

Theodora

#4 and #9 are my favorites- #9 lifts your entire face!

Molly Mac

Veteran

While I think #5 and 9 are the best of this bunch, I agree with Slimcat's observation that these glasses overwhelm your petite features and distract from rather than enhance your pretty blue eyes. I like Bijou's suggestions and agree that you should keep looking to find your perfect pair. JFE isn't good enough when glasses are worn daily and are such an essential wardrobe element.

nemosmom

Veteran

I've been shopping for specs for months, Jenni, so I sympathize with your frustration! I think the ones you posted are all too large for you.

Are you dead-set on cat shape? What about a shorter, rounded rectangle or maybe a butterfly shape? Vera Wang has a few that come to mind - they are petite in size and come in different colors. Examples below:

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notsaf

Veteran

I'm loving #5 and #10!

JAileen

Veteran

10 and 3.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Shopping for specs is really challenging. I know I don't wear them now, Jenni, but I wore them for most of my life and I have a very hard to fit face and also had a high prescription, which meant I needed extra thin lenses and they would *still* be so heavy they would fall down my face, so sizing became crucial.

Anyway...my recommendations for what they are worth: DEFINITELY check out petite frames. Check measurements! For the width, you may be able to get away with slight variations depending on the style (e.g. you might be able to go from a 48 to a 50, for example, depending on the style). But the bridge measurement will be really important. Again, depending on whether there are nose pads or not, you may be able to get away with very small variations there -- but not much.

I had two pair from this company: http://www.bevelspecs.com/catalog

Here's what they have now for petite women: http://www.bevelspecs.com/catalog/by_size

They tend to do a lot of interesting colours.

This is ages ago (6 or 7 years) but here was one pair. Obviously their offerings would be different now; this is an older style. I found they had quite a few styles that fit my face. I have a weirdly large head for my size but quite a narrow face and my nose has a small delicate bridge. Also, my cheekbones will often argue with larger frames, so that is another fit issue I contend with.

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....-new-specs

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I think that most of these glasses are too dark and too big for you.l have found that it’s quite difficult to find light frames in lighter colours but my most successful pair have been from a brand called silhouette who make very lightweight frameless glasses.They are not cheap but the after sales service is good.Prehaps these would be worth a look for you if they are available in NZ.Whatever you decide to do don’t rush into it ,take your time to be sure before you commit.

karen13

Veteran

fWIW,I like the shapes of 4 and 5 the best and the color of 11. I agree that you look good with high contrast. But most of the frame colors read too dark for me. In real life the color may show more. And the frames all look too wide. I have a small face with small, close set eyes, and it is very hard to find frames that look good.it is definitely worth searching out petite frames.

the measurements on my current pair, Selected with YLF guidance, are 48-16-140. I find the variegated burgundy (called painted desert) color very versatile - it seems to go with both warm and cool colors.

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....nses-for-n

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....mall-faces

Good luck and don’t settle!

rose

From my experience- wearing glasses since teen years- It’s so hard buying glasses when you can’t quite see ! I have found it’s better to visit a ‘serious’ optometrist store rather than the mall shops, who simply tell me how lovely I look in everything. Yes the optometrist store is probably expensive but the advice and time is worth it, especially if wearing the glasses every day. Mines in Newmarket-feel free to do me if you want the contact.
My other advice is take a good adviser- my daughters are ( sometimes brutally!) honest, know me better than anyone and have no vested interest in selling me expensive specs! Now that two live overseas I often take a photo and send to them.
For what it’s worth I like the blue colour in 3.
Good luck!!

Kari

Veteran

I’d also recommend seeking out petite frames (Suz’ guidance is good - I remember other narrow-faced YLF members having great luck with Bevel.) Most of these overwhelm your face in size or dark color, or both. I’d look for fit first - really making sure they are not too wide or too long below the bridge - and then look at colors the frame comes in. Either a softer, lighter color, OR a light or bright accent (the inner color of the frame in white, light blue, etc. if the outer part of the frame is dark.) It is worth being picky and patient for the right frame.

Gigi

Veteran

I agree with the others: none of these frames wows me, and they overwhelm your face both because the frames are too large and because they are too dark. I would keep looking.

Regarding what rose says, I have gotten my best frames from my optometrist's; they've always fit well and looked really good. I would have a terrible time picking a frame out myself. I have the same issue as you with the smaller face and have often worn children's frames.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

3, 8 and 9 are my favorites. Personally, I’ve found that when I’ve chosen less conventional colors, I’ve been happier, but I really need to get the shape and fit right for continued comfort.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Wow, I have just woken up, thank you all!
Gigi, that’s helpful to know you have worn child’s frames, I must say that child’s frame I put on yesterday was really comfortable right off the bat. The brands some of you mention I have never heard of, I guess living on the other side of the world. So thanks Rose for the local perspective too. Newmarket would be easy enough to take a trip to.
A more philosophical question- I read somewhere locally that frameless glasses might be coming back. Part of the reason I looked at higher contrast ones yesterday was because of Angie’s articles about what an important part of one’s style they are etc etc and I thought maybe higher contrast would be a more obvious part of my style? My current rose gold ones are not that obvious I feel which maybe now some of you are saying would be better on me? So I’m confused. Soft pretty blues would make me happy I think but need to reduce the size. Off to read the links some of you have provided!
Obviously more work/looking to do yet.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Many frames are made in Japan -- I think the company I linked to is a Japanese company. So these will be available in NZ in a good shop.

It can be hard to photograph the actual colour of specs. Some contrast could be great but these particular ones (IMO) overpowered you and took away from your natural vivacity. But that was about fit as much as colour -- they are too big for your face.

As a lighter skinned person with light hair I found that I could wear a darker frame if it had a bright or white lining. I even had a black pair of specs for a while. Some found them overpowering on me in photos but IRL they looked really good as long as I was wearing something dark in my outfit -- much like what Bijou said. They were lined in white, which is what made them possible. My red/fuchsia ones looked good with everything.

I think blue would be marvellous on you, or red. Or else a sort of graphite/ white blend to work with your hair.

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Anonymous

Your current ones are my favorites by far. With the others I see the glasses before I see you, though 4 or 5 could be nice in a lighter color- a medium blue or purple maybe. High contrast in color, but not in value.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

4, 5, 6, 7, and 9, and I like them much better than your current frames. #9 is my favorite.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I generally find it hard to pick frames from close up photos, so I am glad to see you have received so much excellent advice. It is worth taking your time to find the right pair - they will become part of your face.

Joy

Veteran

Most of these frames are too dark and big for you. I have found the same problem and take a small size. This is something that you will wear daily for years, so take your time.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Here are my old faves from years ago-in all the decades I think I have liked these the most. And one from today ( I tried two more shops today) that reminds me the most of them of anything I have seen so far, lately.
I have Googled for the brand Suz mentioned and the only store in my large city that sells it is the one that Rose mentioned in Newmarket.
Pic 1: old, 2002, reddish/pinkish tones
Pic 2: old, 2006, exactly the same shape I think, turquoise/blue tones
Pic 3: today in Specsavers, variegated pattern and a smaller size than all yesterday’s.
I may feel a trip to Newmarket coming on in the next week.

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