Specs help - ETA do either of these work? - YouLookFab Forum

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Specs help - ETA do either of these work?

nemosmom

Veteran

ETA - I brought home 2 to try. Pics in comments

I am in the market for a new pair of glasses; my beloved frames of 15 years desperately need to be retired. I started shopping for frames last week after my eye exam and now am feeling completely overwhelmed. I have looked at LensCrafters, Zenni, WarbyParker, and one local eyewear boutique but can't find anything I like.

I usually wear contacts and save my glasses for when I'm home, so I can justify buying only one pair. My current frames are plastic - an olive-y brown with teal inner. I don't like tortoise shell or busy patterns, black frames are too dark and heavy for my coloring, and wire frames are too thin on my oblong/narrow face... I would want a color that is neutral enough to go with my coloring (green eyes that can be olive or blue-green, copper hair, pale skin) but that is where I get stuck...

What colors should I be looking for? Is there a particular style or color that won't look outdated in a few years? Where have you found great frames?

Shopping

20 replies

Latest reply was from nemosmom

Kathie

Veteran

From your description, it sounds like the colors you’ve had would be a great starting point (olive and turquoise..) I’m also mostly a contact wearer, and find that I enjoy having glasses that are fun/different, on the occasions that I do wear them out of the house. Have you thought of a brighter/lighter lime green, or bright blue? Or even a pinkish red?

Feel free to post some pics, and we can all chime in!

Runcarla

Veteran

I have colouring similar to yours, and dark frames have never been complimentary. It can be really hard to find mid tone or lighter frames in general, and flattering ones are a challenge. My frames in 2013 and 2015 were JFE, but the ones I got in 2017 were best ever! They are an irredescent lavender on top with transparent lime green bottoms. I'm due for new ones this fall and have started the search - so I am interested in what works for you. I'm thinking of doing like Angie and getting the same frames in a different colourway.

By any chance are your olivey brown/teal frames by Kate Spade? They sound like one of my previous pair!

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Anonymous

My gripe with local stores is that they seem to only stock dark frames. I am vocal and have told them that there are millions of baby boomers and we want color or light frames. Maybe that will convince the person who orders that they need more variety. There also needs to be more variety in sizes too. I sometimes tell them that they are forcing me to shop on-line, something a local store does not want to hear.

nemosmom

Veteran

Kathie - I have green ones on my radar, but all are either too bright or too large. I like your idea of having a fun/different frame since I won’t be wearing them daily.

Runcarla - my old ones are LA eyewear brand, purchased at a boutique in San Francisco (pic 1-3). They are *just* dark enough that they don’t fade into my complexion, and the light teal brightens my eyes. They are small (47mm lens) and fit well, but the plastic on the bridge is fading/weakening and I want to be able to baby these a bit longer.

I love your Kate Spade ones, and the new cat eyes are really flattering on you!

Joy - YES! All are very dark and huge. Heavy wayfarer style seems to be most available. With oversized round and square coming in close second.

I found a few online I am considering that come in XS.
4 is a Tiffany frame with baby blue inner (on clearance at local eye dr)
5-6 is by Coach is a tortoise/teal or tortoise/olive
7 and 9 are online; 7 is a matte jade green and 9 is a grey/brown wood grain plastic
8 is a rayban kids in a green with tortoise arms.

I think all are probably too dark, but I’m hoping to try them on this week while I keep looking around.

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You might find this helpful:

https://youlookfab.com/2017/08.....s-eyewear/

karen13

Veteran

I have fair skin, strawberry blonde hair and green/blue eyes, and I have actually found the burgundy specs I bought 19 months ago (with tons of help from YLF) to be very versatile. I have a small face and close-set eyes, so I have fit issues. Youth glasses typically fit me best. But I love my SALT frames. Pics with a few different hair styles.

Don't settle! You will wear them every day.

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

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Kathie

Veteran

I was poking around a bit more, and came across the Nifties brand, which specializes in smaller frames- some fun, and lighter/brighter color combinations.

https://nifties-eyewear.com/collection/

nemosmom

Veteran

Thank you, Angie! I read through that post a couple of days ago. It was really helpful figuring out frame shape yesterday. My brows are more straight than arched, but many of the rectangular shapes are too heavy on the top. Hoping I can find one with a uniform thickness all the way around, but still lift. Now, I'm stuck on color....

Karen - your thread was super helpful. I have similar fit issues; youth sizes are also my best fit -- but, goodness -- those colorways are NOT good on me.... I haven't heard of SALT, but am off to investigate!

I tried the two Coach frames today (pics 5-6 above) and they were too tall. They are ordering a different Coach frame to try (pic 1-2 below) in two colorways: "dark tortoise" and a purply-amber gradient; the torti part is more green than caramel, and the overall pattern is lower contrast than other torti patterns I've tried.

I also ordered the grey/brown ones (pic 9 above) from the online retailer. They are the same measurements as my current frames, and only $27 for a complete pair. They have a 14 day return/exchange policy, and seem like they are worth the gamble. I think it would serve as an inexpensive pair to tide me over so I don't settle when it's time to spend $$$$.

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Anonymous

I have the Coach #5287 frames in light confetti brown and get lots of compliments. They are quite comfortable.

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nemosmom

Veteran

Thanks, Kathie! They have some great colors. I'll dig deper!

Danusia - those are really pretty! At one retailer, Coach seemed to have the most selection in smaller sizes.The frames on order to try are the 6089.

Angie - do you have a "SEE Eyewear" location near you? I went to one here on Friday and saw some that reminded me of you. I loved the green ones, but they didn't love me back.

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Anonymous

I like the teal and green ones, and the purple amber sounds good too!

Gretchen

Veteran

Have you run across any navy frames? I have a pair of tiffany's from 2016 that I wear all the time (they are in my profile pic). Something in a blue might be good to accentuate the colors in your hair and eyes.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nemosmom, burgundy, tortoiseshell, olive and dark blue get my vote.

nemosmom

Veteran

Here are the tortoise ones and the dark navy/baby blue ones to try. Are they too big?? Too dark??? Both are MUCH larger and darker than my old frames so I am having trouble judging them. Please excuse the hair/fleece. We are ripping out basement walls...

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Eliza

Veteran

Nemosmom- I admire your persistence; specs are tough. To my eye, both of those frames are too wide across your face, leaving gaps. I like the way the tortoise picks up your gorgeous hair tones; you also have beautiful eye color to highlight. It’s possible that the right frame might subtly do both.

As someone who has struggled forever to choose the right frames, I can tell you what helped me; going to a very well reviewed independent optical shop where you book an appointment and an expert guides you through options that may suit your style, face shape, coloring, budget and prescription. Even if you don’t order from them, but it becomes a way to gain inspiration and direction, it could be worthwhile. Also, they know which frames could be ordered in a narrower width. Without this help, I kept gravitating towards old standbys, even though my goal was to update my look.

All the best!

Anonymous

I like the tortoiseshell ones more, but both do seem a little wide. I agree about checking with a local shop, at least to get width specs (I have to get small ones too), even if you dont buy there.

nemosmom

Veteran

Thank you, Eliza and suntiger. I will have to hunt down a great optical shop; our local one had very limited selection and seemed miffed that I didn't want an appointment with their eye doctor. I haven't had any luck tracking down stand-alone shops with just eyewear, like the one where I bought my current/old frames. I may have to expand my search...

sigh.

RobinF

Veteran

I like the colors and shapes but agree they seem too wide.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nemosmom, both frames are too wide, and #1 droops at the cheeks. Your eyes are beautiful.

nemosmom

Veteran

Thank you for your opinions, Robin and Angie. Back to the drawing board!