Dotting the Eyes

Archive for May, 2010

I was speaking with Pete from our Flat Irons store today about his favorite frame, and his frame of the moment is the Lafont Einstein.

He really likes the cool retro styling, and the acetate horn rim. He describes them as solid, chunky, modern and nerdy. The Einstein is another frame that really fits the “geek chic” style of today. Pete likes all of the colors, and couldn’t pick just one favorite.

Lafont has a leg up on some of the other designers, when it comes to retro styling. They’ve been making glasses for quite a while now, and even have their own “Reedition” line, where they brought back some of their original styles, with a few twists. They use quality materials, and quality workmanship, and that adds a lot to the feel of their frames. They may cost more than some others, but they’ll hold up to whatever you put them through, and they’re comfortable at the same time.

I was speaking with Kenny today, at our Flat Irons store, about his favorite frame, and the winner for the day is the Barton Perreira Halston. He likes the Halston because it’s unique. It’s simple and classic, and very geek chic. He says the best color is black, if you’re really wanting to work the geek chic angle.

I have to say, I agree with him. The Halston is a beautiful frame, and extremely well made. Barton Perreira uses some of the best materials available, and the best craftspeople, as well. Patty Perreira, one of the owners, has been designing glasses for a number of years, and she still has her finger on the pulse. She designs glasses to be beautiful, and stylish, but also to fit well. Barton Perreira glasses just feel right, when you put them on. They fit your bridge well, and you can feel the quality immediately.

They’re a no-brainer!

Now that we’re fairly squarely into sunglass season, I wanted to talk about some really cool sunglasses from Maui Jim.

As you may already know, Maui Jim only makes polarized lenses. They’re great for blocking glare, and some of the most comfortable lenses out there. They are bad for pilots, however, because of the polarization.

Maui Jim makes a line of drilled rimless sunglasses with beta titanium frames. The largest is the Ka’anapali, and it fits larger heads very well. The beta titanium temples are hingeless, so they gently grip the sides of your head, and stay in place very well. They’re the lightest glasses you can wear, and have a nice 8 base wrap to protect your eyes from the sun all the way around. The shape is a modified aviator, and follows the lines of your cheekbones well, to give you as much protection as possible.

These sunglasses truly are a wonderful addition to any summer wardrobe.

I wanted to talk about a really cool eyeglass company today.

L.A. Eyeworks has been designing glasses and sunglasses for a number of years now, and their funky style always shows through. These are not glasses you’ll find on everyone, everywhere. If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, often with a retro twist, this is a great company to start with. The acetate colors they work with are amazing, coming in colors from crystal, and translucent green, all the way to a stunning marbled black, with veins of blues and reds. The bridges fit perfectly, and the styles are really meant to be worn, although they do some great advertising, too.

For those who don’t know, a contract for a modeling job with L.A. Eyeworks has been one of the prizes on Ru Paul’s Drag Race.

They work a lot with titanium, as well, because it’s so durable and lightweight.

L.A. Eyeworks is definitely worth a second look. And, perhaps more than that!

One of the forerunners of rimless glasses has been Silhouette. They have been designing eyeglasses for many years now, and have been designing rimless eyewear for 10 years. They have designed them with one thing at the front of their minds: protect the lenses as much as possible. Of course, when you’re making frames that are essentially invisible, and fade away, there’s not so much you can do. They have done better than any manufacturer I’ve seen in that aspect, though.

They’ve designed their frames to take as much of the stress off the lenses as possible. The frames themselves take the stress from being worn, and being taken on and off. When you pull them away from your face, you can see the frame bending, and the lenses staying exactly in place.

This may not seem as big a deal to you, but when your lenses can cost upwards of $250 per lens, and the frame costs around $95 to replace a part, you can see the benefits more easily. Of course, the frame is beta titanium, and very difficult to break. It’s nice to have that peace of mind, though.