New to glasses? Let’s talk style

Being new to things is no fun. Everybody else seems to have been on the receiving end of some intricately worded memo that has laid out a few ground rules and even pointed out extra areas of learning, leaving you feeling a little less ‘happy to be doing something new’ and bit more like a ‘prize idiot just trying to fake your way through it’. Now, we’ve all tried on glasses. From passing around our friends glasses each time someone says “are those lenses strong?” so that we can all see just how blind they are without them, to amassing draw-fulls of throw away summertime sunglasses over the years. So, you’d think you’re not exactly a newbie to the notion of glasses, but unless you know a couple of important things, I’m afraid to tell you that you very much are.

Just to prepare you, you shouldn’t expect to walk into a shop and have one of their workers tell you what will be the best shape, size, and color glasses for you. Unless you get lucky, most places will throw their hands up in defense to say “Oh! You tell me what looks good!” You will be majorly disappointed if you expect anything more. It’s as if it is a liability for them to send you home with the wrong glasses that they recommended… maybe it is.

With that being said, don’t get your hopes up yet. Looking good in glasses doesn’t have to be intimidating if you are a newbie to this lifestyle! Finding the perfect glasses is no different than finding the perfect shoes. How do they fit? How do they look? Will you still like the color next year? Are you satisfied? If you checked each box, then ding ding ding! We have a fabulous winner. And rest assured, you are not doing any wrong by researching the best style of glasses that will leave you feeling stylish, confident and comfortable. Depending on your reason, glasses could become the new way in which you identify yourself! Driver’s license included.

There are various things to consider for your first shopping trip to the glasses shop, like your face shape, the frame thickness you desire, and the endless styles being developed as new trends replace the old. 

Let’s dive in by examining how certain aspects of yourself, like face shape, will determine the style of glasses you leave the store with. 

Style and face shape

Before you take the handbrake off and loosen your purse strings on an uneducated shopping spree, you should know that the styles you prefer may not be the styles that prefer you. Yes, we know, this information can be gutting, but it’s simply a bridge we all must cross. Face shape dictates which glasses work best with your natural lines and contours. Softer round faces with broad smooth cheeks and an open forehead won’t benefit from more curved thin lines. You need angular glasses to deliver a focal point and break up those anonymous features (see these glasses for retro browline options, for example). Conversely, faces with strong jawlines and cheekbones and prominent noses already have so much going on that angular glasses would push your look over the edge. Instead, consider rounded frames that will cushion your dominant lines. Eyeglasses websites like Glasses2You have all the different styles for your face shape so give them a browse if you’re interested.

Style and frame thickness

Again, an important lesson to learn early on about your choice of frames is that not every type of lifestyle will necessarily suit all types of frames – meaning the frame thickness you want might not work with what you’re planning on using it for. You see, thick frames are bold. They are contemplative. Informed. Wise. Quiet. What they are not is suitable for the gym or nights out on the town. Why? Because big frames get in the way. They are cumbersome. Instead, if you are indeed planning on taking your glasses along for quite a ride, consider lightweight frames that are much more suited to movement (and by their nature, won’t hit the ground as hard if you drop them, meaning a reduced probability of breaking them).